WEEDSPORT - The Cayuga County Fair ended how it began - wet.

But it's the time in between Thursday's rain and Sunday's showers that proved the four-day event is gaining momentum.

More people showed up for this year's opening day than in 2006, and Friday and Saturday's comfortable weather and variety of events attracted an “excellent amount” of people, fair committee director John Lester said.

Trenna Kelley greeted more people in her children's education tent in the fair's beginning than she did last year, she said. She sells products related to her business, Tiny Hearts and Hands, which teaches children sign language.

“I've heard a lot of people talk about growing up with the fair, and now it's back,” said the New Hope resident.

A change in ownership caused an one-year hiatus, but a committee reinstated it in 2006. The break allowed organizers to revamp the 25-year tradition.

First to go - paying for parking and admission. The free admission and open parking are here to stay, Lester said.

“Definitely, in today's

marketplace with the price of gas... this is something they can do with their family,” Lester said.

Even in its second year, people still express surprise they don't have to fork over money to get into the fairgrounds, Kelley said.

“It's so expensive to do something with your family. If you have three or four kids, where can you afford to go,” she asked.

Most agree skipping the admission and parking fees helps attract fairgoers and allows them to spend money on staples - funnel cakes, blooming onions, and rides.

The fair will continue to grow as organizers focus and keep getting community support, Lester said. They aim to include more agricultural exhibits as part of the event's five-year plan.

Alessandro Ippoliti runs Skinny's Concession, where he peddles pedals of a blooming onion.

He's looking to the future and hopes the fair will get back to when it was the main event people looked forward to.

“You have to stick with something no matter what... You have to take a loss to make a gain,” he said.

He won't know how the mid-week holiday and inclement weather have affected his bottom line until he gets a call from his accountant.

“The numbers are a down (from last year) because of the Fourth of July,” Ippoliti said. “People took the extra vacations to take their family.”

The annual event always kicks off the first week of July, but Ippoliti doesn't want it changed. The four-day festival has suffered too many changes in the past few years.

Next year will attract more people, the Syracuse resident said.

It will take a couple of years for the fair to be as big as it once was, Ippoliti added.

Staff writer Jessica Soule can be reached at 253-5311, ext. 267 or jessica.soule@lee.net