The data shared with the Daily Herald tracked the economic impact and total visitors of the fair from July 28 to Aug. 1 at the Spanish Fork Fairgrounds using the Destinations International Event Impact Calculator, or DI EIC, and Placer.ai. 

Explore Utah Valley said the fair received 39,300 visits and 32,600 individual visitors, with a total year-over-year increase in visits of 145.7% and an increase of 296.4% visits compared with two years ago. Those visits resulted in an estimated $1.55 to $1.85 million in direct business sales within the local economy and $63,000 to $82,000 in local tax revenue. 

The data found that 10.05% of visitors traveled from more than 50 miles away, which Explore Utah Valley said established a regional draw. Approximately 17% of visitors were from Spanish Fork, while 10% were from Provo,  7% were from Payson and 5.7% were from Springville. 

The fair has been at the Spanish Fork Fairgrounds since 2008. This year, it included two nights of demolition derbies, a monster truck show and a rodeo, along with various 4-H events, music performances and booths and vendors. 

Utah County Commission Chair Skyler Beltran told the Daily Herald that while other counties in the country are eliminating their fairs, the county is investing in the fairgrounds, building a Willie Barn and adding an additional night of entertainment. 

He said the rodeo was “crazy busy” this year and that the county will have to figure out crowd control next year because of it. He added that the fair is an important event to highlight the agricultural community. 

“As we continue to grow and land keeps getting developed and farms are lost, we have to ensure that kids are able to still have that agricultural community,” Beltran said. “4-H and USU Extension do an amazing job, and the fair is a way for them to highlight their work.”