Missouri State Fair Sees Over 350,000 Visitors For 2024 Event
Nearly 350,000 converged on Sedalia in Pettis County for this year’s Missouri State Fair.
The official figure, according to Governor Mike Parson and State Fair Director Jason Moore, was 345,643 visitors for the 11-day agriculture showcase which was held August 8th through the 18th.
A survey of State Fair attendees pointed to the family-friendly exhibits, the food and tradition as the main reasons for attending the event. Mother Nature certainly didn’t hurt the cause also by delivering mild temperatures during the early days of this year’s fair.
The 2025 State Fair will return to Sedalia and run from August 7th through the 17th.
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Governor Mike Parson and Missouri State Fair Director Jason Moore recently announced that 345,643 visitors attended the annual State Fair in Sedalia, which was held August 8-18, 2024. The Missouri State Fair is the state’s largest agriculture showcase, bringing people together each summer from across the state.
“The Missouri State Fair is consistently Summer’s Best Story for many families, including ours,” Governor Mike Parson said. “Teresa and I love sharing our State Fair stories from year to year, so this theme was fitting for our final fair season as Governor and First Lady. But rest assured, we’ll be back next year for more State Fair fun.”
In a survey of State Fair attendees, the family-friendly agriculture exhibits and shows, fair food, and the tradition of the Missouri State Fair ranked high on the list of why fairgoers came to the Fair in 2024. The mild temperatures experienced during the early days of the Fair were a bonus, with more than 50,000 individuals in attendance on the first Saturday.
“This year, we told our personal Fair stories and encouraged others to do the same, Missouri State Fair Director Jason Moore said. “We love hearing stories from farm families and fairgoers of how the State Fair is their favorite event of the summer. For many, the Fair is the culmination of a year’s worth of hard work, a fun place to gather with friends, and an opportunity to showcase the best Missouri agriculture has to offer.”
The carnival midway was a popular destination for Fair guests, with record revenues on the first Saturday and Sunday of the State Fair. Concerts were also an important part of the fairgoer experience this year, with Alabama, Warren Zeiders, and Ludacris coming in as most popular.
Missouri Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn announced that more than 29,000 livestock and competitive entries were exhibited at the 2024 State Fair. Notable increases included a 14 percent increase for 4-H and FFA market livestock entries and a 20 percent increase in boer goat entries.
“The Fair is always an opportunity for my team to celebrate traditions, enjoy the exhibits, and showcase the quality of Missouri agriculture,” said Director Chinn. “The Fair wouldn’t be what it is today without the support of Governor Parson, and it was bittersweet knowing this was his last Fair as Governor. The Parsons are true champions for Missouri agriculture and the State Fair, and their contributions continue to advance our industry forward.”
The Missouri State Fair Commission held the groundbreaking ceremony for a new state-of-the-art indoor arena to be built on the Missouri State Fairgrounds. “I was speechless upon hearing the arena will be named the Governor Michael L. Parson Arena,” Governor Parson continued. “Seeing the excitement of the Fair through our children and grandchildren’s eyes is special to us, and knowing this arena will display our family name for years to come is truly an honor.”
Governor Parson also had the opportunity to select the inaugural Missouri State Fair ice cream flavor, Kingdom Crunchdown, celebrating the Kansas City Chiefs. More than 600 Kingdom Crunchdown treats were sold at Gerken Dairy Center, hosted by Midwest Dairy during the 2024 Fair.
Reporter Mike Anthony
