Fair Nearly Breaks Records

The Eastern Idaho State Fair saw near-record numbers of people coming through on Labor Day weekend to enjoy everything from fried root beer to walking on water.

Fair managers said they came close, but they didn’t quite beat it. Fair General Manager Brandon Bird said he and his crew saw about 65,000 people come out to the fair on opening weekend, just 325 short of the 2009 record.

It’s one of the most anticipated weeks of the year for eastern Idahoans.

“You know, when we started this year, we knew we were going to be big because the weather forecast was great. Great weather makes for a great fair,” said Bird.

Apparently locals agree as thousands of them came out on opening weekend, nearly breaking the record.

Bird said his crew works all year to make it fantastic for everyone by making each day different.

“If you came to the fair this past weekend, you’ll see something different and new coming in mid-week through the end of the week of the fair,” said Bird.

You’ll see things like Meet The Animals, a new area just setup Tuesday by Bunky Boger Farms. They’ve been traveling the United States for 20 years, showing off unique animals you can feed and pet. They have animals like Joe the Indo-Brazilian zebu, one of the tallest breeds of cattle in the world.

“He thinks he’s a dog. He licks a lot of the time,” said Boger.

And for those of us who are interested in something a little more active, there’s a brand new exhibit this year called Walk On Water.

If you would like to walk on water or meet the animals, they both run through the end of the week.