The Mississippi State Fair will be extended through Monday and rates will be discounted, organizers said Friday.
The extended day will be known as $2 Monday where patrons will have the opportunity to pay only $2 for most of the features at the fair.
Organizers said that fairgoers will pay $2 for parking, rides, corndogs and other discounted food items offered by vendors.
The extra day was a result of the city having a rainy week, causing the attraction to lose attendance by 35 percent.
“The State Fair is the largest fundraiser/revenue generator for the State Fair Commission,” Executive Director Billy Orr said. “It doesn’t get any funding from the state. It is a special fund agency which must generate its own funds. The fair generated about $2.5 million last year and this year our attendance is down.”
The fair kicked off Oct. 7 and was originally only running through Sunday. But because of the weather causing many people to stay in, they decided to extend it for the extra day.
With the state fair being the largest fundraiser for the State Fair Commission, low attendance could effect next year’s fair.
“It means we wouldn’t have as much money to spend on improvements and paving and the midways, stuff like that,” Orr said. “We hope these next three days go well and it really won’t be that bad.”
With weather predictions setting the atmosphere to be clear, the fair’s attendance should pick up over the weekend, starting tonight with Midnight Madness beginning 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.
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