The Greening of the Sonoma County Fair

Sustainability has always been a goal of the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, and with each successive fair we have continued to improve our environmental footprint. A regular feature at the fair is the Sustainable Sonoma Expo, where vendors and community organizations are able to highlight their efforts to protect and preserve the environment in Sonoma County. This year’s expo featured several energy effeciency vendors selling solar panels, insulated windows, and reclaimed home hardware, as well as the Environmental Discovery Center, Capay Organic, which offers a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) vegetable subscription service featuring locally-sourced, organically-grown produce, and Sonoma Compost.

Additionally, fair-goers could learn about organic urban gardening, and how to mix edible plants in with their exisiting landscaping, and get water-efficiency tips from professional garden planners.

Urban Gardening Display

In Sweet Lil’s, kids had the opportunity to plant seeds in cups to take home using compost donated by Sonoma Compost. In fact, there was plenty of compost samples on hand for the adults to take home as well, to encourage them to compost on their own, or to purchase locally-sourced compost to use in their gardens rather than many costly and decidedly not-organic commercial fertilizers.

Planting seeds.

In the barns, you may have seen large metal containers filled with used hay, straw and shavings. These were collection bins used by Poncia Fertilizer and Spreading, a local company who has been a supporter of the Sonoma County Fair for many years. I spoke with owner Andy Poncia, who explained that in the past the contents of these bins had been hauled out of the county for disposal. Three years ago, they took over the handling of the barn wastes, which is roughly 10,000 cubic yards each year, and has contracted with Earthbound Compost Company, who composts the waste, turning it into valuable fertilizer used by local vineyards and farms.

Cleaning her stall.

As for composting used human food, this year the fair made new strides in improving its scorecard. Mary’s Pizza Shack has long been a leader of the food composting trend among Somona County restaurants — all of their location have been composting food scraps for years. We are pleased to announce, starting this year, their staff instituted a new composting procedure at the fair. By working with the folks at Sustainable Sonoma and Sonoma County Waste Management, each of the booths around the Fairgrounds, as well as at their kitchen and dining area in the Showcase Cafe, collected food scraps and compostable containers in separate bins, keeping a large amount of food and paper out of the trash stream. Bravo Mary’s! Thank you for setting an excellent example for all food vendors in the future!

Helms and Sons Carnival

Finally, the biggest advances in environmentally-friendly fair efforts comes from the Helms and Sons Carnival folks. Over the last 10 years, they have worked tirelessly to reduce the amount of energy they consume in the carnival areas around the fairgrounds. In 2002, they used 9 generators to produce enough power to run the carnival during fairtime. In 2011, they had reduced that number to 5 generators, effectively removing 1 generator every 2 years, through efficiency measures. Simple steps such as turning off the running lights during daytime and installing solar panels to power the nighttime walkway lights were a good start. But the biggest gains came from switching out over 70% of the colorful ride lights for LEDs, and by converting their existing generators to Tier 3 generators. In fact, because of these efficiency improvements, according to Davey Helms, the Big Wheel runs on only 4 amps, which is lower than your household toaster!

We know there is still a long way to go, and welcome your suggestions on how to continue to improve our environmental impact.

The Destruction Derby results are in!

Cars mixing it up in the Destruction Derby.

Results for Saturday, August 13, 2011:

1st Heat:
First Place went to car #82, driven by Joe Curtis of Santa Rosa.
Second Place went to car #1, driven by Jose Carreon of Santa Rosa.

2nd Heat:
First Place went to car #152, driven by Alex Wolosz of Chico.
Second Place went to car #19, driven by Ryan Halverson of Santa Rosa.

3rd Heat:
First Place went to car #82, driven by Ryan Chivers of San Jose.
Second Place went to car #07, driven by Adam Fichtelman of Santa Rosa.

Main Event:
First Place went to car #82, driven by Ryan Chivers of San Jose
Second Place went to car #22, driven by Scott Bambauer of Orland.
Third Place went to car #3, driven by Austin Lewis of Chico.
Fourth Place went to car #152, driven by Alex Wolosz of Chico.

Best Appearing Car:
The award for the Best Appearing car went to car #19, driven by Ryan Halverson of Santa Rosa.

