Fair Days has come to an end in Wasatch County, and although overall ticket sales were slightly down, more people visited the festivities this year.  That includes the Fair Days carnival, exhibits and events, according to Wasatch County Parks and Recreation marketing coordinator Jennifer Bowman , who tracks the event’s sales and impact.  There was an estimated $750,000 in ticket sales this year, slightly up by about 5% from last year’s estimate, Bowman said. She added that more visitors attended Fair Days events and exhibits, which sees people spending money with food and market vendors. She attributed the rise in visitors to the amount of effort that goes into Fair Days each year. Bowman said the event keeps improving because of the work her team puts in, but also from the popularity of the Wasatch County Demolition Derby and Mountain Valley Stampede Rodeo.  “I love seeing the work and collaboration that goes into it,” Bowman said. “The team had some really fun new ideas to freshen it up this year.” In total, just under 33,000 tickets were sold over six nights. That includes the Demolition Derby, where drivers competed for $200,000 in prizes, and the Mountain Valley Stampede Rodeo, where more than 400 cowboys and cowgirls competed in events such as bull riding, tie-down roping and steer wrestling.  Friday and Saturday nights sold out. Bowman said locals and visitors still clamored to obtain tickets ahead of the events.  “We were still getting people calling in,” Bowman said. “There’s definitely a fun buzz around our events.” About 17,000 tickets were sold for the Demolition Derby, and 16,000 for the Mountain Valley Stampede Rodeo.  Bowman said her team reviews a heat map of ticket sales locations each year. It’s warmest within a 30-mile radius of Wasatch County, but she said they also saw sales in Salt Lake County, Utah County, southern Utah and Wyoming.  About 60% of tickets sold were within a 50-mile radius of Wasatch County. “It’s a big deal,” Bowman said. “We get a lot of great competitors, and I think people are excited to come to our events.”That’s helped by the level of competition seen at events such as the rodeo. Renowned athletes such as Sydney Graham often appear, boosting the anticipation from attendees and competitors.  Bowman said there were more ticket sales last year, but ancillary activities were far better this year. That includes the carnival, the Mountain Valley Market, the livestock sale and more. This year, those activities were hosted in the recreation center.  There were over 300 more entries into exhibits than ever before.  “A lot of people are showing a renewed interest in exhibits because of the new atmosphere,” Bowman said. “We saw increased attendance rolling through the exhibits also because of accessibility.” It’s a hot spot for seniors, Bowman said. Next year, the number of exhibits will increase, including one to showcase wedding dresses.  “It used to be a popular one and will hopefully be again,” Bowman said.  The carnival also featured a slightly different layout with additional rides and double the sellers for the Mountain Valley Market, which includes 70 merchandise and 25 food vendors. Bowman said the participation there was the largest change and biggest growth factor.  “It was a really fun atmosphere for sure,” Bowman said.  Overall, Bowman’s team is still calculating ticket sale totals. But she estimated it would be about $750,000 in total. That doesn’t count food truck concessions, spectator entries for ancillary activities and more.  “We’re definitely well over a million dollars in income, but a lot of that goes right back out just to put out a superior product,” Bowman said.  It’s part of what makes Fair Days better each year. But aside from improving the event, Bowman said Wasatch County as a whole relies on Fair Days for an economic boost each summer. Her team works with the Heber Valley Chamber of Commerce to pull numbers on exactly what kind of impact is seen across the county.  That includes spending on lodging, gas and food in the area. Usually, the estimate is around $4 million. “Those tax dollars from visitors are very important to us,” Bowman said, adding that estimate could be on the low end.  Fair Days has a major impact, she said. With each year, more individuals are looking to attend ancillary events, compete in major events or visit in general.  “We do put our best foot forward, and it continuously helps bring more people here,” Bowman said.  The impact is felt year-round. As individuals see the quality of competitions at the Mountain Valley Stampede Rodeo, Bowman said more competitors are vying to compete in events like the high school rodeo finals later in the year or skijoring each winter. But now, Bowman said the county Parks and Recreation Department is in recovery mode.  “There’s the negative side as well,” she said. “The grounds need work after Fair Days.” Ground maintenance, she said, is a big part of turning the area around for future events that bring in more income and increased visitors.  “We have a ball tournament coming up in a few weeks, and all of our grass has to be back in tip-top shape,” Bowman said. “The reset of that is huge for our team.” Fair Days may be over, but the work is far from it. Bowman said the department will work to put its best foot forward even after Fair Days’ end.  The post Fair Days sees increased economic impact in Wasatch County appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less