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2012 California State Fair comes to a close; paid attendance up slightly
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The 159th edition of the California State Fair and “Fun That Moves You” came to a close Sunday night with the final fireworks salute of the summer.
The 2012 Fair saw roller-coaster temperatures, ranging from a high of 105 degrees on opening day to a low of 56 degrees on July 13, along with a successful concert series, several value days for families, lots of new fair food – on and off the stick – and a few records broken.
On Saturday, July 21, total attendance was 60,386, the biggest single-day crowd of the 18-day fair. That night, approximately 6,500 fairgoers watched country singer and “American Idol” winner Scotty McCreery perform on the Golden1 Stage.
On July 27, legendary rockers Joan Jett & the Blackhearts drew the largest crowd of the 2012 Concert Series, with 7,250 fans.
Paid attendance for the fair was 523,838, which was up slightly from 522,375 in 2011. Total attendance was 691,822. The average daily attendance was 38,435. All reported numbers are preliminary and unaudited.
The new Wells Fargo Savings Days on Wednesdays offered $6 admission for everyone and $15 unlimited-ride wristbands – and proved to be a huge success.
The 54,610 fairgoers on July 18 set an attendance record for a Wednesday, only to be surpassed the following Wednesday when 58,255 people came through the gate. Attendance for the two Kids Days, on Tuesdays, totaled 105,473.
“We have a clear understanding that the economy and weather go hand-in-hand,” said State Fair General Manager Norb Bartosik. “Price points and budgets affect our business, and the economic downturn found our patrons shopping for the best deal and days to visit the fair. Overall, this has been a great State Fair. It will take us awhile to finalize all of our numbers, but it looks fairly positive.”
Over eight days, 460 horses and mules competed in 68 races at the Miller Lite Grandstand, including 56 Thoroughbred races, three Arabian races, three quarter horse races and six mule races.
Fans wagered $1.6 million at Cal Expo, $9.9 million at off-track betting centers in California, $3.4 million at out-of-state locations, and $4.7 million on the Internet.
Those wagers generated $750,000 to Cal Expo, which offset the expense of operating the race meet. A total of $990,000 was paid out in purse money to all horses and mules.
The livestock program continued in popularity with more than 5,000 animals shown and competed in the Livestock Pavilion.
Among the features of this year’s fair were the National Angora Goat Show, and the first National Day of the Cowboy and Cowgirl. California is the second state to pass such a resolution and the first to specify “cowgirl,” as well as “cowboy.”
Twenty-nine California counties participated in the Counties Exhibits. Solano County won the Best of Show award.
For the first time, the State Fair donated produce harvested from “The Farm” to local charities. Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services and California Emergency Foodlink received nearly 2,000 pounds of fresh fruit and vegetables grown at the three-acre demonstration farm.
More than 170 vendors delighted fairgoers with new and innovative food creations, including chocolate-covered wine grapes, chocolate-dipped Key lime pie, deep-fried mac ‘n’ cheese, deep-fried cheeseburger, and pork chop on a stick. Also new to the Fair was the Big Rib, a massive 24-ounce piece of U.S. Prime seasoned beef, slow-cooked onto a 17-inch rib. Hungry fairgoers consumed more than 2,000 Big Ribs.
Mark S. Allen of “Good Day Sacramento” won the media invitational Big Rib Eat-Off in 3 minutes, 30 seconds. Minnesotan Eric Dahl ate 20 corn dogs in eight minutes to win the second annual California State Fair Corn Dog-Eating Competition and the $2,500 grand prize.
Over 18 days, fairgoers enjoyed 3,800 Big Ribs; 5,000 pounds of rice; 25,000 cinnamon rolls; and 200,000 corn dogs.
Fairgoers also witnessed two successful Guinness World Record attempts.
On July 13, Nick Nicora of Ovations – official concessionaire of the State Fair and Cal Expo – mixed the world’s largest cocktail, a 10,500-gallon Margarita called the Calarita, and set a world record.
On July 23-24, Christina Lochmiller of Roseville set her own record when she rode the Eagle 16 Ferris wheel in the Magical Midway for 26 hours, 43 minutes, to bring awareness to children with congenital heart disease.
On July 25, a Canadian man broke Lochmiller’s record with a 30-hour Ferris wheel ride.)
Angel “Izumi” Jones of Fair Oaks outsang the competition to win the 2012 California State Fair Karaoke Competition and $500.
Concert headliners on the Golden1 Stage, in addition to Scotty McCreery, were Cody Simpson, Rick Springfield, Landau Eugene Murphy Jr., Dave Mason, Hot Chelle Rae, Jim Messina, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, the Fab Four – The Ultimate Tribute, and the Happy Together Tour with the Turtles, featuring Flo & Eddie, Monkees lead singer Mickey Dolenz, Gary Puckett & the Union Gap, the Grassroots and the Buckinghams. Radio Disney’s Coco Jones performed an afternoon show on the Golden1 Stage.
Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk brought his Birdhouse Left Coast Tour to the Miller Lite Grandstand for one night. The Sacramento Mile returned to the fair for a night of thrills, witnessed by more than 5,200 motorcycle fans.
Friends of the California State Fair’s annual Brewfest drew large crowds to sample award-winning brews from the Craft Brew Competition.
The last night of the 2012 California State Fair saw huge crowds at Gran Jaripeo con Ezequiel Pena y Mucho Mas, a six-hour spectacular in the Ford Horse Show & Rodeo Arena, featuring bull-riding, a dance and Mexican entertainer Ezequiel Pena.
Once again, the California State Fair had a successful Commercial Wine Competition, held in June, when 2,890 wines were received from 688 wineries. Cal Expo will host California’s Grape & Gourmet on Aug. 18. Tickets are on sale now at www.calexpo.com .
North Fire fully contained Monday evening
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – A fire burning near Cow Mountain in Mendocino County has been fully contained.
The North Fire, burning since shortly before 1:30 p.m. Saturday, was located off Mill Creek Road near Cow Mountain, southeast of Ukiah.
Cal Fire reported that the fire was 100-percent contained on Monday evening, after having burned a total of 385 acres. No structures were damaged, but one injury was reported.
Approximately 375 personnel remained on scene Monday, along with 25 engines, 20 fire crews, one air tanker, four helicopters, one bulldozer and four water tenders, according to Cal Fire.
The effort to get the fire under control involved many local and state agencies.
Along with Cal Fire, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office, California Highway Patrol, California Department of Correction and Rehabilitation, Ukiah Valley Fire Protection District, Ukiah City Fire, Little Lake Fire Protection District, Redwood Valley Fire Protection District, Long Valley Fire Protection District, Hopland Fire District and Ukiah Ambulance Service participated.
Cal Fire said crews will continue to straighten line construction and mop up at the scene.
Also on Monday, the Bureau of Land Management reopened the Cow Mountain Recreation Area to the public.
The cause is still under investigation, but Cal Fire said Monday that it’s asking for the public’s help in getting more information about what may have sparked the blaze.
Potential witnesses or anyone with information is asked to call Cal Fire investigators at the agency’s Arson Hotline, 800-468-4408. Callers can remain anonymous.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
Officials: Total size of Westlake Road fire raised to 70 acres
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Cal Fire officials reported that a wildland fire on Saturday burned a total of 70 acres near the Rodman Slough.
The fire broke out shortly before 4 p.m. Saturday near a pile of trash on the side of Westlake Road near the Nice-Lucerne Cutoff, as Lake County News has reported.
On Monday, Cal Fire Battalion Chief Linda Green, the incident commander, said the final mapping of the fire put it at at total of 70 acres, double the original estimate given at the fire scene Saturday.
The fire scorched a large pasture and burned toward the Rodman Preserve before the wind shifted, Green said.
It got to the side of the Nice-Lucerne Cutoff, where it burned blackberry bushes and ran up a hill on the other side of the road. The California Highway Patrol had the road shut down for several hours as firefighters worked in the area.
About an hour into the incident, a second fire – sparked by embers given off by the main blaze – began in a nearby vineyard. Cal Fire air tankers and a helicopter responded, helping keep the fire from homes and other structures.
Cal Fire, U.S. Forest Service firefighters from the Mendocino National Forest, Northshore Fire, Lakeport Fire, Kelseyville Fire, Lake County Fire and South Lake County Fire all sent resources to fight the fire.
As for the fire’s cause, Green said it remains under investigation.
“I talked to the investigator earlier today and they’re still following up on witness statements,” she said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
Lake County takes in nearly $100,000 in ticket amnesty program; millions of dollars remain unpaid
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A six-month-long amnesty program that ended June 30 took in just under $100,000 for Lake County.
The Administrative Office of the Courts offered the program from January through June, as Lake County News has reported.
Superior courts throughout California – including Lake’s – participated in the program, which allowed individuals to pay off old traffic tickets with a 50-percent reduction. Parking tickets, DUIs and reckless driving citations were not eligible for the program.
A report provided to Lake County News by Lake County Treasurer-Tax Collector Sandra Shaul showed that Lake County collected approximately $99,792.86 on 207 cases. The county must pay $30,369.70 on those collections.
Shaul called it “better than nothing but a drop in the bucket.”
That’s because Lake County has 12,748 such cases that remain outstanding, with those cases valued at just over $12 million, according to Shaul’s report on the amnesty program.
Of the funds collected, $7,965.73 will go toward the State Court Facilities Construction Fund, $2,842.06 to the Trial Court Trust Fund and $1,249.11 to the Trial Court Improvement Fund, Shaul’s report showed.
Shaul said her staff will be evaluating the accounts receivable for aging and low value to determine what outstanding accounts might merit discharge.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
