The San Benito County Fair again drew in participants and visitors of all ages, living up to its theme this year of “Fun for the Whole Herd.”
Temperatures in the high 80s didn’t keep families from coming out in droves for the annual fair, which ran Friday through Sunday. Attendance figures for the event were not immediately available.
On Saturday afternoon, the auction arena at the Bolado County Fairgrounds was full as members of the high school’s FFA club and local 4-H clubs auctioned off their livestock projects. Students and their families sat on the edge of their seats as they waited to see what price per pound each animal would net. After the animals were auctioned and returned to their pens or stalls, families with children walked through the aisles of the open-air barns. At one stall, a toddler squealed with delight as she petted a pygmy goat.
In the patio outside the pavilion, visitors checked out the best produce entries, of both commercial businesses as well as individuals. The patio grew crowded while local Sammy Ramirez performed a dance routine. Another dance crew practiced between crates of celery, fennel and other produce for a routine later in the day.
While agriculture is a big focus of the fair, the many categories for adults and children to enter in the fair made room for kids from age 1 up to senior citizens. In the pavilion building, one enclave was devoted to baked goods and home arts. The baked good categories ranged from quick breads to cheese cakes to layer cakes, with lots of other items in between. In the junior category, some students created a unique display with baked goods. One made a cake that looked like a giant-sized peep, complete with a yellow sugar dusting on the outside.
In the Fine Arts categories, the youngest entrants were just a year old, with one wall displaying drawings by children ages 1 to 4. The art entries included individual entries by elementary school students, class projects by some of the rural schools, chalk drawings from students at San Benito High School and plenty of entries by adult artists.
Inside the pavilion, local businesses and nonprofits set up booths to interact with community members. The local Democrat and Republican party chapters had booths where they endorsed their candidates of choice. A few other political candidates for local offices also took advantage of the fair and stumped for votes.
As the weather began to cool a little in the late afternoon, the carnival section filled up with visitors. The food court area between the livestock arena and the rides had a steady stream of customers, ready for a corn dog, cotton candy, a tri tip sandwich or other fried treats.
Though they were not posted as of deadline, winning entrants for the fair will posted online at the San Benito County Fair www.sanbenitocountyfair.com.
