Saturday, June 20, 2009

Seeking cheaper thrills, more folks frequent fairs

The start of summer means there will be a county fair going on somewhere near you for the next several weeks. And you might find more people there than usual because they're looking for less expensive entertainment, Hugo Martin reports for the Los Angeles Times in the paper's "Snapshots of the Recession" series. (Times photo by Myung Chun)

"County fair and livestock show operators across the country have reported strong attendance numbers this spring and early this summer," Martin writes. "Why? Experts suggest that in tough economic times, Americans turn to county fairs for nearby, inexpensive, convenient and family-friendly entertainment."

"When we go through difficult times, we stay close to what we know and what we love," Marla Calico, a spokeswoman for the International Association of Fairs and Expositions, which represents about 1,300 fairs worldwide, told Martin. (Read more)

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