Dubuque County Fair attendance down for 2025

Officials said hot weather and a lack of big-name concerts contributed to lower attendance at the Dubuque County Fair this year, but they are still pleased with the turnout. About 40,000 people attended the fair this year, down from last year’s approximately 49,000 attendees and 42,500 in 2023. This year’s number is slightly higher than the Jackson County Fair’s attendance, which came in at about 35,500, down from 39,341 in 2024. The fair was held at the same time as Dubuque County’s event, and weather also impacted their numbers. Last year’s Dubuque County Fair attendance totals included 3,900 people who purchased tickets for the grandstand concerts. For this year, fair organizers opted not to hold larger paid concerts in favor of more events included with the cost of admission.