The State Fair saw bigger crowds this year than last year. An estimated 370,000 to 380,000 people went through the gates in Sedalia this year, compared to about 340,000 a year ago. The numbers are only estimates at this point until advance ticket sales are finalized. A spokesperson for the fair, Kim Allen, says good weather helped, as did some good free and ticketed shows. And Allen says there were a lot more youths showing livestock this year as well. While the numbers are higher than last year and the year before, they are well short of the record crowds that came to the fair in the 1950s when half a million people use to come each year.
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