Northwest Montana Fair officials are still adding up final attendance numbers for last week’s fair, but expect the total to be about the same as last year despite two days of rain.

“We’re very pleased with the outcome,” Fairgrounds Manager Mark Campbell said Monday morning. “We should be on par with the last two to three years.”

Last year’s total gate attendance was 75,607 people.

Final attendance numbers, which include the discounted tickets offered through the fair’s new major sponsor, Whitefish Credit Union, should be ready by midweek.

Rain “played a small factor in attendance,” Campbell told the county commissioners. Close to a half-inch of rain fell Friday and Saturday, making the grandstand arena slick and challenging for rodeo participants.

After a barrel racer’s horse slipped in the mud during Friday night’s rodeo, judges called off the event, an official move that allows participants to be reimbursed for their entry fees, Campbell said.

More rain on Saturday morning kept the arena muddy but rodeo judges allowed barrel racers to proceed if they wanted to. Eight barrel racers were scheduled, but only three chose to compete.

Rodeo attendance was down, with a total of 9,697 spectators attending performances Thursday through Saturday. Saturday was the biggest night, with 3,734 people watching the rodeo. Last year the rodeo drew close to 11,000 spectators.

The concerts were a bright spot this year, Campbell noted. 

For the first time ever, the fair made money on its Christian concert, netting a modest $362. A total of 1,219 people attended the Tuesday concert that featured For King & Country and Building 429, two of the most popular contemporary Christian bands. Attendance was up by roughly 200 people.

“The Christian genre has been a struggle,” Campbell said. “We have the most gracious customers, but we haven’t had revenue to cover our expenses in past years. We did this year.”

The Chris Young concert on Wednesday night was “better than expected,” drawing a crowd of 3,052. Young had to cancel his 2013 concert at the Northwest Montana Fair because of a serious medical issue that detained him at a Colorado hospital. The fair had sold 2,690 tickets when word came of Young’s cancellation.

Campbell said the Young concert broke an attendance record that was set by country singer Rodney Atkins, who attracted a crowd of 2,994 in 2012.

Gross revenue generated by North Star and Paradise Amusements carnival rides and games hasn’t been released yet. The fair receives a portion of the earnings.

“We were very pleased with the carnival, but there are things they can do to make it better,” Campbell said.

There was a delay in opening the rides on schedule at 3 p.m. Wednesday “and that’s not acceptable,” he said. One of the carnival’s food stands wasn’t allowed to open until Friday after it was thoroughly cleaned.

North Star Amusements had trouble with food vendors not meeting health codes for food safety at the recent Western Montana Fair in Missoula. Three stands were closed by the Missoula Health Department after several days of continued violations.

The demolition derby on Sunday night — the final event of the fair — drew lots of people but not many cars. Attendance was 2,457, down a bit from 2,801 spectators last year.

Normally the demolition derby draws 24 to 26 competitors, Campbell said, but by 5 p.m. on Sunday there were only eight cars registered. A ninth car slipped in at the last minute, but it wasn’t anywhere near the usual participation.

“It was very discouraging for us,” Campbell said. “The drivers did an excellent job of making the best possible show, and we did the very best we could with what we had to work with.”

Campbell said he learned from the drivers that competing derbies in Deer Lodge and Dillon the same night were paying winners substantially more than the Northwest Montana Fair.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.