OC Fair posts higher revenue than last year, despite slightly lower attendance

Despite a slight dip in attendance compared with last year, the 2017 Orange County Fair saw increased revenue from admissions and concessions, helping to boost its overall take, according to the OC Fair & Event Center.

All told, the 127th annual fair took in about $34.5 million in revenue, an increase of about $800,000 over 2016.

Overall expenses for the event in Costa Mesa totaled $25.3 million — an increase from last year but still about $1 million below what the Fair & Event Center had anticipated.

“The 2017 OC Fair was another very healthy event for the organization from a financial standpoint,” Fair & Event Center Chief Executive Kathy Kramer said Monday.

This year’s theme, “Farm Fresh Fun,” resonated with fairgoers, she said, with the vast majority of those surveyed saying they learned more about agriculture during the event.

The increase in revenue this year was fed primarily by proceeds from admissions — up almost $604,000 from 2016, to $10.86 million — and concessions, which totaled $8.3 million, about $536,000 above last year.

Those increases came despite a decline in attendance. This year’s 23-day fair drew 1,334,753 visitors, about 10,000 fewer than last year, according to the Fair & Event Center.

Revenue from parking and carnival games fell by more than $260,000 compared with last year, settling in at about $6.4 million.

The 2018 OC Fair will run from July 13 to Aug. 12. Fair & Event Center officials have said it also will have an agricultural theme.

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