Stock Show attendance breaks record

An unseasonably warm and sunny day helped the Stock Show set a new daily attendance record on Saturday, when 163,200 patrons passed through the gates — the highest recorded for a single day in the event’s 120 year history, Stock Show officials announced Sunday.

It surpassed the previous record of 157,800 recorded on the third Saturday of the 2013 Stock Show. The third Saturday traditionally draws the largest crowd of the event’s 23-day run.

Last year, the Stock Show set a new total attendance record when it drew 1,248,500 visitors.

This year’s show is running slightly behind the pace of 2015’s record, but Saturday’s flood of turnstile turners narrowed the gap. Through Saturday, this year’s show has drawn 791,900 total visitors. That figure stood at 793,500 at the same point in the 2015 Stock Show.

— Punch Shaw

This story was originally published January 31, 2016 at 2:41 PM with the headline "Stock Show attendance breaks record."