This year’s county fair had everything people expect and cherish
about the event
– livestock, families, music and food. And Anthony Freitas
puckering up to a 247-pound pig was merely icing on the cake. Or,
depending on who you ask, it was just downright gross.
Hollister – This year’s county fair had everything people expect and cherish about the event – livestock, families, music and food. And Anthony Freitas puckering up to a 247-pound pig was merely icing on the cake. Or, depending on who you ask, it was just downright gross.
“I’ll tell you,” Freitas said. “It’s not something I want to do all the time, but I enjoyed doing it because it was for a good cause.”
He actually had to do it twice – twice! – because the person taking a picture wasn’t ready the first time around.
Freitas had that double pleasure as part of a 4-H fund-raiser, for which residents could donate $1 to peg one of nine participants for the duty. Whoever got the most votes had to smooch the swine.
Freitas raised $2,895. And his opponent in the race to be the next District 2 county supervisor, Anthony Botelho, came in second with $2,036 raised.
Botelho was actually a tad disappointed he didn’t get to kiss the pig.
“I’m just thrilled that more money was raised, and the real winners were the 4-H kids,” Botelho said. “That’s what it’s all about.”
Through the fund-raiser and an ensuing auctioning of the pig for $10,000, the agriculture club raised more than its $17,500 goal. The Board of Supervisors, facing budget difficulties, requested that amount to offset this year’s cuts throughout county programs.
But the swine smooching wasn’t the only excitement at this year’s 81st annual county fair, where attendance was down but only by about 2 percent, according to fair manager Kelley Ferrera. He did not have exact figures.
As in past years, there was plenty to do for families and kids. Children were especially drawn to the “Kids Town” area, where they could ride ponies, pet farm animals and play on various pieces of equipment.
“It’s a nice place to sit with your kids,” Ferrera said. “You can rest, and they get to have some fun.”
Six-year-old Patrick Murphy got a chance to ride one of those ponies Saturday afternoon. As he did, his mom Shirley kept a steady arm while videotaping his ride.
Although he was outgoing as can be on the horse, waving to his mom each time around the fence, all he could say after the ride when asked what he was thinking was, “I was thinking about a song.”
And all the traditional offerings were on display as well over the weekend. There was a demolition derby, a truck pull, an arm wrestling contest, a hypnotist, music and rides.
There was plenty of fair food – as in tri-tip, pizza, ice cream, fried vegetables and funnel cake. In other words, Atkins-friendly wasn’t a viable option. Neither was fasting.
Surrounding the food vendors, family members and old friends sat on picnic tables chatting and watching as other fair-goers walked by.
Hollister resident Helen Bluff, 87, was seated Saturday afternoon on a picnic table as her grandchildren perused the livestock area.
“I like to watch the people with all the kids and everything,” said Bluff, who’s been coming to the fair for about eight years. “Because I don’t get around too well. But whatever, it’s fine.”
There was competing – mostly friendly competing – from the many battles to stake a claim to be one of the best cooks in the county, to the many contests to find the best young farmers.
There was even this colorful announcement over the loudspeaker: “Salad lady, please come to the office.”
All in all it was another successful fair, Ferrera said, because there were no major problems, aside from a few drinking-related issues, and nobody got injured.
Kollin Kosmicki covers politics for the Free Lance. Reach him at 637-5566, ext. 331 or [email protected].
