If you chickened out of the Bungee Plunge at the San Diego County Fair, you weren’t alone. Forty-nine other people also quaked in their boots at the top.
As the fair began packing its bags Wednesday, the ups and downs of the fair’s 26 day run came to light.
An estimated 2,500 took the Bungee Plunge during the fair, with about 50 people going back down in the basket. The youngest jumper this year was 8, the oldest 71, fair officials reported.
Blessed with good weather, the fair reached its second-highest attendance of 1.5 million, including more than 93,000 on July 2.
On the down side, lost and found items including 147 credit cards and 115 keys still haven’t been claimed. Lost items may be retrieved at Guest Services under the grandstands on the eastern end.
Other fascinating stats supplied by the fair:
- 5: The most popular Fun Zone rides were Crazy Mouse, The Big Wheel, G-Force, Magnum and Sky Flyer.
- Chicken Charley’s sold more than 30,000 Peanut Butter Meatballs, 10,000 Bacon Wrapped Chicken Legs and close to 7,000 Krispy Kreme Ice Cream Chicken Sandwiches.
- Australian Battered Potatoes used more than 14,000 pounds of potatoes, 8,400 pints of oil, 240 gallons of ranch dressing, 60 cases of cheese sauce, 200 pounds of bacon, and 150 pounds of sour cream.
- Corn Star grilled 48,000 ears of corn.
- Pink’s sold 2,600 pounds of hot dogs and 7,500 pounds of French fries.
- Bacon-A-Fair used more than 30,000 pounds of bacon.
- Candy Factory used 14 tanks of liquid nitrogen for their Nitro Candy Popcorn.
- Tasti Chips used 30 tons of potatoes.
- Country Fair Cinnamon Rolls used 15,000 pounds of cinnamon roll flour, and three tons of cinnamon and sugar to make their pastries.
- 1,072 pieces of pie were consumed at the Coco’s Pie Eating Contest.
- 2,864 photos were taken with the fair mascot – 45 being children who cried upon seeing Diego the Pinto Pony.
- $528,000 was raised for 4-H and FFA youth in the sale of 121 hogs, 74 lambs, 46 cattle and 53 goats.
- More than 11,000 stuffed animals collected for needy children in San Diego in the Care N’ Share Toy Drive.
- On the fair’s last day, the 20-minute Fourth of July show used 2,394 fireworks shells.
