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The Fair opened Wednesday and runs through Sunday night at the city park.
Jones said she expects a banner weekend with big-name entertainment, motor sports action and the livestock auction still to come.
Although the extended forecast calls for temperatures in the upper 90s, the chairman said that's "typical" Fair weather and doesn't expect it to be a factor.
"It's always hot during the Fair, so I think people just accept that, and we don't have any rain in the forecast so that's great," she remarked, adding that there are misting stations at various locations on the grounds and bottled water is in full supply.
Jones said gate receipts for opening day are up about 15 percent from last year and Thursday figures also are projected to be strong, but an official breakdown was not available Friday morning.
Wednesday receipts, not including preseason ticket sales, are estimated at approximately $102,000, up about $15,200.
A preliminary breakdown of Wednesday's receipts are as follows:
Gates - $29,000, up about $10,000;
Beverages - $18,000, about the same as last year;
Food - $49,500, up about 2,800;
Souvenirs - $477, up about $62; and
Credit Cards - $5,000, up about $2,600.
Drinks sold at the main food stand are included in the food sales.
Jones said advance ticket sales were very strong, but a total was not available at press time. Area merchants who sold the five-day season passes are still turning in their checks.
The new bar-coded system for tickets, which are scanned at the gates, is going very well for its debut, Jones said.
"It's new so there have been some glitches, but overall we're thrilled with it," she said.
"We are getting great information from the new ticket system, like how many people are coming through the gates at any given time which will help us determine how many people we need working at the gates. It's good data for future planning."
The switch to canned beer from draft also is working out well, Jones said, noting the Fair Board has received a lot of positive feedback from the organizations.
The queen contest opening night drew a big crowd, probably one of the largest ever, said Jones, who commended the contestants for selling a total of $304,135 in tickets.
A large crowd also was on hand Thursday night for country music star Jo Dee Messina.
"The concert was packed and it was people of all ages. She put on a fantastic show. Jo Dee commented when she came out on stage that she couldn't believe the crowd," Jones said, adding that the singer, her manager and a member of the band all made a point of telling officials that this Fair was one of the best they've ever visited.
The musical headliners still on tap include rising country artist Steve Holy Friday evening, the Steve Miller Band Saturday night and country music star and Missouri native Sara Evans Sunday night.
"If the weather holds, we think Saturday night could end up being our largest ever - a record breaker - so we encourage people to come out early and use the free shuttles," Jones said.
"We also think Sunday will draw big crowds too with the military tribute at 6:30 p.m. and the Sara Evans concert. Sara is from Boonville and is bringing a lot of family so we're excited about that. It will be like a family reunion of sorts for her," she said.
The chairman said the motor sports arena had great crowds Wednesday night for bull riding and Thursday night for the garden tractor and mini-rod pulls.
"At the bull riding competition, we had a former national champion there competing which really shows the caliber of our event," she noted. "We've got a great lineup this weekend with the tractor pulls and motocross and microsprint racing."
Jones said the Elephant Encounter show has been a big hit with children and adults, and all of the new contests have taken off with a large number of entries.
"I think we've doubled our entries with dodgeball, the tennis tournament has gone from two days to three, the mother-daughter contest is full and Wii bowling also has a big number so we're very pleased," she said.
"The outhouse races on Sunday should be something to see and I think that's one event that will really grow," she added.
Another popular spot has been Agri-Land, which is bigger and better than ever, Jones said.
Looking ahead to the weekend, the chairman said she's excited about the lineup and encourages people to come out and get in on the fun.
"The best is yet to come," Jones said.
