Placer County Fair back this year

Baby pig races, baking contests, corn dogs and cotton candy, live music and carnival rides are back this summer, thanks to the Placer County Fair. The Placer County Fair opens @the Grounds in Roseville on June 24, and continues through June 27. The fair is open from 5 to 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and from noon to 9 p.m. Sunday at 700 Event Center Drive in Roseville (formerly called the Placer County Fairgrounds). More information is at https://www.placercountyfair.org. The 83rd annual event's slogan "Mooving Forward Together," is appropriate since the fair was canceled because of the Covid pandemic in 2020. The Placer County Fair is one of the first in the state to return, a little more than a week after the state expects to reopen the economy June 15, although face masks and indoor occupancy limits will likely be in place. "We're very excited for the return of the fair and taking a huge step in getting back to a new normal from what has been such a difficult period for everyone," said David Attaway, chief executive officer of @the Grounds and Placer Valley Tourism. "The fair's slogan is very appropriate, recognizing the resiliency of the community while also providing a positive look to the future." Fair's return long-awaited The long-awaited return of the fair will benefit the economy and help the community recover from the devastating and life-changing effects of the past 15 months, according to fair officials. The Placer County Fair creates jobs, generates revenue to fair vendors and businesses in the region (from gas stations to restaurants) and connects the community, officials said. "The Placer County Fair is an extremely important annual event," said Placer County Board of Supervisors Chairman Robert Weygandt, who grew up showing livestock at the fair. "It celebrates our rich heritage and highlights the best of where we're going. The fair is a chance for all of us to come together, experience our diversity and have a great time." The fair's lineup will be familiar to fairgoers, from carnival rides, games and food booths to concerts. The Family Fun Zone, with free games and crafts, and exhibits such as pie-baking and photography contests, also return. Plus the Miss Placer County Scholarship Pageants, Placer County Rib Cook-off, and livestock exhibits and auctions return. "I would go every year and watch the pageant," said one-time contestant Tami Uhler, founder and CEO of Up Pageantry, and annual Miss Placer County Scholarship Pageants organizer. "We are the big draw on opening night. It's a community tradition. This is what fairs are all about." The carnival rides, games and food also draw many to the Placer County Fair. Carnival operator Wold Amusements will bring about 20 rides to the fair, including a new 100-foot drop ride and an all-time favorite, the Ferris wheel. "We may have a heck of a run in Roseville," said company CEO Jason Wold, who brought his carnival to about 30 fairs and festivals every year before the pandemic; the last was the San Benito County Fair in October 2019. With all of the pent-up demand for events, "the Placer County Fair might be the biggest event in the Sacramento region." First fair with 160,000-square-foot Roebbelen Center that makes social distancing and following occupancy limits easy The Placer County Fair is back, in part, because of @the Grounds' commitment to the health of the community and retaining its workforce. @the Grounds first served as a Covid testing location and more recently as a mass vaccination site for Placer County. Almost half of the county's residents have received at least one dose of a Covid vaccination, and about 40 percent are fully vaccinated, with many of those getting their shots from the mass vaccination clinic located @the Grounds during the past several months. The 160,000-square-foot building opened in mid-February 2020 but was forced to close with the statewide lockdown a few weeks later to prevent the spread of Covid. The Roebbelen Center will make its fair debut this year, with events and vendors following indoor safety protocols. But given the size of the building, able to accommodate 12 full-length basketball courts, following social distancing and occupancy limits will not be an issue, Attaway said. "We've gained a lot of experience during the past year," he said. "We know how to hold events and follow health and safety guidelines, and we will follow the requirements that are in place when the fair opens." The Placer County Fair is also able to return because @the Grounds has retained much of its staff. Some fairgrounds have been forced to lay off employees and are now struggling to find or rehire workers. So far, 15 fairs have either been canceled or postponed this season, including the California State Fair at Cal Expo, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture. The Placer County Fair is the first major event @the Grounds since February 2020. "We've come full circle, from the grand opening and the excitement surrounding the Roebbelen Center to quickly canceling events with the state lockdown and later shifting to meet the needs of the community as a mass vaccination center," Attaway said. "Now, we can finally share what we have accomplished and our long-term vision with the Roebbelen Center and the renovation of @the Grounds. But, as we've shown during the last year, we're here for whatever the community needs." About @the Grounds @the Grounds, formerly the Placer County Fairgrounds and Event Center, is a multipurpose event facility on 61 acres in Roseville. For more than 80 years, @the Grounds has been the home of the Placer County Fair, an annual celebration of the diversity of the community, along with other community, family and corporate gatherings. \For more information, visit https://www.atthegrounds.com/.