HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW AND RODEO NAMED NORTH AMERICA’S TOP FAIR
Surpasses Texas State Fair for first time
The Top 50 North American Fairs drew 40,316,926 guests in 2009, a small decrease of less than 1% from 2008.
Surging to the top spot on the list this year was the Houston Livestock
Show and Rodeo with a record-breaking attendance of 1,890,332, an
increase of 5%. They gained the number one spot for the first
time, succeeding the perennial #1, Texas State Fair, which was hampered
by rain. Texas had a carnivalwarehouse.com estimated attendance
of 1,818,825.
“The 2009 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo was a great
success,” said Skip Wagner, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
president. Speaking about the success of the world’s largest
stock show he said, “It’s a great value, and there’s
something for the whole family.”
In a year when economic woes were a major concern for North
America’s largest events, it turned out that an old enemy, the
weather, was the major challenge in 2009.
The Illinois State Fair, Mississippi State Fair, Miami-Dade County Fair
and Exposition (FL) California State Fair, Texas State Fair and Arizona
State Fair all posted double digit declines in 2009, largely due to
weather. Illinois, Texas and Mississippi were especially hampered
by downpours and the Mississippi State Fair was even held over an
additional day to try and gain some lost ground.
Leading the biggest positive movers was the Alameda County Fair in
Pleasanton, CA which had a whopping increase of 21.5%, entering the
list in the #41 position. The Eastern States Exposition in
Springfield, MA, the Pacific National Exhibition in Vancouver, BC, the
North Carolina State Fair, the Indiana State Fair and the York Fair
(PA) all posted double digit increases.
Joining Alameda County on the list in 2009 after an absence were the
Ionia (MI) Free Fair and the Pensacola Interstate Fair. Falling
from the list in 2009 were the Dutchess County Fair (NY), the Kern
County Fair (CA) and the Greeley Stampeded in Colorado.
“Despite economic fears, North America’s Top 50 events had
a solid year”, said Matt Cook, president of
carnivalwarehouse.com. “Were it not for some extremely bad
weather spells during key events, we could have had a great year in
2009”, he added.
For a complete listing of the Top 50 North American Fairs:
Click here to
download the 2009 TOP 50 FAIRS and CARNIVALS list.
Archived lists:
CLICK
HERE to view the 2008 TOP 50 FAIRS and CARNIVALS RANKING
CLICK
HERE to view the 2007 TOP 50 FAIRS and CARNIVALS RANKING
CLICK HERE to view the 2006 TOP 50 FAIRS and CARNIVALS RANKING
(c) 2006-2009 MCW - carnivalwarehouse.com |
2009 Top 50 FAIRS and CARNIVALS