Most Aggressive Driver:
The award for the Most Aggressive Driver went to car #07, driven by Adam Fichtelman of Santa Rosa.

Results for Sunday, August 14, 2011:

1st Heat:
First Place went to car #3, driven by Austin Lewis of Chico.
Second Place went to car #72, driven by Hank Leonardo of Orland.

2nd Heat:
First Place went to car #152, driven by Alex Wolosz of Chico.
Second Place went to car #13, driven by Frank Hurlburt of Willows.

Main Event:
First Place went to car #82, driven by Ryan Chivers of San Jose
Second Place went to car #3, driven by Austin Lewis of Chico.
Third Place went to car #22, driven by Scott Bambauer of Orland.
Fourth Place went to car #13, driven by Frank Hurlburt of Willows.

Most Aggressive Driver:
The award for the Most Aggressive Driver went to car #152, driven by Alex Wolosz of Chico.

Overall Championship Driver:
The award for the Overall Championship Driver went to car #82, driven by Ryan Chivers of San Jose

Last Chance for Summer Fun!

Can you believe it that school starts next week? Where did our summer go? Fortunately, there’s still time for one last hurrah at the Fair! One last weekend of Fair means one last chance to bring the kids to see some of the fantastic acts, ride the rides, watch the shows, hear the music and generally have a good time before heading off to school.

If you’ve already been to the fair once, here’s your chance to see something new this weekend! Just last night, this adorable baby calf was born in the Dairy Barn! Isn’t she so sweet? And they’ve decided to name her “Jubilee” in honor of the Fair’s Diamond Jubilee anniversary this year. How cute!

Little Jubilee, resing in the hay.

On Saturday evening (7:00 pm), there will be Kid Races on the racetrack! As part of the Fair’s 75th Anniversary, events that were a part of earlier fairs have been revived. Children’s footraces on the racetrack were a cherished part of the Fair in the 1950s and 1960s, and this year they’re making a comeback! Kids of all ages are invited to come and run on the track tonight. No charge to enter, but participants must be at the Winner’s Circle (next to the track, in front of the Racing Grandstand) by 7:00 pm.

On both Saturday and Sunday night you won’t want to miss the Destruction Derby, where drivers bring their cars to the fair to compete for cash prizes, trophies and bragging rights! Drivers compete for points by ramming and smashing their opponents’ cars, while the crowd cheers them on! The Destruction Derby will be in the Chris Beck Arena at 7:00 pm, and cost $12 for grandstand seating, and $10 for bleacher seats.

Destruction Derby

And if you haven’t yet had a chance to come to the Fair, you won’t want to miss out on the fun of the Wild West Turkey Stampede, where turkeys race around a dirt track, chasing a little monter truck filled with turkey treats. Words do not do this show justice. It is likely to be the funniest thing you’ve seen at the Fair in years. It’s well worth the trek up to the Turkey Track, just past the barns. Shows on Saturday and Sunday are at 1:00, 3:00, and 6:00 pm. Don’t miss it!

Go Turkey, Go!

Not to mention all the other amazing Fair activities, like great live music, African Acrobats, Belly Dancers, fun family contests, the Couch Potato, the Hall of Flowers, free ice cream, puppet shows, carnival rides, daily parade, Splash Dogs, crafting corners, shopping, corndogs and funnel cakes, horse racing, livestock shows, petting zoo, pony rides, candied apples, kettle corn, and so much more!

Hope to see you here this weekend! It’s going to be a blast!

Feeding Sonoma County

The Sonoma County Fair has long been a gathering for farming folks involved in local agriculture looking to show off their products and projects, as well as educate the public about the bounty of food grown and produced here.  There are displays throughout the fairgrounds showing the many fruits and vegetables grown in the area, and on any given day the barns are filled with livestock being shown or auctioned. But the fair is more than just about agriculture.  It’s a gathering place for friends and families. A place to come enjoy the rides and watch the shows. A place to reconnect with your neighbors and to feel a sense of unity with your community. It’s about all the best things about Sonoma County.

