Gentle Giant monument in the fall.
Celtic Festival at the Nevada County Fairgrounds
This weekend at the Nevada County Fairgrounds, it’s the KVMR Celtic Festival! Happening through Sunday, the Celtic Fest features 11 performance areas including five musical and six demonstration stages. Tickets are at the gate or here. Photo by Lenkaland Photography.
2018 Draft Horse Classic Results
Awards for the 32nd annual Draft Horse Classic, held September 21 – 23 at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley, have been announced. Mark Sparrow of Eldora, Iowa judged the Draft Horse classes, which took place during the six performances over the three day event. Almost 40 draft horse exhibitors – traveling from California, Oregon, Idaho, Washington, and British Columbia – competed at the show for nearly $40,000 in premium awards.
The winner of the Ultimate Hitch Award was Rees Family Belgians of Elk, WA. Crystal Newborn of Top Hand Ranch, Elverta, CA, won the Susan Parnell High Point Award. The Teamster of the Year Award was presented to Nattie Book of Mudslinger Ranch, Durham, CA. The Top Hand Ranch Teamster Award went to Jeff Shinn of Shinn Ranch Percherons, Livermore, CA; and Jeron Schubert of Rees Family Belgians, Elk, WA, won the Youth of the Show award.
More than 800 entries were entered in the Harvest Fair, including wreaths, fresh fruits and vegetables, produce characters, jellies and jams, and baked goods. In the scarecrow division, the People’s Choice award went to Pamela Roschke.
The Best of Show winner at Art at the Classic, which featured more than 50 artists, was Lynn Maderich for “Early Morning at the Horse Show.” The People’s Choice award went to Shirley Isola for “Winner’s Strut.”
A complete list of 2018 Draft Horse Classic awards, as well as all the Harvest Fair winners, is available here.
The 2019 Draft Horse Classic is scheduled for September 20 – 22. Tickets will go on sale May 1, 2019.
The winner of the Draft Horse Classic’s Ultimate Hitch Award – Rees Family Belgians, based out of Elk, WA – performs in the arena at the 2018 Draft Horse Classic. The 2018 Draft Horse Classic results are now posted at NevadaCountyFair.com. Photo by Lenkaland Photography
Safe Travels Home, Draft Horse Friends!
Safe travels to all our exhibitors and draft horse friends as they make their way home. Thank you for all your hard work at the Draft Horse Classic! See you in 2019 (September 20 – 22). Photo by Lenkaland Photography.
That’s A Wrap for the 2018 Draft Horse Classic
That’s a wrap for the 2018 Draft Horse Classic. Thank you to all the exhibitors, vendors, artists, and attendees for making the Classic a success. Of course, a huge thank you to the stars of the show – the beautiful draft horses. See you in 2019. Photo by Lenkaland Photography.
2018 Nevada County Fair Wrap Up
A record setting year for Fair auctions (with more than $670,000 raised for Nevada County youth), 7,500 exhibits, and many community partnerships made for a successful 2018 Nevada County Fair. Below is a wrap-up of the 2018 Nevada County Fair.
- Approximately 91,000 people attended this year’s Fair.
- More than $935,000 was raised on Treat Street by 30 local nonprofit organizations and food vendors. Proceeds raised by these organizations at the Fair allows vital services to be provided to our community.
- The Ag Mechanics Auction featured 48 custom items handmade by Bear River and Nevada Union FFA students, and raised approximately $50,000 for these students.
- Two hundred and fourteen animals were sold at the Junior Livestock Auction, grossing $620,000 for the youth of Nevada County.
- More than 11,000 attended the Fair’s five arena events – the Flying U Extreme Rodeo, Truck and Tractor Pulls, Monster Trucks and Tuff Trucks, and KNCO’s Destruction Derby.
