I went to E-town a few times in the mid-'90s and I can sympathize with a lot of the spectator issues. It's a six-hour round trip for me--360 miles--so if the weather is iffy I can't take the chance. I have pictures from 1996 that show a beautiful, sunny day and a huge number of show cars, and I remember a pretty sizable swap meet, too--but that was ten years ago.
When I've gone, I've made it a Saturday day trip, because I usually have a commitment on Sundays at this time of year. So that means the E-town weather forecast has to be favorable for Saturday, and I have to get out of the house by, say, 8:30 AM to make sure I have enough time at the show to make it worth the drive (one year the cat got out as I was getting my stuff together and eluded me just long enough to make me decide to stay home).
The last time I actually made it up there, by the time I'd paid the tolls and the then-$15.00 spectator admission, and gotten some food (eight bucks for a burger, fries, a coke and a bottle of water), I didn't have enough cash left on me to buy the heads I found in the swap meet.
This year, I had commitments both days and couldn't have made it regardless of the weather.
And, sadly, the negative stories I keep hearing every year about dwindling attendance and the disappearing swap meet are a powerful disincentive to make the trip. I don't want to drive six hours round-trip to see a showfield smaller than I see at Mason-Dixon, which is only 75 miles away and charges $15 to show your car ($20 to race!).
The door prize doesn't make a difference to me--I never win those things, anyway.
I'd love to see more Mopar shows that I was closer to--but, then, I imagine everyone else here would like to see more shows that were closer to them.