The 11-day Colorado State Fair attracted 517,140 people, more than 20,000 above the attendance recorded in 2009, state officials announced Tuesday.
The attendance is the highest recorded since the fair switched from a 17-day event to an 11-day event in 2005, according to Christi Lightcap, spokeswoman for the fair.
“We regularly had over half-a-million people when it was a 17-day event,” Lightcap said.
The fair, part of the Colorado Department of Agriculture, has shown a steady rise in attendance of late. Chris Wiseman, the fair’s general manager, is pleased with the increase.
“We are thrilled with this year’s attendance numbers. Management and staff continue to work throughout the year to develop an event that provides top-quality entertainment for the family budget,” Wiseman said. Howard Pankratz, The Denver Post
Annual turnout
Attendance at the Colorado State Fair for the past five years:
Year — Attendance
2010 — 517,140
2009 — 496,652
2008 — 486,659
2007 — 485,038
2006 — 452,014