Friday, July 29th, charming Miss Wine Country Rodeo, Tracy Hinson; the KRSH’s Katie; and Dale Miller from Romelli Bail Bonds joined together to encourage fairgoers to donate non-perishable food and get $2 off general admission.

Over the years, it has been a goal of the fair to provide an opportunity for fair-goers to give-back to our community. Some of our most treasured events are the Food Bank Fridays. Each year, we work with the fabulous folks over at the Redwood Empire Food Bank to have collection bins at each of our gates where fair-goers can drop off non-perishable food on their way into the fair. As a way of thanks, we give them a $2 discount on their fair entry fee.

“It’s important to us at the Fair to be able to give back to the community,” says Tawny Tesconi, Fair Director. “We are so fortunate with the abundance of food produced here in Sonoma County, and it’s important to remember to share that bounty with those who may need a little extra help. It’s been our pleasure to work with the Redwood Empire Food Bank, and we hope to continue the tradition for years to come.”

If you’re not familiar with the great work done by the fine folks at the Redwood Empire Food Bank, they are an incredibly valuable community service organization that has been integral to improving the lives of so many Sonoma County residents.

The mission of the Redwood Empire Food Bank is to end hunger in our community. Since 1987, the Redwood Empire Food Bank’s service has grown to meet the rising need for food assistance and expanded to focus on providing as much healthy food as possible and including nutrition education as an integral part of many of our programs. We currently assist over 78,000 Sonoma County residents every month. We provide food through our own hunger initiatives that focus on the unmet needs of low-income children, seniors, and working families. We also are a primary source of food for a network of 147 community based charitable organizations that operate 234 human service programs helping the needy, disabled and homeless in Sonoma County. We currently distribute over 13 million pounds of food annually, almost half of which is fresh fruits and vegetables. The Redwood Empire Food Bank depends on food and funds drives, such as Food Bank Fridays at the Fair, to end hunger in Sonoma County. Thank you for your donations.

The Food Bank Friday events are sponsored by local companies each year. This year’s sponsors are the amazing folks at KRSH – Wine Country Radio and Romelli Bail Bonds. It’s heartening to see local companies stepping up to the plate to help end hunger in Sonoma County! But we need your help too! Last year, Food Bank Fridays collected a total of 5,256 pounds of food. So far, this year, we’ve only collected 3,373 pounds, which leaves us 1,883 pounds of food to go to reach last year’s total, and over 2,627 pounds of food away from reaching the 6,000 pound mark. That means there’s still a lot of work to do! If you’re coming to the fair on Friday, please consider bringing a couple of cans (or bags or boxes) of non-perishable food. Let’s see how close we can get to the our goal!

What to see and do at the fair today – Saturday, August 6

There is lots of fun and excitement at the fair today!

First off, it’s the second weekend of Wine Country Racing, and there’s a full day of events for racing fans! At 11:30, don’t miss the Racing Seminar, sponsored by Airport Express. Today’s special guest will be fair-favorite jockey, Russell Baze!

Wine Country Racing

In the grandstands, it’s Big Hat Day at the Races! The first 75 racing fans to enter the grandstands wearing a truly outrageous hat will receive a $2 betting voucher. Just head to the Racing Information Table on the ground level and show them your hat!

While you’re there, be sure to enter one of the many fun games and contests they have each day: Win/Place/Draw, Owner for the Day, Random Raffle, and Putting Fore Prizes! And, keep your eye on the fair’s Facebook page for the secret word of the day to get yourself a Racing Prize Pack, including a commemorative t-shirt and a Wine Country Racing cooler!

As always, there’s free live music on three stages. At the Park Stage today, there will be four great bands playing throughout the day: Bill Noteman & the Rockets (1:15 and 2:15 pm), The BluesBurners (3:30 and 4:15 pm), The Linda Ferro Band (5:45 and 6:45 pm) and The Battlin’ Bluebirds (8:00 and 9:00 pm). On the Blues and Brews stage there’s the blues music of Terry Hanks and his band (4:30 to 8:00 pm), and in the Mexican Village you’ll be treated to the traditional Latin American trio of Nuevo Amanecer (4:00 to 7:00 pm).

