San Joaquin County Fair attendance takes a hit during first 100 degree days of the year

CBS News

2 days ago

STOCKTON – With the heat, people still hit the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds for the annual fair, but it came with its challenges to keep people under shade and out of the high temperatures.
A highly anticipated weekend here at the fairgrounds was interrupted by the heat.
With triple digits the first two days, the fair says it hurt attendance. But Sunday's cooler 90-degree day helped pick things up.
"We have our sunscreen, our hats, our sunglasses, we're gonna stay hydrated. Yeah, we know," a couple said. "We're here for the whole vibe of it all."
They chose this Sunday after seeing the high temperatures on Friday and Saturday.
"This heat spike out of nowhere, we thought about adjusting time, but once we're out [with our] promotion, we have to stick with it," said Daniel Castillo, CEO of the fairgrounds.
Castillo said he and his crew worked hard even during the high temperatures to make things work, but attendance took a hit.
"Friday matched up to Friday last year, which was good. Saturday was definitely a lot less," he said. "We totally understand why people would stay away, however, Sunday is always a big day."
People are using anything they can to stay cool by staying put in the shade or grabbing a drink from vendors.
"We were here since 8 in the morning. It's a good spot! We're here at the entrance, and we're hoping for success," said Henry Luis Gallardo, a vendor of aguas frescas and tostilocos.
The lower attendance is not making it as busy as usual for Gallardo and his workers.
"The truth, it was a little low Saturday. But today, we're hoping it's going to be a good day for us," said Gallardo.
The fair said they'll have attendance numbers for the whole weekend on Monday.