Accompanied by the roaring sounds of the air show, thousands packed the Canadian National Exhibit grounds Monday for the fest's final day.

Ending with a week-long run of summery temperatures, organizers said this year's attendance finished at around 1.4 million.

According to CNE general manager David Bednar, the numbers were up from last year. Still, despite the larger draws, Bednar was feeling a little blue Monday afternoon.

"It's been such a great CNE, and the crazy part is, no matter what, I just feel a little sad," he told CTV's Michelle Dube a few hours before the crowds were sent home for another year.

Over the CNE's 18-day run, some of the big hits included the Flow Rider, which gave attendees the chance to surf some big-time waves without heading to the ocean.

The Canadian International Airshow was also a big draw, and this year's edition boasted the F-22 Raptor, which is the new supersonic star of the United States Air Force.

While many of the aircraft on display utilized the latest technologies, the Airshow also marked the 100th anniversary of powered flight in Canada.

Vendors did brisk business throughout the festivities, but according to Bednar, some of the events could have been planned a little better.

While the reviews for Bill Clinton's speech at BMO Field were positive, the event's box office could have been managed a little better, said Bednar.

"We shouldn't have thought that we could sell 25,000 tickets to Bill Clinton in two weeks."

About 12,000 were in attendance for the speech, according to estimates.

The CNE grounds were expected to officially close at around 10 p.m. Monday night.