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Steamboat Springs — The grandstands were packed to the gills two nights in a row during this year's Routt County Fair.

Crowds turned out for the Bellamy Brothers show Thursday and the Demolition Derby on Friday, Fair Manager Jill Delay said. The stands can hold 950 people, and Delay said she hadn't expected that number for the derby.

"If we had filled the grandstands halfway with the derby, I would have been happy," she said. "But it was packed."

This was the first year for the vehicle smash-up at the Routt County Fairgrounds in Hayden. Delay said she would have liked to see a few more cars compete.

"I think we had about 15 that actually showed up," she said. "If we could double that, it would be great."

The future of the derby at the fair depends on logistics, finances and the public's response, Delay said. People who want to weigh in on plans for next year's fair should call her at 276-3068 or share opinions with the Fair Board, she said.

Delay also has heard from fair officials in Grand County who want to schedule their derby in Kremmling the day before or the day after the Hayden event to attract more drivers. That could be tricky because the fair in Kremmling falls the week before Hayden's, she said.

The fair, which ended Sunday, also saw increased interest outside its marquee events, Delay said.

"I know the (junior) livestock sale numbers were down a little bit," she said. "But other than that, things were just up, and especially in a year like this, economically, we're thrilled with how everything turned out."

Routt County 4-H Agent Jay Whaley said he was satisfied with the 4-H participation.

"We were down maybe a little bit on some of our animal numbers, but our kid numbers were the same," he said. "We just didn't have as many kids showing multiple animals."

Of the 113 youths who participated in the Junior Livestock Sale, 88 donated some of their proceeds to the medical fund for Tyler Johnson. Tyler, 10, lost his feet and part of the fingers on his right hand after an illness last month.

The 4-H members who sold livestock donated $8,071 from their own pockets, Whaley said. One of Tyler's friends, Tatum Wall, donated a lamb to sell for Tyler's fund. The animal fetched $900 at a silent auction, and the buyer donated it back. It then was sold for $500, raising $1,400 total.

Several buyers donated their animals back for the fund. The 4-H members raised $11,187 for the boy, Whaley said.

Tyler's club, High Point 4-H, challenged other clubs to donate money, Whaley said.

"They're the ones who kind of brought it to everyone's attention and said, 'Let's help the kid out,'" he said.

Whaley said the 4-H members' generosity was impressive. Most donated about $100 from their sale money to Tyler.

"It amazes me that kids have big hearts," Whaley said.