NEW YORK, July 11 (UPI) -- Competition from amusement parks, casinos and vacation locales such as Las Vegas and Branson, Mo., hurts attendance at state and county fairs, USA Today said.
The Caswell County, N.C., fair closed last year after drawing only 2,000 people over five days, the newspaper said. In Michigan, nearly half of 88 local and county fairs lost money last year, E.J. Brown of the Michigan Association of Fairs & Exhibitions told USA Today.
Some fairs are adjusting to tough times by shortening their runs. Many are updating exhibits and contests or adding Harry Potter displays and ethnic foods to traditional offerings to attract urban audiences, the newspaper said.
"We've got to come up with something unique," said Larry Gabriel, agriculture secretary in South Dakota, where some legislators considered shutting down the money-losing state fair.
