Festivals both big and small are reporting a decrease in attendance this year. Summerfest, for example, reported a 6.8 percent decrease in 2008, and smaller festivals like the Waukesha County Fair had 25 percent fewer visitors this year than last.
Do you think this is an ongoing trend and that people are less interested in going to these functions or that uncomfortable weather and a struggling economy are the reasons why folks are saying no to fairs and festivals? Sound off, Milwaukee.
It’s weather and finances. Low attendance numbers this year does not imply people are losing interest in fairs and festivals. It is a temporary situation. This happens all the time, numbers go down, and then the next year they shoot back up again. Plus, weather and finances did affect the numbers this year, and both of these things can change next year, making the fairs and festivals more profitable again.
Fairs and festivals are out. A lot of people stopped going to big outdoor venues like Summerfest because the entertainment has gone down in quality. Meanwhile, prices keep going up. People are still spending money on entertainment this summer, but they’re not picking fairs and festivals as outlets for their entertainment dollars.
