Question of the Week 9/8

The San Benito County Fair is right around the corner and starts September 28 at the Bolado Park Event Center. What are your favorite exhibits or things to do at the county fair? As communities change and the area becomes more urban, how should the county fair adapt or update to attract a new population?

Mary Zanger:  We should help the city people adapt to us. That’s why they moved here. They came to enjoy open spaces, to see lettuce, tomatoes and peppers grow and cattle graze, and to see hills, pastures and trees in abundance. They came to breathe healthy air and to drink good water. The best attractions at the fair will teach city people aggie ways like: how to change kitchen peelings into compost and preserve the landfill, how to cook from scratch and save packaging material and how to keep air healthy and water clean by sprouting solar and wind farms to generate clean energy.

Keith Snow: First they need to have better advertising. Get the word out with commercials on radio stations, newspapers, flyers and social media in other cities and counties. Bull riding is always fun. Have real bands and concerts-not cover bands. Charge separately for those events. Have a kids music section, local food vendors and maybe some stuff we never had before. New things to try include rock wall climbing, indoor skydiving, maybe a bingo section. We need to bring attraction to all age groups. This will create revenue.

Tara Hernandez: When we used to go to the fair we loved the animal section, watching the sheep or staring at the pigs. As the kids have gotten older and become teenagers there are not as many options for them and it has become more expensive (entrance to park, ride tickets and food) to go.

Ruth Erickson: San Benito County Fair has been a popular traditional event for many years. It showcases the county, from agriculture to industry, from community talents and crafts to businesses and governmental agencies to nonprofits. Music, food and carnival rides round out the four days of events. How about piglet racing and a mechanical bull? Perhaps the local wineries and handcrafted beer brewers could have a tasting room? The arena could hold many sprint car races in the late afternoon to evening. Something for everyone.

—

The Question of the Week was distributed in an email and posted on the Hollister Free Lance Facebook page on Friday, September 1. Thank you to everyone who contributed comments.