Washington County Fair reports record attendance

WASHINGTON — The Washington County Fair exceeded its two-year-old attendance record this summer with over 19,000 visitors across all six days, according to organizers.

The number amounts to roughly 85% of the county’s population, shattering the previous record set in 2023 by a whopping 2,000 guests.

Fair Board President Kurt Dallmeyer said the tally was based on nightly counts of ticket sales and an end-of week count of wristband passes. It does not include any attendees to the fair’s start-of-week kickoff concert, guests under 10 years old, and anyone who showed up before volunteers arrived at the gates each day at 9 a.m. — like many exhibitors and their families.

“They’re seeing everything that the fair is bringing, with our daylong entertainment, and the variety of entertainment they can see,” Dallmeyer said. “It’s new shows that we bring that, the only place you’re going to see them is at the county fair … I think that people are finally realizing that there’s a lot to do at the fair, it’s not just in the morning, or at night.”

Dallmeyer said the number has steadily grown most years since 2010, although this summer’s turnout contrasts from that of 2024, when severe weather closed the fairgrounds early at the start of the week, canceling a usually well-attended tractor pull, and cutting about a third of the day’s other entertainment lineup.

“Having a week of good weather helped out so much, plus we (the fair board) work really hard to bring a wide variety of entertainment which goes on all day long,” said Fair Board Secretary Amanda Russell in a press release about the new record.

4-H also marks strong showing

For 4-H’ers, attendance at the fair also remained high this year.

Data shared by Washington County 4-H Friday morning showed the total number of exhibitors this summer at 400, right in line with 401 in 2024 and 399 in 2023. But the number of entries jumped significantly, from 1,843 to 2,126 across all livestock and non-livestock competitions.

The growth was spread across numerous events. A few competitions saw substantial jumps in entry counts: the poultry animal show by 34, for example, or the garden science show by a whopping 110. Otherwise, the growth of entries was incremental across events with eight additional swine, three extra child development projects, seven additional Share the Fun entries, among countless others.

“We had such an outstanding fair this year from special moments recognizing volunteers to adding new classes to having unique displays from kids to having some outstanding numbers of youth participating,” Washington County 4-H Youth Coordinator Amy Green said in an email. “The weather really only challenged us on set-up and teardown. I look back at the week and am really thankful and proud of how all of our 4-H family came together to work and play well.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com