Attendance at the Carolina Classic Fair was down by roughly 39,000 guests compared to last year.
Officials say poor weather conditions are to blame.
The Carolina Classic Fair closed on Saturday due to weather impacts from Hurricane Isaias. That likely accounts for the bulk of the attendance decline — in 2025, the fair’s closing Saturday brought in more than 40,000 guests.
Officials say this year’s opening weekend was affected by gloomy skies and rain too. Weekday crowds, on the other hand, were up by roughly 2% compared to last year.
There were also about 2,000 more competitive entries this time around, including the largest pumpkin officials have seen in recent years. It weighed in at 1,089.5 pounds.