A ranking of top fairs and exhibitions has again named the Erie County Fair the largest county fair east of the Rocky Mountains, the 3rd largest county fair in the United States (up from 4th position in 2018) and 12th largest fair overall in North America in 2019 (up from 13th place in 2018). The ranking of fairs, based on attendance, is published annually by CarnivalWarehouse.com. The “Top 50 Fair” list includes all county and state fairs, exhibitions and rodeo shows in the United States and Canada.
1 San Diego County Fair, Del Mar, CA 1,531,199 31 days
2 Orange County Fair, Costa Mesa, CA 1,393,482 31 days
3 ERIE COUNTY FAIR, HAMBURG, NY 1,238,456 12 days
4 Los Angeles County Fair, Pomona, CA 1,100,000 24 days
“This ranking is something that the entire Buffalo-Niagara region can take pride in accomplishing,” said Marty Biniasz, Erie County Fair Marketing Manager. “When looking at the ranking, you need to consider that the Erie County Fair out draws most state fairs in the United States. The west coast county fairs that rank above us benefit from a much longer operating run and are located in top 10 US population markets.”
In 2019, the all-time attendance record for the Erie County Fair was shattered as the “Best 12 Days of Summer” in Western New York State concluded with a final attendance of 1,238,456. This number represented a 3.3% increase from 2018 and made 2019’s number the highest attended Fair in the history of the Erie County Agricultural Society. The previous all-time record was achieved in 2014 (1,220,101).
The following is CarnivalWarehouse.com’s 2019 Top 25 Fairs:
1 Texas State Fair, Dallas, TX – 2,514,637
2 Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, Houston, TX – 2,506,263
3 Minnesota State Fair, St. Paul, MN – 2,126,551
4 San Antonio Livestock Show, San Antonio, TX – 1,900,000
5 Eastern State Exhibition, Springfield, MA – 1,629,527
6 San Diego County Fair, Del Mar, CA – 1,531,199
7 Canadian National Exhibition, Toronto, ON – 1,500,000
8 Orange County Fair, Costa Mesa, CA – 1,393,482
9 New York State Fair, Syracuse, NY – 1,329,275 (13 Days)
10 Calgary Stampede, Calgary, ALB – 1,275,465
11 Arizona State Fair, Phoenix, AZ – 1,262,868
12 ERIE COUNTY FAIR, HAMBURG, NY – 1,238,456 (12 Days)
13 Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, Fort Worth, TX – 1,216,140
14 Iowa State Fair, Des Moines, IA – 1,170,375
15 Wisconsin State Fair, West Allis, WI – 1,130,572
16 Los Angeles County Fair, Pomona, CA – 1,100,000
17 Washington State Fair, Puyallup, WA – 1,100,000
18 Tulsa State Fair, Tulsa, OK – 1,040,000
19 North Carolina State Fair, Raleigh, NC – 939,039
20 Ohio State Fair, Columbus, OH – 934,925
21 Oklahoma State Fair, Oklahoma City, OK – 900,000
22 Indiana State Fair, Indianapolis, IN – 878,857
23 Pacific National Exhibition, Vancouver, BC – 732,000
24 K Days, Edmonton, ALB – 702,327
25 National Western Stock Show, Denver, CO – 701,656
See complete list at: https://carnivalwarehouse.com/images/site/pageserver/file/top50/2019list.pdf
About the Erie County Fair
The Erie County Agricultural Society is a private not-for-profit membership organization. Established in 1819, the Society is the oldest civic organization in Western New York. The mission of the Erie County Agricultural Society (ECAS), sponsors of the Erie County Fair, is to preserve and enhance, by educational endeavors, the agricultural and historical legacy of New York State. The Fair strives to fulfill appropriate aspects of the agricultural, educational, entertainment and recreational needs of Western New York. The 2020 Erie County Fair is scheduled for August 12th – 23rd. (www.ECFair.org).