AKC Licensed All Breed Dog Show

The AKC Licensed All Breed Dog Show happens this weekend – Saturday, August 31 and Sunday, September 1 at the Nevada County Fairgrounds. More than 150 breeds will be in attendance, and there will be vendors selling food and all the items an animal lover could want. Enjoy and make a day of it! Such a fun event!

Gold County Kennel Club

Categories: Announcements and Nevada County Fairgrounds.

Draft Horse Classic Tickets! Buy Early and Save!

Tickets to the Draft Horse Classic, happening September 19 – 22 at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley, are on sale now! This year, we’ve lowered the price of adult admission tickets for evening performances – making them more affordable than ever.  Additionally, we’re continuing our offer of discounted pricing on morning performances and children’s tickets.  It just got less expensive to attend the Draft Horse Classic!

Danielle Simpson - Driver

Categories: Draft Horse Classic.

Fun Weekends at the Fairgrounds

Looking for something fun to do during the next several weekends? Here are a couple of events happening at the Nevada County Fairgrounds during the next few weekends.

Sierra Brewfest
Happening August 24 from 3 – 6:30 pm, Sierra Brewfest provides a unique, unlimited microbrew tasting experience. Sample more than 100 hand-crafted beers. It’s an epic afternoon of sun, suds and fun! This event is hosted by Music in the Mountains. For tickets and information, visit http://musicinthemountains.org/event/sierra-brewfest/.

Gold Country Kennel Club Dog Show
This is a full AKC Dog Show, held on Saturday, August 31 and Sunday, September 1.  Typically, all 170 breeds are at the show, along with 40 vendors with all the items an animal love could want. Food vendors will also be serving many tasty items. A complete show schedule will be published in The Union the weekend before the show.

Roamin Angels Car Show
The 14th Annual Roamin Angels Car Show is shaping up to be one of the best classic car shows in Northern California.  The event is held from 8 am to 6 pm on Saturday, September 7, and 8 am to 3 pm on Sunday, September 8. For information as a participant, a vendor, or to simply attend and see all the really cool cars, visit http://www.roaminangels.com/htmls/carshow.html.

Join us at the Nevada County Fairgrounds for these fun, community events!

Categories: Announcements.

Livestock Meeting

Nevada County Fair officials have scheduled a livestock meeting on Wednesday, September 4th to review the 2013 Fair’s livestock program and plan for the 2014 Fair.

Future Farmers of America advisors, 4-H leaders, Grange leaders, exhibitors and others interested in the Nevada County Fair livestock programs are invited to participate. The meeting will be held in the Fair’s Board Room and will begin at 4 p.m. While no specific timing is assigned to each species, the critique order is small animals, goats, beef, sheep and swine.

“Our livestock programs are critical elements of the Nevada County Fair and it’s important each year that we review what worked and what can be improved to maximize the exhibitors’ potential and provide the public with a positive experience,” explains Fair Deputy Manager, Robin Hauck.

The 2014 Nevada County Fair is scheduled for August 6th through 10th. For more information call the Fair at 273-6217.

Categories: Announcements.

2013 Blue Ribbon Award

Debby Biddinger was recently named the 2013 Blue Ribbon Award recipient by the Nevada County Fairgrounds Board of Directors. The award was created by the Fair’s industry association, the Western Fairs Association (WFA), to recognize dedicated individuals who support their local Fair and continuously contribute to the quality of the Fair. Debby was recognized for her ongoing support of the Fairgrounds and its many activities, and for all her work at Tall Pines Nursery School at the Fairgrounds. 

 Debby has been the director of Tall Pines Nursery, a parent co-op preschool located at the Nevada County Fairgrounds, since 1985. She has also served as a teacher during this time and has become affectionately known as “Teacher Debby.”  During her 28 years at Tall Pines, Debby has seen almost 3,000 children pass through the preschool, and now has some families with three generations who have attended the school. 

 During the Fair, the preschool is closed; however, Debby can be found at the Fairgrounds getting the Tall Pines Nursery booth ready for the Fair, where they serve Round Table Pizza to Fair-goers as a fundraiser for the school. 

 Raised in Nevada County, Debby has been married to her husband, Tim, for 36 years, and they have a daughter, Amy. Throughout her years at the preschool, Debby has recruited both her husband and her daughter to help out at the preschool. To them, it’s “definitely a family event.” Their daughter, Amy, has followed in her Mom’s footsteps and is now a math teacher at Forest Charter. 

