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Monroe County Fair officials recap this year's fair as one long, hot week.

Food vendors saw shorter lines in the daytime and longer lines at night, because no one wanted to eat in the sun. More people showed signs of dehydration and overheating this year than in the past, and show animals were released some eight hours early Thursday morning to avoid overheating, the fair's public information director, Dave Smith, said Sunday.

"Overall," he said, "it was a really good fair. The heat took a toll, but other than that everything went smoothly."

A new free entertainment stage on the north end of the fairgrounds was popular this year, Smith said, with a couple of crowded performances Friday and Saturday nights. IU Sports Night on Thursday at the Draper-Earles Auditorium also was a new, welcome addition, he said.

Police reported this year's new traffic pattern for exiting the fair -- which ushers vehicles from Gate 5 to Ind. 48 and from Gate 3 to Ind. 45 -- was a success and worked best Thursday night after the Figure 8 Demo Derby.

Smith said it will take fair officials at least a week to count and compare this year's attendance to last year's. But he speculated the turnout was a bit lower this year because of the heat.

"We're worn out," he said. "Just trying to recuperate."