CANFIELD — The 2021 Canfield Fair, which posted attendance numbers above 285,000 for its six-day event at the beginning of September, was rated among the Top 50 fairs in North America.
According to the list compiled by Carnival Warehouse, the Canfield Fair ranked No. 42 in the nation because of its attendance figures.
“We are thrilled to be honored by Carnival Warehouse and thank everyone who came out to support this year’s fair. We are already working on plans to make the 2022 Canfield Fair better than ever,” Canfield Fair Board President Bob Jarvis said.
Fair officials have set the dates for the 176th edition of the Canfield Fair for Aug. 31 through Sept. 5.
According to Carnival Warehouse websites, about 90 percent of the fairs — including the vast majority of exhibitions that usually rank among the Top 50 fairs of North America — were canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But 2021 saw a reversal of that cancel culture, the website shows, with an estimated 10 percent of fairs canceled. Canfield’s fair was only a Junior Fair in 2020 because of COVID-19, but resumed full force with its 175th edition in September.
Most attendance declines in fairs hovered in the range of 10 percent, according to the website.
Holding on to the top spot in the ranking was the State Fair of Texas in Dallas, which attracted more than 2.2 million people across 24 days in September / October.
As the list is based on attendance and includes many other state fairs and multi-state expositions, the Canfield event is one of only a handful of county fairs to make the list. The local fair also was the only fair in Ohio to make the Top 50 list.
The observance of the 175th Canfield Fair is continuing with the Flock to the Fairgrounds Rooster Statue Project, with the roosters decorated by local artists being displayed at a storefront on the east side of the Shops at Boardman Park. An auction of the roosters is scheduled for March 26.
Accolades
Top 10 fairs in North America
1. State Fair of Texas in Dallas, attendance more than 2.2 million
2. Arizona State Fair in Phoenix, almost 1.6 million
3. Eastern States Exposition, West Springfield, Mass., almost 1.5 million
4. Minnesota State Fair, St. Paul, Minn., 1.3 million
5. Tulsa State Fair, Tulsa, Okla., 1.18 million
6. Iowa State Fair, Des Moines, almost 1.1 million
7. Orange County Fair, Costa Mesa, Calif., about 1.055 million
8. Erie County Fair, Hamburg, N.Y., about 981,000
9. Oklahoma State Fair, Oklahoma City, 900,000
10. Wisconsin State Fair, West Allis, Wis., 841,000
SOURCE: Carnivalwarehouse.com
