Last weekend two great fairs presented themselves simultaneously. For true fair lovers this was indeed an embarrassment of riches. The trouble was that one full day of total fair immersion just about does you in for the weekend, so only the very hard core attended both. The Redwood Empire Fair arrived in Ukiah with the theme of “Red White and Ewe.” The Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa saluted the circus with the “Greatest Fair on Earth.” It was a hard call to make but in the end size mattered so Sonoma County succeeded in luring us South with their Senior Discount Day: $5 you can’t beat that.
The great thing about fairs is the crazy variety of things that are packed in side by side. “Twiggy the Water-Skiing Squirrel,” for example. Yes a real squirrel! Twiggy skis around a swimming pool pulled by a remote controlled boat. Where are the animal cruelty people when you need them?
Close to Twiggy’s pool was the “Globe of Death Squad.” Not one, but two small motorcycles and riders rode inside a of a transparent metal globe crisscrossing every which way in a very devil-may-care style, scarcely avoiding collision and even riding upside down.
A stone’s throw from the Globe Squad “The Silver Starlets” advised us to “Look to the sky to see their aerial acrobatics show full of glam, glitz and glitter.” Two comely young women hung from an aerial apparatus in sparkly skimpy costumes, and big smiles.
Music was everywhere starting with the “Smoke and Mirrors Band” located right inside the front gate cranking out very credible oldies. Boomers grooved to the to danceable songs like “Hang on Sloopy,” and “Money, Money.” One guy told the band, “This is the most fun I’ve had in years!” “The Poyntlyss Sisters” took the main stage in outrageous outfits to belt out similarly nostalgic hits like Linda Ronstadt’s “When Will I Find Love?” In the Mexican Village area “Los Hermanos Avalos,” a group of mellow middle-aged Mexican men, serenaded us in a shaded area while we ate tacos and feasted on authentic Mexican candies. “New Horizons Saxophone Q” hit the Park Stage and the Redwood Country Cloggers entertained at the Family Fun Stage.
Musically there was something for everyone if you were older. Maybe it was because it was Senior Day. I hope subsequent days included more contemporary tunes for millennials to enjoy.
Animal lovers had a field day with all the livestock barns. For the younger fairgoers there was an entire sheltered area set aside just for petting rabbits. There was also a place to pet ponies, donkeys and goats. For some kids this probably is the only time they’ll see animals outside of picture books, so it is kind of a big deal.
Grown up animal lovers could attend a real regulation horse race. For those who know nothing about horse racing or betting on horses The Daily Racing Form provided free glossy brochures titled, “An introduction to Wagering and Winning.” All you needed was $2 and you were in the horse betting business. Big electronic boards flashed the changing odds as people placed their bets. There were lots of numbers coming and going, it was dazzling. Finally the horses paraded past with their jockeys so everyone could get an up-close and personal look before the race. Then it was “they’re off and running!” It was all over so fast. They didn’t even run all the way around the track. But it was exciting and the horses were beautiful. Seeing the trainers meet their horses after the race was surprisingly special. As the jockeys jumped down and turned over the reins it was clear that the trainers were very fond of their animals, petting and giving words of encouragement as they cooled them down and walked them back to the barns.
Food of course was everywhere. This year they even had something new: The “Korean Korndog” made with Panko bread crumbs and costing $12! A bag of mini-donuts was $9, lemonade $7. Inflation hits the Fair. There were Beer Gardens and Wine Gardens and Cocktail Bars. All the usual including deep fried Oreos and Twinkies (thrillers from yesteryear).
The Home Arts and Fine Arts and Youth Arts Buildings provided relief from the heat with their great big wind-machine fans. Santa Rosa gets some really good entries across all categories. If you are a “Culture Vulture” there is plenty to see.
One notable work was a very large portrait of Salvador Dali based on a famous photograph of the artist taken by Irving Penn. What made this portrait stand out was that the entire image was created by using only dots and the dots were engraved onto dice. It really was a tour de force.
Many of the photographs were outstanding or entertaining. Some of the paintings were also very, very good. If you like to look at art you were not disappointed.
The youth Arts Building included industrial arts.
Student projects showing many different ways to wire an electrical switchbox all mounted on 4” x 4” self-standing pillars were fascinating. The quilts in the Home Arts Building were of a very high quality. The precision of the quilt-makers when you really study their work is amazing.
All in all that $5 really a bargain, buying a lot of fun, ideas, tasty treats and incomparable people-watching opportunities. We spotted a couple, the woman was using a walker and inching along on very crippled arthritic limbs while her stooped husband walked along side. They must have been in their 80s and both had big smiles on their faces, an inspiration to watch. If you’ve always been a fair lover none of this will surprise you. If you’ve never felt like fairs were your cup of tea maybe it’s time to take another look. There’s an awful lot to see.
The Sonoma County Fair runs through this Sunday, August 11.
www.sonomacountyfair.com
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