If you haven’t had a chance to participate in one of the great Junior Livestock Auctions at this year’s fair, here’s your last chance! The Beef Cattle Auction starts at 6:30 pm in the Jamison Ring. One of the largest in the state, the Junior Livestock Auctions are the culmination of a year of hard work for the 4-H, FFA and Independent junior exhibitors, who have selected, fed and groomed their animals to show and sell at the fair. Only the best animals are selected for the auction, so here’s your chance to get some truly local beef, and to support these kids as they learn about food production, and continue the long-standing tradition of agricultural excellence in Sonoma County.

For the family, there’s a lot of great shows that will keep everyone entertained! At the Diamond Jubilee Review, be sure to check out Steve and Jack — which one’s your favorite? — and Valentine’s Performing Pigs! Then there’s the Wild West Turkey Stampede where turkeys “race” for turkey treats. Or check out the Splash Dogs, where dogs compete to see who can jump the farthest into a pool of water.

Inside the exhibition buildings, be sure to check out the fabulous items created by folks all over Sonoma County — quilts, photographs, paintings, dolls, plants, and much much more! All made by people just like you! You can also see demonstrations of woodcarving, quilting, spinning and weaving, by many of the crafters whose items are on display.

What to do at the Fair — Friday, August 5

KRSH Food Bank Friday

Food Bank Fridays this year are sponsored by KRSH. Bring two cans (or bags or boxes) of non-perishable food and get $2 off General Fair Admission!

There’s lots of excitement on the agenda for Friday, August 5th! Bright and early in the morning, there’s the Junior Livestock Lamb Auction (9:00 am) in the Wilford Ring. Come and watch fair favorite Tony Brazil and other long-time auctioneers work their magic  – or even better, bring your checkbook and buy a lamb! Or, if poultry or goats are your preference, come to the Junior Livestock Poultry Meat Pen Auction (1:00 pm) or Junior Livestock Meat Market Goat Auction (2:00 pm), also in the Wilford Ring.

These kids work hard all year through to breed, select, raise, groom and train their animals just to exhibit them at the fair. The best animals are then selected to be included in the Junior Livestock Auctions. Your purchase will help these kids learn to produce food and further the long-standing agricultural excellence in Sonoma County.

While you’re in the livestock area of the fair, be sure to stop by Sweet Lil’s Farmery and Uncle Sam’s Farm. Sweet Lil’s is a place where children and adults can learn about agriculture and even have a chance to “milk” a faux cow. Uncle Sam’s Farm has baby farm animals and their mothers on display, to give kids a sense of how farm animals are bred and raised.

If live music is your thing, we’ve got three stages to keep you happy! On the Park Stage, we’ve got The Ruminators (1:15, 2:30, and 3:45 pm) with their folk rock sounds, and Five AM (6:00, 7:15, 8:15 pm) with a taste of modern rock. In the Mexican Village, there’s Nuevo Amanecer (4:00 to 7:00 pm) and their traditional Latin American music. And don’t forget the blues bands at the Blues and Brews stage!

For family fun, be sure to watch the Diamond Jubilee Review — a vaudeville-style show with magic, singing, dancing, puppets and performing pigs. Today is the first day the duo Steve and Jack will be appearing. Which one is the rabbit and which one is the puppeteer?

In the Kids Area, there’s  Circus Luna (1:00, 3:00 and 6:30 pm) with juggling, jokes and fun. Perfect for the little ones. You can also check out Valentine’s Performing Pigs (4:00 pm), or drop in to create some chalk sidewalk art (2:00 pm).

For the adults, there’s horse racing action all afternoon! First post time is at 1:15 pm. While you’re at the grandstands, check out the Racing Info Table on the ground floor, and enter one of their many contests and events. You can Putt Fore Prizes, enter to be an Owner for a Day, compete in the Win/Place/Show, or put your name in the hat for the Random Raffle. All kinds of great prizes and lots of chances to win!

What to do at the fair — August 4

Carousel

Today is Kids Day, and all kids 12 and under get in for free! And $25 will get you a wrist-band that lets you ride all the carnival rides all day long.

There are lots of exciting shows and activities to do all day, especially for the kids! At noon, there will be Kid Races at the Turkey Track — with ribbons for the fastest kids in each age group. There’s the scarecrow building and UN-building contests, and a bubblegum blowing contest. There’s also a Mom Calling Contest! The loudest “Moooooooooom!” wins!

