One of the most widely read books in Plumas and Sierra Counties, besides the phone book, is the annual County Fair Exhibit Guide. The guide lists the many different categories and classes one can enter their handiwork in competition. The very basic reason for the modern fair is a chance for a resident to show off what they have raised, made or grown. Better yet, to have their entry judged as better than their neighbor’s down the road. The motive to compete lives on.
The Family Project is back, giving the whole family the chance to work together to earn a ribbon. Everyone in a family will work on a display that tells a story about their family. Details are in the Home Arts section of the guide.
Residents will find the general rules governing their entries in the guide. They will also find a preliminary schedule of the fair, contact information and deadlines for entries, judging and picking up entries after the fair. Major sections include Home Arts, Floriculture, Art Barn and Livestock. Each section has many different Divisions, for example, the Art Barn has divisions for Amateur Photography and Professional Photography. Those Divisions are then broken down into Classes, like Sports, Children and even last year’s Fair. The Exhibit Guide covers how to prepare entries and when to bring them to the fairgrounds. Most entries cost only $2. Those who are judged as the best are awarded ribbons and sometimes, cash. All entry forms, except for livestock and floriculture are due July 15, 2016. The actual entries are dropped off in the days before the fair and those dates are listed in the guide.
The Plumas Sierra County Fair has followed many fairs that have published their exhibit guides on-line, saving thousands of dollars and many trees. The 2016 Plumas Sierra County Fair Exhibit Guide is now available on the fair website; www.plumas-sierracountyfair.net. Understanding that many Plumas and Sierra residents still have only dial-up for their internet service, the guide has been broken down into smaller sections for quicker download. Entry forms for still exhibits, livestock and horse show are all available on the website.
A limited number of guides have been printed and distributed to community libraries and branches of Plumas Bank. Copies are also available at the fair office and fair staff is happy to print out specific sections of the guide for anyone who requests it.
A good measure of support for a county fair is the number of exhibits entered. Now is a good time to show your support for the fair by planning to enter something this year. Fair staff is happy to assist anyone with filling out their entry forms by calling the fair office at 530-283-6272.
The Plumas Sierra County Fair will be held August 10-14, 2016 and the theme is Harvest of the Home.
