* That “boycott” really worked well, didn’t it?…
The Du Quoin State Fair may have just ended, but it’s clear that the 2019 event was a major success. The 2019 Grandstand sold nearly 15,800 tickets this year, 26% higher than last year’s total of just over 12,500. Revenue from the grandstand entertainment also increased over 2018. Between the musical acts, racing and monster trucks $356,795 was generated, generating $97,000 more than last year, a 37% increase.
“The Du Quoin State Fair is an economic engine for Southern Illinois, and I’m happy to see that the fair grew dramatically compared to last year,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “MK and I enjoyed spending time at the fairgrounds, and it’s wonderful that so many people came to enjoy the vendors and performers, as well as support a time-honored tradition that uplifts the entire region.”
“These early numbers show not only the success we had this year, but our potential to grow in the future,” said Josh Gross, Du Quoin State Fair Manager. “We’ve already started working on 2019’s lineup and have no doubt it will be bigger and better.”
An official wrap-up of the 2019 Du Quoin State Fair is underway. Attendance numbers for this year’s Du Quoin State Fair are still being calculated and are expected to be released shortly.
I guess that old adage about all publicity being good publicity worked this time.
…Adding… But of course they don’t believe it. From the boycott page which has since been rebranded…
- efudd - Wednesday, Sep 4, 19 @ 10:09 am:
People of southern Illinois-1
Echo chamber for right-wing paranoids-0
- Give Me A Break - Wednesday, Sep 4, 19 @ 10:11 am:
Well you know, the “real patriots” stayed away to show the Gov and Chicago their history means more than corn dogs and riding the rides.
Right now they are starting to boycott Walmart and are quickly running out of places to shop, shoes to wear and coffee to drink because they are the ultimate snowflakes.
- Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Sep 4, 19 @ 10:12 am:
Great news, that the haters didn’t harm the fair. Confederate symbolism does not belong at an Illinois event. We can’t and don’t let separatists harm us. Glad the fair did so well and hope the success continues for years to come.
- Ron Burgundy - Wednesday, Sep 4, 19 @ 10:21 am:
So they are saying grandstanding didn’t hurt the grandstand?
- Father Ted - Wednesday, Sep 4, 19 @ 10:23 am:
I don’t think it would be wrong to say that a lot of people may have been unaware of the DuQuoin State Fair until this controversy.
Hopefully lessons were learned and tensions settle before next year so that it can go back to being about having fun rather than everything else that was injected this year.
- Candy Dogood - Wednesday, Sep 4, 19 @ 10:27 am:
- efudd -
0?
I think you mean:
Echo chamber for right-wing paranoids For State Senate
- efudd - Wednesday, Sep 4, 19 @ 10:28 am:
Give Me a Break x 10
When one views everything through a lens of fear and paranoia, their world shrinks by the day.
- Cubs in '16 - Wednesday, Sep 4, 19 @ 10:39 am:
If you want to see a ‘real’ boycott, try taking away the monster trucks.
- TheSouthWillNotRiseAgain - Wednesday, Sep 4, 19 @ 10:40 am:
Just out of curiosity did anyone notice if any vendors had Confederate items for sale in Springfield?
- Nick Name - Wednesday, Sep 4, 19 @ 10:44 am:
===Confederate symbolism does not belong at an Illinois event.===
Amen. Congrats to the Du Quoin State Fair and to everyone who made it a success. Let the haters wail and gnash their teeth in the outer darkness.
- @misterjayem - Wednesday, Sep 4, 19 @ 10:56 am:
“That ‘boycott’ really worked well, didn’t it?”
To quote Rich Hill’s damning text messages: lolol
– MrJM
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Sep 4, 19 @ 11:31 am:
The only thing a phony boycott based in racist thinking does is let everyone know where you stand, for better or worse… while the good, the light, should win the day…
We see that these numbers.
- Soo... - Wednesday, Sep 4, 19 @ 11:55 am:
=If you want to see a ‘real’ boycott, try taking away the monster trucks.=
Looks like they moved on to guns and will probably boycott Walmart soon.
- Blake - Wednesday, Sep 4, 19 @ 11:59 am:
The biggest thing empowering the right wing paranoid is Republican primaries. That’s where they make up a large chunk of the voters. Ranked choice voting without primaries eliminating anyone would probably be the best way to empower the average general election voter in Republican districts. This could allow politicians in those districts to worry more about their median constituent & less about right wing paranoid.
- don the legend - Wednesday, Sep 4, 19 @ 12:12 pm:
== “We’ve already started working on 2019’s lineup and have no doubt it will be bigger and better.”==
I hope he flips his calendar page soon and get’s working on the 2020 lineup.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Sep 4, 19 @ 12:13 pm:
===I hope he flips his calendar page soon===
lol
It’s the Department of Ag, otherwise known as the chronic typographical errors department.
