Bob Mackin
Large crowds on Labour Day weekend meant the PNE Fair’s 2018 attendance saw only a small dip from 2017.
PNE daily attendance for 2018.
This year’s 705,379 total was 17,000 fewer than last year and just 7,000 less than 2016.
Instead of rain, the traditional bane of the Fair, smoke from wildfires hampered the crowds on six days.
The fair averaged almost 32,000-a-day during the first week, but just over 58,000 in the second.
According to daily attendance figures provided to theBreaker, the second of two free Tuesday admission promotions, during 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Aug. 28, was the biggest day of the 2018 edition, with 76,247 turnstile clicks.
The smallest attendance was 31,376 on Aug. 25, one of just two days affected by rain.
Crowds progressively grew on the final weekend, from 54,558 on Aug. 31 to 67,068 on Labour Day.
The total remained significantly less than the 937,485 recorded at the 2010 centennial fair, but better than 2015, when 678,193 attended.
The 15-day fair was held between Aug. 18-Sept. 3.
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