While you’re here, check out the Diamond Jubilee Review (2:00 and 7:00 pm) at the Redwood Stage. Hilarious acts, magicians, and even performing pigs! And you don’t want to miss the African Acrobats (1:30, 3:30 and 6:30 pm) at the Backdoor Stage. They’re amazing!

Other kid favorites are the Splash Dogs and Turkey Races! The Splash Dog pool opens at 11 am, and the first show is at 1:30. Come watch local dogs compete to see who can jump the farthest! And, then at 2:00 come check out the turkey “races.” They’re hysterical!

If you’re feeling crafty, be sure to check out the Craft Corner in Finley Hall (2:00 to 2:30 pm) as well as the Environmental Discovery Center booth in the Sustainable Sonoma tent (2:00 to 5:00 pm).

In the E.C.Kraft building, stop by and say “hello” to the Couch Potato, and maybe sit and watch TV with him for a bit!

For the grown-ups, starting at 11:30 with the Airport Express Racing Seminar at the Park Stage — where you can learn which horses to bet on in today’s races. Lots of great advice, and the guys have been picking a lot of winners so far!

As always, there’s live music on three stages! At the Park Stage,  Haute Flash will be performing (1:15, 2:30, and 3:45 pm) in the early afternoon, and Solid Air will be there in the evening (6:00, 7:15, and 8:15 pm). In the Mexican Village, Nuevo Amanecer will be playing traditional Latin American songs (4:00 to 7:00 pm).  And there’s nearly always blues playing at the Blues and Brews stage!

Fairgoers of all ages won’t want to miss out on the free ice cream being handed out at the Clover-Stornetta booth (1:00 to 4:00 pm)!

Sonoma County Fair Weekend Photo Scavenger Hunt

Hey Fair Fans!

Are you going to the fair this weekend? Want to win some free Destruction Derby tickets? The Destruction Derby is August 13th and 14th and we have two pairs of tickets to give away plus some tickets to the fair. So how do you play?

1) Go to the fair.

2) Using the list below, take photos as you work your way around the fair.

3) Create a photo album on Flickr or Facebook or some kind of photo sharing site.

4) Tag us or link to us on our Facebook page so we can see your photos.

Three winners will be chosen from all of the complete albums that are submitted. One winner will be chosen based on creativity and will have first pick of the available prizes. The second two winners will be chosen randomly so that everyone has an equal chance to win.

One album submission per person. The fair is a family event, so please keep your photos PG. Remember that people make more interesting photos than things by themselves, so have fun with it! Just don’t take anyone’s photo who isn’t in your party without their permission, please. Post any questions you have in the comments.

Fair Scavenger Hunt List

1. A metal sculpture in the Sustainable Sonoma tent.
2. The new paddock/walking circle by the racetrack.
3. Visit the Wildlife Rescue Booth.
4. Your favorite animal in one of the barns.
5. 4-H Lucy or 4-H Snoopy in Sweet Lil’s Farmery (in Lyttle Cow Palace).
6. Your favorite carnival ride.
7. Your favorite food vendor stand.
8. The Diamond Jubilee Fair Game (see map).
9. Take a photo with John Silveira, the Couch Potato, in the Kraft Building (exhibits).
10. The carousel bunny or the mooing cow in the Hall of History.
11. The mural in the Mexican Village
12. The Diamond Fountain in the Hall of Flowers.

Only complete albums will be accepted as entries! This contest ends Monday at Midnight. (Remember that the fair is closed on Mondays so your photos must be taken this weekend!). Don’t worry – if you can’t make it here this weekend, we’ll have more contests coming up.

What to Do at the Sonoma County Fair — Thursday, July 28

Hello Fair Fan!

Wondering what you should see and do at the fair tomorrow? Look no further. Here are some ideas to get you started.

First off, it’s Kids Day at the Fair! Children 12 and under get in for free! It’s also the Petaluma Community Day.

Gates open at 11:00 am and close at 11:00 pm, which gives you plenty of time to see everything!

