Link: South Florida Fair ends with organizers calling it 'efficient, safe and well-attended
Thousands of parents and children crowded the fair on the last day of its 17-day run, but event organizers weren't immediately sure whether their presence boosted this year's attendance to meet last year's 598,200. An attendance record of 747,500 was set in 2002. Several chilly days kept the crowds low, including many students and government workers expected to take advantage of various discounts last Thursday, said fair spokesman John Picano. But the weather didn't hurt the fair too badly, he said. "We had an efficient, safe and well-attended fair with few logistical issues," Picano said. Still, not all of the hundreds of food, merchandise and service vendors did so well. "Business has been soft," said Andy Wilkinson, of Hillsboro, Ohio, who brought his pins business to the fair for the 17th year. "The crowds just aren't as big as they used to be. A lot of people say it's the high insurance and taxes that keep people away." A few stands away, though, business was brisk for Marie Pinner's candle and potpourri shop. Her soy-made candles were selling so well she had trouble keeping them in stock. This was the first time she drove from Gatlinburg, Tenn., to sell her wares
