BY DAVE CHOATE

When they said rain or shine, they meant it.

The Hillsborough County Fair endured heat, rain and reduced attendance on its 50th anniversary. Despite the challenges, the fair went off with only the fireworks being canceled.

“All in all, it was very good. We just had some terrible weather,” said Bill Mathefon, the president of the fair committee.

Mathefon said attendance was down nearly 50 percent from last year thanks to extreme heat Friday into Saturday and rain from Saturday night into Sunday. The fair planners had struggled with whether or not they should cancel the horse pull, but in the end if went off as planned.

Director Jennifer Brown said the fair relies on good weather to be successful. The fair’s famed King Arthur baking contest and apple pie contests still attracted plenty of participants, she said.

Commemorative 50th anniversary plates, shirts, calendars and other merchandise celebrating the fair’s history are still available. To purchase any of these, call Brown at 497-2374 or Mathefon at 487-5148.