Racing fans should be in Shade Park by 11:30 am if they want to get the inside scoop on the daily horse races. Michael Patricks and Professor Gordon Jones will be sharing their collective expertise at handicapping.

Take a stroll through the Hall of Flowers and see the beautiful displays of flowers and water features. Be sure to check out the fantastic diamond fountain!

One of two beautiful water features in the Hall of Flowers.

While you’re in the area, be sure to visit the Hall of History, in the Garden Building, directly south of the Hall of Flowers. Check out the different exhibits and displays provided by different community groups, and the wealth of memorabilia and photos showing the Fair’s 75 years of history. If you or your family have been in the area for a while, you might just see some familiar faces!

If you’re in the mood for entertainment for the whole family, you can’t go wrong with the Diamond Jubilee Review at the Redwood Stage (2:00 and 7:00 pm). This old-fashioned vaudeville-style show features jugglers, acrobats, magicians, and even famous performing pigs! These pigs have been on Letterman and Leno.

Or, if you’re looking to be more active, consider trying out at one of the many contests around the grounds. At the Barnyard Stage, there’s Scarecrow Building and Scarecrow UN-Building, as well as a Family Look-Alike contest, and a Bubblegum Blowing Contest.

Of course, there are a lot of animals to see at the fair! Besides the exhibition animals on display or showing in the various barns and show rings, there are the very entertaining Splash Dogs and highly hilarious Wild West Turkey Stampede. You can also visit with baby animals and their mothers at Uncle Sam’s Farm or learn how to milk a “faux” cow at Sweet Lil’s Farmery in the Lyttle Cow Palace. Or, if you prefer, get in and pet all kinds of animals at the Great American Petting Zoo.

Don't miss 75 years of Sonoma County Fair history in the museum!

If live music is your thing, there are three stages where you can catch music pretty much all day long. At the Park Stage, there’s local performers Savannah Blue, and De Colores will be playing in the Mexican Village. And, you don’t want to miss the KTRY Country

Music Showdown at 6:00 pm at the Park Stage, where you can watch contestants in a country music sing-off!

If all of that walking around and sightseeing has you tuckered out, stop by the Kraft Building and see John, our couch potato. You can hang out, watch TV and shoot the breeze with John!

See you at the Fair!

Sonoma County Fair Deaf Awareness Day ~ July 31

Join us for Deaf Awareness Day at the Sonoma County Fair!

Last year’s Deaf Awareness Day at the Fair was a resounding success, and organizers are planning for an even bigger turnout this year, with more interpreters covering a wide variety of events at the Fair, as well as interactive games, skits and more at the Deaf Awareness Day stage.

We spoke with one of the Deaf Awareness Day organizers, Marlayne Williams, who told us this year’s theme is “I Can! You Can! We Can!”

Last year was the first year there had been any organized event for the Deaf community in Sonoma County. Even so, it was very well attended, which shows the need for this kind of community activity at the Fair. “The Deaf community is pretty strong here and very supportive of these types of events. I expect at least the same kind of turn out this year, possibly more.”

This year, there will be interpreters at specific shows and events throughout the Fairgrounds (see the schedule below), with two interpreters at the Diamond Jubilee Review – a vaudeville-style show with a variety of entertainers, musicians, and even a magician.

There will also be interpreters at the horse racing seminar, which is at 11: 30 am at the Park Stage, as well as at the race track, for folks who want to learn more about the strategy of horse racing, and placing bets and watching the races.

Also new this year will be an interpreted walk through the main pavilion for anyone who would like to ask questions or buy something from the various vendors and displays.

Schedule of Interpreted Events:

11:30 am – Racing Seminar with Professor Gordon Jones

12:30 pm – Farm Follies Puppet Show

1:00 pm – Splash Dogs!  Diving Dogs

1:30 pm – Diamond Jubilee Review Vaudeville-Style Show

1:30 pm – African Acrobats

3:00 pm – Splash Dogs!  Diving Dogs

3:00 pm – Farm Follies Puppet Show

3:30 pm – Diamond Jubilee Review Vaudeville-Style Show

3:30 pm – African Acrobats

4:00 pm – Valentine’s Performing Pigs (as seen on David Letterman!)