- Margaret Heywood, who is 100 years old, visited the Nevada County Fair for her 43rd year in a row. She drives up every year from Burbank, and spends at least three of the five days visiting the Fair. Her family tradition is for her three kids, four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren to meet on Sunday morning of the Fair, attend the worship service, have a cinnamon roll and coffee, and sit and enjoy the entertainment at the Pine Tree Stage. Margaret says that while some things have changed throughout her 43 years of attending, the kindness of people and the beauty of the Fairgrounds has not.
- This year’s Fair included more than 7,500 exhibits. From baked goods to fruits and vegetables to quilts, the Fair exhibit program gives the community the opportunity to showcase their talent and creativity. Popular exhibit categories this year included Kite Designing, Homebrew, California State Parks Youth Photo Contest, Ugliest Cake, and the Cell Phone Photo Contest.
- Eighty businesses sponsored and partnered with the Fair to fund services and projects like the shade structure, landscaping, charging stations, free shuttle rides, supplies for special contests, shavings for the sale ring, and the water bottle filling station.
- One week prior to opening day, the Fair partnered with BloodSource, The Food Bank of Nevada County, Foothill Lions Club, Nevada County 211, NEO, Story Club, Community Beyond Violence, Cinderella Project, The Karing Closet, Nevada County Diaper Project, Nevada County Pets in Need, Gold Country YMCA, and The White Barn Project to offer Community Involvement Day. As a result, 107 blood donors were registered and 92 pints of blood were donated (enough to help 276 people), 850 books were collected, 346 prescription eye glasses and 12 hearing aids were donated, 75 prom dresses were collected, enough clothes were donated for 70 kids to have a first day of school outfit, and 900 diapers, 20 cases of pet food and hundreds of pounds of food were collected.
- As part of Community Involvement Day, the Foothills Lions Club provided free glaucoma and vision screening services and free hearing tests to adult and children. As a result, 19 individuals received no-cost vision services and 10 tested with the audiologist.
- More than 165 vendors and concessionaires participated in this year’s Fair.
- The Fair teamed up with local libraries on their summer reading program and provided carnival ride tickets as prizes to children who read during the summer. During Fair time, more than 250 coupons were given to young readers in our community.
“The Nevada County Fair is about the hardworking kids in the barns, volunteers, community partnerships, traditions and generations of families enjoying the Fair,” said Patrick Eidman, Deputy Manager of the Nevada County Fairgrounds. “It’s about showcasing talents and months of hard work, giving back and having fun. We’re proud of the 2018 Fair and we thank the community for its ongoing support and another successful year.”
The 2019 Nevada County Fair is August 7 – 11.
Morning Walk at the Nevada County Fairgrounds
Morning walk at the Nevada County Fairgrounds. Gold Path is beautiful and ready for the Draft Horse Classic! Photo by Triolography.
Nevada County Fair Livestock Meeting: September 11
Nevada County Fair officials have scheduled a livestock meeting for Tuesday, September 11, to review the 2018 Fair’s livestock exhibits and to plan for the 2019 Fair.
The meeting will be held at 6 pm in Ponderosa Hall at the Nevada County Fairgrounds (Gate 2) on McCourtney Road. FFA advisors, 4-H leaders, Grange leaders, exhibitors and others interested in the Nevada County Fair livestock exhibits are invited to participate. While no specific timing is assigned to each species, the critique order is small animals, goats, beef, sheep and swine.
The livestock meeting is set each year following the Fair so that those involved in the Fair’s livestock exhibits can review and discuss what worked, as well as recommend improvements for the following year.
The 2019 Nevada County Fair is August 7 – 11.
Welcome Back, Tall Pines Nursery School Friends
Gardeners, Crafters, Bakers and Artists!
Gardeners, crafters, bakers and artists of all ages – how about entering an exhibit in the Harvest Fair at the Draft Horse Classic (September 21 – 23)? The deadline to turn in entry forms is Friday, September 14. It’s free to enter, and all exhibitors will receive complimentary tickets to the Friday morning performance of the Draft Horse Classic. Details can be found here.