Dubuque County Fair Considered A Success

Even with high temperatures and a thunderstorm that forced the cancellation of the Friday night concert, Dubuque County Fair officials determined this year’s fair a success. Attendance dipped slightly to 42,500 people, compared to 43,765 in 2022.  Fair General Manager Kevin Kotz said the 2019 fair saw more than 71,000 attendees before the COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected attendance in 2020. Kotz said if not for the weather-related problems, 2023 fair attendance was on track to continue its rebound to pre-pandemic numbers. According to the National Weather Service, daytime temperatures last week reached 93 degrees Wednesday, 90 degrees Thursday and 92 degrees Friday. Dubuque County 4-H Director Sandi Helgerson commended fair volunteers for sticking out the heat, especially those in the 4-H food stand.