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ESCANABA -- The U.P. State Fair came to a close Sunday.  And while final numbers aren't out yet, officials say this year's fair was even more successful than last year’s.

Organizers were able to meet their budget mark by Saturday afternoon.  

As far as tickets, it’s still too soon to say exactly how many were sold.  But State Fair accountant, Tom Sinnaeve, said so far, he's calculated a 10 percent increase in attendance and gate admission.  Not bad for the second year without state funds.  And more pre-sale tickets were sold this year than last year.

Attending the fair is a yearly tradition for many folks.

“It's a totally different life from Los Angeles,” said fairgoer Benito Ramos.  “Here it’s slower-paced and everything is relatively close.  So it enables you to spend more time with your family."

Monday, the crowds were gone and those left at the fairgrounds were in wrap-up mode.  

So were organizers surprised by the turnout?

“I think it was a little bit of a surprise that it was up as much as it was.  You know, in this poor economy, you don't know what to expect," said Sinnaeve.

And it was also a record for Skerbeck Carnival, as far as revenue.

The next U.P. State Fair is still a year away, but officials are already making plans.

“We’ll look at what we can do in order to bring more revenue in on days that weren't quite so good," Sinnaeve said.

In addition to happy fairgoers, the only thing officials can ask for is good weather.