The Arkansas State Fair returns to Little Rock Oct. 10 through 19, and organizers are preparing to once again welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors to the fairgrounds. Like its predecessors, the autumnal event is not only a source of great entertainment value but a major economic driver.
“Last year was really good,” said Tiffany Wilkerson, general manager. “We didn’t break a record, but we got close with a little over 550,000 guests. Compared to 2023, which was a record year, we were only about 9,000 people short, so overall, it was a great fair, a perfect 10 days of weather, which we’re praying for again.”
Across the country, the news is almost universal — state fairs are back and in a big way. After many fairs stood on wobbly knees during and right after COVID-19, the lure of the corn dog and the funnel cake are proving powerful indeed. The Minnesota State Fair, the nation’s second-largest, set a postpandemic attendance record this year, welcoming nearly 2 million guests for its fifth-highest total ever…