COLUMBUS – A fatal ride malfunction on opening day and some wet weather contributed to a drop in attendance at the attendance at the Ohio State Fair, which wrapped up its 12-day run on Sunday.
The Ohio Expo Center and State Fair announced Tuesday that an estimated 801,131 people walked through the turnstiles between July 26 and August6, a 13 percent decline from 2016 and the lowest attendance total since the fair was shortened from 17 days to 12 in 2004.
“This year, of course, was not a normal Fair year. Opening Day’s tragic ride accident, which closed the Midway for several days, coupled with a few days of cool, rainy weather, certainly contributed to the dip in attendance,” fair general manager Virgil Strickler said in a written statement Tuesday.
About 10,000 fewer people attended this year’s fair compared to last year’s and the drop in attendance represents a steak of four years when attendance topped 900,000.
The 2018 Ohio State Fair will run July 25 – August 5, 2018.
A manufacturer’s explanation that corrosion caused an amusement ride to fall apart in the deadly accident at the fair on July 26 gives some clues about what happened but not all the answers.
What’s still not known is why or when one of the Fire Ball ride’s support arms began rusting away and how it went unnoticed.
The ride’s Dutch manufacturer said Sunday that excessive corrosion within a support beam wore away its thickness over the years.
Corrosion experts say the company’s account points to water or wet debris being trapped within the hollow steel arm while it was being transported or stored during winter months.