The midway was decisively quieter Sunday afternoon, as were the carnival rides, which could only mean it was time for the 2008 Montana State Fair to come to a close.
And depending on who you talk to, the fair was hopping or the fair was slow.
"This year is probably one of the best years for the fair," said James Jendro, a manager at Big Mouth Barbecue.
The barbecue company set up its trailer toward the end of the fair food row, closest to the Four Seasons Arena. Jendro said though their lines were never very long, the smell of the pit roasting juicy meat never dissipated.
He said they sold out of their signature jerky on Saturday and were cooking approximately 50 to 60 pounds of pork each night for nine nights straight. "It's (been) way better than the last two years."
However, while people might be hankering for some food at the fair, retail vendors said this year's fair seemed a bit slow for business.
"Compared to last year, it's slower, but that's because of the economy," said Mike Sorensen of Minnesota, who owns Custom Ts and More. "But we'll be back again next year."
Loran Sullivan, spokeswoman for Montana ExpoPark, said no official numbers have been counted yet to see how successful a fair it really was.
That means analyzing concert ticket sales, their take from concession and vendor sales as well as the number of coupons that were used and more, Sullivan said.
"We'll have to look at the actual numbers," she said. "We've got many different numbers that we'll look at."
Her initial impression, though, was that the fair went well. And she said it's possible that the downturn in the economy actually helped.
"People are staying closer to home, which is good for fairs," Sullivan said.
Jim Hankes and his wife, Cena Beene, came from Arizona with their trailer loaded with dolls, hats, necklaces and other sundry merchandise, but Hankes said he wasn't expecting a huge turnout of customers.
"It's not a good year to be a vendor, period," he said. "I think a lot of people are holding onto their money."
Nevertheless, the team who owns and operates the Arizona Trade Co. will head to Billings this week for the Montana Fair and then move on to several fairs in other states.
"We just go to the next show; there's no relief," Hankes said.
They've been coming to Great Falls for the past five years and said they enjoyed the people. Despite the slow sales this year, the couple said they've enjoyed the milder weather. Last year's soaring 100-degree, smoke-filled days weren't any fun.
Sullivan said she hopes the cooler weather factored into total turnout numbers.
"It was much more enjoyable to spend more time at the fair," she said.
Reach Tribune Staff Writer Kristen Cates at 791-1463 or kcates@greatfallstribune.com.
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