Following two years of shortened lists due to cancellations and limited capacities, the 2022 Top 50 Fairs list boasts attendance numbers similar to, and at times surpassing, 2019 numbers. Several fairs – including notable events in Canada and California – returned after two years of not operating.
“The return of several Canadian and California events, plus the Ohio State Fair, after a two year hiatus, has shaken up the list, but it is nice to see these fairs operating and maintaining pre-Pandemic attendance numbers,” says Ron Weber of Carnival Warehouse.com which compiled the list. Two Canadian fairs, the Canadian National Exhibition and K Days, achieved attendance numbers higher than 2019.
Topping the list for the second year in a row is the State Fair of Texas with its highest attendance numbers since 2015. Following the number one spot is the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo who makes their return to the Top 50 fairs list after being one of the first events affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though it did not fully run for two years, attendance numbers were only slightly lower than 2019, showing demand and community support for the event’s return.
The return of mostly Canadian and California events, which were among the last to return to active status, brought the Top 50 back to a look similar to 2019 levels. Weber comments that, “This year’s numbers remind us that the community needs and supports these events and people are willing to show up in huge numbers. The outdoor entertainment industry is returning to, and even going beyond where it was pre-pandemic, and the 2022 Top 50 fairs and Top Carnivals list represents that sentiment well.”