- A 400lb. Guy on a bed - Wednesday, Sep 4, 19 @ 12:14 pm:
Another story not covered by the SJ-R.
- Give Me A Break - Wednesday, Sep 4, 19 @ 12:17 pm:
“Another story not covered by the SJ-R.
Not to go off topic, but the SJR has blown up one of the last things they had going for it. Saturday morning not one story about HS football games the night before. Couple of lines telling reading to read the online version for HS football coverage. SJR is a complete joke.
- Ona Stick - Wednesday, Sep 4, 19 @ 12:32 pm:
Yes, I saw a vendor selling confederate flag merch at the Springfield fair. It was a booth near Gate 2, close to the terminus of the Sky Ride. They had basically 4 kinds of merch: trump stuff, “Thin Blue Line/ Blue Lives Matter” stuff, straight-ahead general non-specific military branch stuff, and the confederate losers stuff. I’d say they knew their demographic quite well. But they were an outlier this year.
- OneMan - Wednesday, Sep 4, 19 @ 12:40 pm:
Perhaps this can cover a couple of Gramerly subscriptions for the Ag PR folks.
- Cubs in '16 - Wednesday, Sep 4, 19 @ 12:43 pm:
===Looks like they moved on to guns and will probably boycott Walmart soon.===
It’ll be all fun and games until they need a new ‘Git Er Done’ hat.
- Alex Ander - Wednesday, Sep 4, 19 @ 1:50 pm:
Makes me proud that the howler monkies around here do not represent our region. Just the loudest whiners. Still not believing hard numbers. Pass out the tin foil hats.
- Demoralized - Wednesday, Sep 4, 19 @ 1:54 pm:
Considering I saw signs when I was in southern Illinois that said “Thank you President Trump for Saving America” the rantings of this group doesn’t surprise me. I’m sure they’re the “fake news” types. They shouldn’t call themselves “Politically Incorrect Patriots.” They should call themselves the Nitwit Club.
- Alex Ander - Wednesday, Sep 4, 19 @ 1:57 pm:
And as a Republican who identifies more with John Kasich and none with Trump, I’d absolutely laugh if they got Snoop Dogg to come to DQ next year. The whiners will whine, and I guarantee you it will sell out.
- Cheryl44 - Wednesday, Sep 4, 19 @ 3:11 pm:
I had to look up why they’re boycotting WalMart. LOL
Where are they going to shop? My mom lives in a small town in western Ky and it’s Wal-Mart, Macys or Books-a-Million.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Sep 4, 19 @ 3:19 pm:
===Where are they going to shop?===
Dollar Store?
- Stuntman Bob's Brother - Wednesday, Sep 4, 19 @ 3:48 pm:
Earlier this year, many were questioning whether the fair should be cancelled (didn’t Rich have a survey here?) because it was historically a money-loser and needed subsidies from the state. The press lease stated that attendance and revenues increased, but did it reach break-even? If not, how much did it cost the state?
- Da Big Bad Wolf - Wednesday, Sep 4, 19 @ 6:37 pm:
==“The Du Quoin State Fair is an economic engine for Southern Illinois, and I’m happy to see that the fair grew dramatically compared to last year,”==
Economic engines help the local economy. We need more of these things please.
- Devin Miller - Wednesday, Sep 4, 19 @ 6:41 pm:
My seven-year-old, and my twin six-year-olds caught their first fish at the DQ State Fair this year. We had a wonderful time as a family. I’m Rich’s brother, I don’t comment but once every six years, but I have to say Rich is more country than most of these townie rolling coal haters. He raised steers, drove tractors, walked beans. Our GX3 Grandfather was a Union soldier from southern Illinois who was wounded in the Battle of Shiloh resulting in the loss of an arm. All this rhetoric about respect for Veterans and yet defending that flag in the Land of Lincoln is disrespecting the thousands of Illinoisan volunteers who fought, died, and bled for this country.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Sep 4, 19 @ 7:12 pm:
===All this rhetoric about respect for Veterans and yet defending that flag in the Land of Lincoln is disrespecting the thousands of Illinoisan volunteers who fought, died, and bled for this country.===
This. All day. Thank you.
===Our GX3 Grandfather was a Union soldier from southern Illinois who was wounded in the Battle of Shiloh resulting in the loss of an arm.===
That’s so interesting, and special for your family. Thanks for sharing it.
- Leatherneck - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 4:40 am:
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Sep 4, 19 @ 3:19 pm:
===Where are they going to shop?===
Dollar Store?
—————–
I prefer Dollar General more than Walmart anyway–because there’s a DG in my community (Chatham) rather than the extra trip to Springfield for Walmart.