“I truly love everything about the Fairgrounds – and I love that Tall Pines is such a part of the Fairgrounds,” said Debby. “I’m surprised and overwhelmed to receive this award, and I feel very fortunate to be able to work in such a beautiful location, with the families and children I serve, and among the Fair team.”

“Debby is truly one of the Fair’s best friends,” said Sandy Woods, CEO of the Fairgrounds. “She has a deep love for the Fairgrounds and she passes that passion on to her little students. She is one of the guardians of California’s Most Beautiful Fairgrounds and is very protective of the facility. She is held in very high esteem by the entire Fair staff and we consider her part of the Fair family. We are thrilled to be able to honor her with this industry award.”

Debby was recognized in a surprise presentation at the Fair’s Opening Ceremonies on Wednesday, August 7. 

Debby Biddinger Receives 2013 Blue Ribbon Award

Debby Biddinger, director of Tall Pines Nursery School at the Nevada County Fairgrounds, recently received the 2013 Blue Ribbon Award for her ongoing support of the Fairgrounds and its activities and for her work at Tall Pines Nursery School.

Categories: Announcements.

Thank You to Our Community

The 2013 Nevada County Fair was one of the most successful fairs in recent history. This year, overwhelmingly, we were buoyed by our Fair community – and we thank you for that support and for your confidence.

We thank each and every one of you – our customers, our sponsors, our vendors, our Treat Street non-profits, our youth in agriculture, our volunteers, and all those who supported us from afar. Because of your support and generosity, we made a difference in Nevada County:

  • Two hundred and twenty two animals were sold at the Junior Livestock Auction, grossing $393,932 (a 15% increase over last year) for the youth of Nevada County.
  • The Ag Mechanics Auction, featuring 58 custom projects by Bear River and Nevada Union FFA students, raised $48,425 (an increase of 24%) for these students.
  • Almost $700,000 was generated on Treat Street. Proceeds raised will allow local non-profit organizations to provide vital services to our community.
  • Sunday’s special promotion of “Free Until Three,” brought 12,292 visitors, and coupled with paid attendance after three, created a record attendance day of 16,733 for any Sunday of the Fair.
  • The Fair included more than 7,200 exhibits from our community, including Floriculture Best of Division Winner – Maxine Lewelling – who’s been attending the Fair for more than 55 years, and entered for the first time this year.
  • On Community Involvement Day, the Fair partnered with BloodSource, the Food Bank of Nevada County and Foothill Lions:   
    • 91 blood donors were registered and 78 pints of life saving blood were collected
    • 450 pounds of food were collected
    • 100 prescription eye glasses and one hearing aide were donated           
  • Seventy business sponsors partnered with the Fair to provide valuable services – like free shuttle rides, community day with free admission, free drinking water, and special contests – to Fair-goers.  
  • Almost 3,000 students and educators attended Wednesday’s Scholar Student Day.
  • In the Special Events Tent on Saturday, nine people donated hair to Locks of Love, including an individual who donated 24 inches of hair.
  • More than 190 vendors participated in this year’s Fair.
  • Fair patrons and elephant riders donated $2,100 to the International Elephant Foundation to further elephant conservation.

The Fair has always been a celebration of our community – and our cumulative efforts – and one that draws us together and strengthens our ties; and the 2013 Fair continued that tradition. We are who we are because of all of you – and, for that, we thank you!

We’ll see you at the 2014 Nevada County Fair, August 6 – 10.

Sincerely,

Tom Browning, President, Nevada County Fairgrounds Board of Directors

Sandy Woods, Chief Executive Officer, Nevada County Fairgrounds

Categories: Announcements.

Dream Come True

Colin has had a lifelong dream of meeting an elephant. On Monday evening, his dream came true when he got to meet two elephants!  Colin, who has Downs Syndrome, spent an hour with Rosie and Becky – the beautiful elephants visiting the Nevada County Fair from Have Trunk Will Travel. Colin was able to give Rosie a bath, and share some watermelon with both elephants.  According to Colin’s Mom, “the bond between these wonderful mammals and their “people” was very touching. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity for Colin, and the experience has deeply touched our hearts.”

Elephants at the Fair (Mom and Son) Elephants at the Fair 3 (water)