9-09: Fair officials are tickled with final attendance figures from the 112th Western Idaho Fair which included 245,576 patrons crazy for concerts, carnival wristbands and free grounds entertainment.
    Advance carnival ticket sales were up 16 percent over 2008 and advance gate admission was up four and a half percent in the same period.
    Butler Amusements reported that carnival numbers maintained a steady hum, finishing overall two and a half percent down from 2008. Carnival wristband sales were up almost every day over last year including advanced sales, finishing at three percent higher than 2008 sales.
    Country music superstar Blake Shelton grossed the largest attendance with 8,000 fans; Foreigner of 80s fame drew 7,700; new country up-and-comer Rodney Atkins had 6,200; and The Four Tops of the classic R&B era pulled 3,100 fans.
    New exhibitor numbers were extraordinary: 1,310 new people entered this year that were not listed in the database previously. Perhaps no surprise to those following gardening statistics, the agriculture department grew by a whopping 79 percent. Agriculture includes fruits, vegetables and grange. Hobby craft increased by 46 percent, where one can enter woodworking, leather goods and other crafts, and photography was up by 28 percent.

   Complete story and also results for exhibits and contests are posted at idahofair.com.