Attendance is down 32 percent from last year for the first five days of the 11-day Utah State Fair, even though the event offers all its usual features — including two quality animal/bird shows.
Denise Stanger, fair spokeswoman, believes the recent inclement and threatening weather reduced the number of visitors.
"We were up 5,000 (people) that first day and then the rain hit," she said. "It looks like beautiful weather for the remainder of the fair."
The fair has attracted 74,981 people in five days, or approximately 15,000 each day. Only 15,410 were at the fair Monday, compared to 27,891 on Sunday.
This year's fair boasts the "Wild World of Animals Show," playing three times each day, once in the late morning and twice in the afternoon in the northwest corner of the Fairpark's lawn.
The show, free with a regular Fairpark admission, features a wide variety of animals and includes the spontaneous audience participation of about a dozen children. Fairgoers will see a 13-foot python, a hawk, possum, alligator, monkey, leopard and other animals during the 30-minute program.
Grant Kemmerer of Eighty Four, Pa., owner and host of the show, said he strives for a balanced blend of education and entertainment.
"These shows have been great fun," he said, explaining the goal is to educate the public about wild animals. "These are not pets."
Despite how cute or well-behaved these animals may be, Kemmerer said the wild beasts only tolerate him because he's worked with them since they were babies, and even then he has to take many precautions.
If people want animals as pets, he said they should adopt a dog or cat from a local animal shelter.
He's done 15 fairs this year with his assistant, Jaimie Ivcic. Salt Lake City is the last one for the season.
The show offers plenty of surprises and is geared for families to enjoy. Seating is limited, so early arrival is suggested for the 5:30 p.m. show Tuesday or the 11:45 a.m., 3:30 or 5 p.m. shows on Wednesday, Sept. 11.
If fairgoers want to see some of the animals close up, they can have photographs taken while holding the snake, alligator or bird for a $6 donation after each show.
The other special animal show this year, free with a fair admission, is "The Pirate's Parrot Show." Located at the southeast end of the Fairpark lawn, this program teaches about the distinctive aspects of parrots, against a pirate ship background.
Highlight of the show is when some of the uncaged parrots do tight-formation flying around the Fairpark. Audience members think they are going to fly away, but they do return to the ship.
Based in Amboy, Wash., the program also allows many spectators to interact with the birds. It requires six hours to set up the elaborate pirate ship that is part of the show and another three hours to take it down.
The parrot show is at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday and at 12:30, 3 and 6 p.m. on Wednesday and most of the remaining days of the fair.
This year's Utah State Fair continues through Sunday, Sept. 15.
E-MAIL: lynn@desnews.com