Attendance was up, if only slightly, at this year’s Napa Town and Country Fair, giving Napa Valley Exposition a chance to end the year in the black, according to Expo CEO Joe Anderson.

Total attendance over five days was 59,356, up 50 fairgoers from last year. Paid attendance was 44,090, up 149. Paid attendance was the highest it has been in 10 years, Anderson said.

“If you look at the trend across the state, most fairs are holding their own or down slightly,” Anderson said. “I feel good that we held our own.”

Anderson regretted that he was unable to book a Hispanic concert event for the grandstand arena for Friday night. Such an attraction would have boosted fair ticket sales, he said.

The two-day Destruction Derby, the fair’s only event with added admission, attracted nearly 2,500 fans, slightly more than a year ago.

“Napans are sophisticated wine drinkers and they love their Destruction Derby,” he said.

The fair trimmed this year’s entertainment budget by $30,000, spending $109,000 for stage and walk-around acts, including the Village People, Night Ranger and Pam Tillis.

By watching costs, Napa Valley Expo may end 2007 with a small profit. This would be a significant change from the past eight or nine years when the Expo has had to dip into reserves to balance its books, he said.

Expo operations are budgeted at nearly $1.2 million this year, with the August fair bringing in $634,000 or more than half of revenues, he said.

The Junior Livestock Auction, which raises money for youth, brought in $824,785, a decrease of 11 percent from last year’s record $929,646. This year’s auction was the second-highest grossing, Anderson said.

Livestock honors included:

• Grand Champion Market Lamb, raised by Clayton Boydston of North Napa 4-H, selling for $8,880, or $60 a pound, in loving memory of Charlie Williams and Richard Duarte.

• Grand Champion Market Steer, raised by Dalton Coffey of Browns Valley 4-H, selling for $18,792, or $14.50 a pound, to the employees of Bell Products Inc. of Napa.

• Supreme Champion Market Hog, raised by James Regusci of St. Helena FFA for $3,445, or $13 a pound, to the Emmolo Wine Company.

• Grand Champion Market Goat, raised by Riley Brady of Napa’s 4-Leaf Clovers 4-H, for $2,200, or $22 a pound, to the Flying Heart Cattle Company.

• Grand Champion Broiler Meat Pen, raised by Chance Wilkinson of North Napa 4-H, sold to Browns Valley Meat and Keep You In Stitches for $600.

• Grand Champion Turkey Meat Pen, raised by Robert Aragon of Rutherford 4-H, sold to Andrews & Thornley for $650.

In other honors, Homemaker of the Year was awarded to Jane Bennett of Calistoga.

Karaoke winners included Raelynn Whitmore, Sheena Smith and Jessica Adlawan in the adult division, and Cheyenne Heffernan, Madi Lippmann and Makayla Voshall in the junior division.

Parade winners included 4-Leaf Clover 4-H Club for Overall Best Expression of Theme. In the auto division, Mark Jones won first, Bandy Mobile won second, and Golden One Credit Union, third.

In the pedestrian group, Napa Pepperettes took first, Kathleen Edison won second and Violet the Clown, third.

Charros de Zacatecas Viva Mexico won first among the equestrian entries, with Alejandro Maurocio second and Napa County Mounted Sheriff’s Posse third.

The Vintage High School Marching Band took first, while the float winners were 4-Leaf Clover 4-H Club, first; Doc’s Trophy Shoppe, second; and Napa Saints Cheer, third.