Most of the hard work is done as the 4-H and FFA livestock auctions wind up this Saturday at the Sonoma County Fair, which opened last weekend at the fairgrounds in Santa Rosa.
That leaves a whole week plus two weekends for play, celebrations, horse racing and summer entertainment as the 80th annual ag exhibition continues through Aug. 7.
The youth hog auction takes place Friday (July 29), beginning at 9 a.m. and the beef auction happens Saturday night at 6 p.m. Once again, generous bidders are expected to push the livestock auction total past the $1 million mark.
Elsewhere across the fairgrounds will be plenty of other action with the whirling lights of the carnival rides, Hall of Flowers, free daily concerts and crafts and farm exhibits.
This year’s theme is “Lights, Camera, Fair” and the schedule again includes a bonus week of Wine Country Racing, Aug. 12–14.
Daily general admission is $12, $6 for children (ages 7-12) and free senior days every Thursday. The fair is closed on Mondays. Nearby parking is $7 – $10.
Headline entertainment this year includes Aaron Tippin on Aug. 4, Cassadee Pope on Aug. 2 and Los Canarios de Michoacan on July 31. Concert admission is free with general fair admission.
This Saturday, July 30, is the popular Destruction Derby, starting at 7 p.m. Added admission is $10 to $15.
There will be two days of Monster Trucks, Friday, Aug. 5 and Saturday, Aug. 6 ($10–$15)
Other live music will be presented daily at various stages and each day’s schedule is full of contests, cooking demonstrations, wagon rides, farm animal exhibits, derby dog dashes and special carnival ride discount days.
(Daily schedules are accessible at www.sonomacountyfair.com)
This year’s fair opened last Thursday, July 21 with a gala Hall of Flowers preview. Started in 1953, Sonoma County’s Hall of Flowers has been one of the western United States largest and longest running horticulture and flower exhibits and features both commercial and amateur entries. Hall of Flowers admission is free with general fair admission.
Newly dedicated for this year’s fair is Saralee & Richard’s Barn, a tribute to the Kundes who led the county fair’s annual showcase for the past several decades. (Saralee died in 2014.)
The new structure is now a permanent agriculture education center on the grounds of the Sonoma County Fair, built from donations collected by the Sonoma County Fair Foundation.
The nearly 12,000 square foot facility will provide lessons and firsthand farm experiences for youth and adults from all walks of life.
It will also serve as a venue for hosting fundraising dinners and wine competitions, the Sonoma County Farm Bureau’s Ag Days for over 4,000 elementary school children, culinary demonstrations and farm to table activities, 4-H and FFA seminars and meetings, private events and livestock events.
The 2016 Sonoma County Fair Exhibitor’s Guide is dedicated to Healdsburg’s David Lewers, a fair board member since 1997, retiring last year.
Lewers continues as a volunteer for the livestock auctions and is well-known for his physical exuberance and showmanship during auctions.
“Two things I’m really proud of are helping to bring the turf track to the fairgrounds and helping to elevate the livestock auction to the $1 million level,” said Lewers. “But, I certainly didn’t do any of it alone. I worked with some of the most dedicated and honorable people,” he said.
The Kundes and Lewers are just two names of multi-generational families that support the annual fair and agriculture exposition that represents the traditional mid-summer break for the county’s $4 billion farm and agriculture industry.
