THE 2ND FAIREST OF THEM ALL
The NM State Fair was named secondbest in a recent national survey.
The New Mexico State Fair ranks second best in the nation out of 31 that were included in a study by the personal finance technology company SmartAsset.com, moving up seven places since last year’s survey.
The ranking was based on five parameters: Attendance rates as a percentage of population, adult admission prices, youth admission prices, length of each fair and daily precipitation averages during the time of the fair.
The State Fair last year attracted nearly 500,000 visitors.
Fair general manager Dan Mourning said he was “ecstatic with the ranking,” particularly in view of the state’s placement at or near the top of other highly publicized lists that highlight our shortcomings, including high school graduation rates, poverty, child well-being, unemployment, auto theft, violence, DWI
and more.
“Our State Fair ranking is something positive,” he said. “We were one of two fairs that stayed in the top 10, and the only fair that increased its ranking. When you look at New Mexico, our demographics and our economic engine, to be able to attract almost a half million people in 11 days to a state fair, in a state with a little over 2 million people is a pretty good feat.”
Mourning said the New Mexico State Fair offers the best in food and entertainment. “We’ve made it affordable, people can get here pretty easily, and it’s family friendly.”
The SmartAsset study also highlighted the New Mexico State Fair’s new innovative transportation partnership with Uber, which was the first of its kind for events in New Mexico, the variety of midway rides, and the multiple nights of competitive events sponsored by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.
Mourning also noted that the State Fair has been getting national attention in the last year, being featured on the Travel Channel’s “Food Paradise” series and the Food Network’s “Carnival Eats” program.
According to the SmartAsset study, New Mexico was sandwiched between Mississippi, the best state fair in the country, and North Dakota as third best.
For the full list of state fair rankings, go to smartasset. com/mortgage/best-state-fairsin-america-2017, and for more information on the New Mexico State Fair go to www.ExpoNM. com.