Don’t Call It A Comeback
Did this year’s Bloomsburg Fair make up for its cancellation last year?
The return of the 158th Bloomsburg Fair was welcomed with bright weather, smiling faces, cotton candy, and lots of fried foods.
Last year the 157th Fair was scheduled to be held from Sept. 24 to Oct. 1 but was cancelled due to the 2011 Tropical Storm Lee flood that affected the entire Bloomsburg community, leaving $1 million in damages, forcing the Board of Directors to cancel the event for the first time since it’s opening in 1855.
After costly repairs to the fair grounds, ticket prices for this years Bloomsburg Fair went up 60 percent; approximately three dollars more per ticket, totaling $8 per person. Admission to the annual “Free” preview night was also raised to a reduced rate of $3, but parking fees remained at $5.
Mayor, Dan Knorr, expressed, “I was thrilled it was not cancelled this year. In terms of tax revenue, the fair holds a big part.”
Due to taxing, Bloomsburg receives eight percent of the fairs income, grossing over $100,000 per year. The advertisement for this years fair also expanded to Allentown, Harrisburg, and the Greater Philadelphia area, bringing attendance up from 2010 by 14,327 people. The eight day event was attended by a total of approximately 416,613 people.
