Draper Days drew 41,000 visitors to Draper Park over three days in July, generating $253,814 in income while the city's share of the tab fell nearly 5%.

City Manager Mike Barker and Assistant City Manager Kellie Chalburg presented the official post-event financial review to the Draper City Council during a study session on Sept. 15. The numbers show a festival pulling more of its own weight: total income jumped 16.89% over 2025, while expenses rose 7.13% to $425,423.

The result was a city subsidy of $171,609, down $8,365 from last year's $179,974. That 4.65% drop comes as the council weighed a proposed 25% property tax rate increase over the summer to fund firefighter positions and playground maintenance, according to city budget documents.

Sold-out rodeo, booming vendor sales

Both rodeo performances sold out, bringing in $68,620, an 18.65% increase over 2025. The review said the ticket price increase and removal of child pricing were "a good revenue source." Three new rodeo expenses accounted for most of the cost jump: a $17,000 LED video board, a $7,000 shade canopy and a $4,602 water truck. The review called the video board "a great addition" and recommended looking into permanent bleachers and additional shade structures.

Vendor income climbed roughly 27% to about $68,000 across 178 vendors. Food vendor revenue alone surged 68% to $29,500. In a post-event survey, 78% of vendors described the event as at least moderately successful for their business, and 63% said they would probably or definitely return.

Sponsorships totaled $100,950, up 14.72% from 2025. Three anchor sponsors provided about one-third of that total. The event drew 54 sponsors overall, with a median contribution of $1,000.

New attractions, operational lessons

New spending included a drone show and a $10,000 America250 celebration. The festival featured 72 pie-baking contestants, 18 community stage performances, three daily stunt shows and a parade with 86 entries that enforced a no-candy-throwing rule.

Attendance skewed local: 39% of visitors came from Draper ZIP codes, 18% from Sandy, and smaller shares from Riverton, Herriman, Lehi and South Jordan.

Staff flagged two operational issues for next year. The Friday evacuation message "could have been clearer and sent to designated parties," the review stated, recommending the Communications Director be stationed at the Incident Command post. Staff also recommended shortening the Saturday fireworks show to 20 minutes and turning off the video board during the display.

Behind the scenes, 341 volunteer assignments logged 928 hours, and city staff worked 1,553 overtime hours.

At the July 21 council meeting shortly after the festival, Mayor Troy Walker called the event "one of the best Draper Days celebrations." Councilmember Kathryn Dahlin said residents had provided positive feedback about the new event layout.

The four-year subsidy trend shows the city's cost holding relatively steady: $151,478 in 2023, $143,134 in 2024, $179,974 in 2025 and $171,609 in 2026. Saturday alone drew 24,000 of the 41,000 total visitors.