Wait continues for California State Fair attendance numbers, but arrest figures are down dramatically
SACRAMENTO -- The 2022 California State Fair is now in the history books.
This year's event marked a return to form at Cal Expo following a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
While total attendance numbers are still being compiled, arrest figure are down dramatically compared to past years, fair officials say.
The fair reported just three arrests over the 17-day period. Two of them were for domestic violence and one was for counterfeiting.
Between 2009 and 2017, arrest figures at the fair were, on average, more than 60 per year, according to an analysis by The Sacramento Bee.
This year, the fair instituted a first-of-its-kind ban on unaccompanied youth at night on weekends. Fair officials say the rule encouraged parents to stay with their kids, and had the intended effect.
Among one of the biggest hits at the fair this year was the California Cannabis Exhibit. Thousands of people walked through the exhibit, which displayed the state's growing cannabis industry.
Total fair attendance numbers could be released as soon as Monday.
