Spencer, IA (Northwestiowanow.com) — The Clay County Fair says 297, 999 visitors attended the fair this year, down from recent years, but CEO Jerome Hertel still declares this year’s event a success.

Estimated spending on food, beverages, and carnival rides was nearly $3, 307,000 thousand dollars – a new record.  There were 458 vendors from 37 states including 150 ag-related companies.  There were 790 4-H and FFA exhibitors from Iowa and Minnesota, and one thousand 319 entrants participated in competitions during the fair’s nine day run.

Grandstand attendance dipped from 2023 with 14,549 tickets sold. Country acts Trace Adkins and Justin Moore were by far the most popular concerts.

Hertel thanks the entire community for banding together and pulling off a successful fair less than three months after a devastating flood. The 2025 Clay County Fair runs September 6th through the 14th.