San Benito County Fair has full house for three-day event
San Benito residents and visitors from outside the county got
their fill last weekend of livestock exhibitions, carnival rides
and plenty of fried foods.
More than 18,000 visitors turned out to enjoy the San Benito
County Fair last weekend, a 9.8 percent increase over attendance
last year, according to Kelly Ferreira, the county fair
manager.
San Benito County Fair has full house for three-day event
San Benito residents and visitors from outside the county got their fill last weekend of livestock exhibitions, carnival rides and plenty of fried foods.
More than 18,000 visitors turned out to enjoy the San Benito County Fair last weekend, a 9.8 percent increase over attendance last year, according to Kelly Ferreira, the county fair manager.
Colton Owczarek, 13, was tending to his two pigs on Friday. This was his fifth year of showing at the fair for Spring Grove School’s 4-H program. He showed two pigs, a Yorkshire named Skittles and a Hampshire named Butterfingers – “just easy names,” as he put it.
His favorite part, like many participants, is when it comes time for auction Saturday.
“I’m doing this just to be able to develop more life skills,” said Owczarek, adding the potential for college funds helps as well.
Other students showed goats, sheep and dairy cows throughout the weekend, with the animals on display to the public. Rabbits and poultry were kept inside, with ribbons hanging on the cages for first and second place, and honorable mention, by Sunday afternoon.
Inside the pavilion, businesses and nonprofits set up booths to entice new customers or supporters. Off to the side, baked goods were on display. For the cake decorating contest, one clever entrant designed a crossword puzzle in frosting.
The San Benito County Railroaders turned up, too, to give fair-goers a look at the miniature train tracks set up on site. Small Amtrak and freight trains circled the tracks.
Little fair-goers especially liked an activity center where they could do puzzles and drawings. And as always, there were plenty of treats from corn dogs to cotton candy to candy apples.
More than 100 volunteers worked behind the scenes to make the 86th annual San Benito County Fair another successful event.
