From loads of glorious fair food – like 47,000 ears of grilled corn – to strange items that wound up in the Lost & Found (is anyone missing a retainer or two?), here’s a look at the 2019 San Diego County Fair, by the numbers.
The San Diego County Fair wrapped up its 27-day run on July 4. On Friday, fair officials shared fun figures from the event, which drew a grand total of 1,531,199 attendees this time around.
Highlights from the fair food facts included:
San Diego County Fair's Food by the Numbers
Data: San Diego County Fair
Credit: Christina Bravo, Monica Garske
Meanwhile, here’s a look at the items left behind by visitors at the fairgrounds:
The miscellaneous items in this set of numbers included: two retainers; three strollers; one cane; one seat cushions; backpacks; lunch bags; a box of stuffed animals; a Lyft scooter.
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Fair reps said the top three rides at the fair this season were the Sky Ride, The Big Wheel and Crazy Mouse.
As far as special events and contests went, here are some quirky standouts:
Also worth noting: the fair’s yearly Care N’ Share Toy Drive collected more than 12,000 stuffed animals for children in need, while the fair’s 70th Annual Livestock Auction raised $482,776 for 4H and FFA youth.
The San Diego County Fair is the largest annual event in San Diego County, typically drawing around 1.5 million visitors. In 2018, the fair’s attendance was 1,561,236; in 2016, the fair’s attendance record was set when a total of 1,609,481 visitors walked through those gates.
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The final week of this year’s fair came with difficult news: San Diego County health officials announced on June 28 that four children had contracted E.coli linked to contact with animals in the petting zoo or enclosures at the San Diego County Fair. One of those children – 2-year-old Jedidiah Cabezuela, died from complications stemming from the infection.
Another pediatric case of E.coli linked to the fair was announced earlier this week, followed by more news Friday – one day after the fair closed – of two more probable cases of E.coli in children who visited the fair and had contact with animals at the fairgrounds. Health officials said more cases are likely to emerge in the coming weeks.
