Deep fried Twinkies, Midway games and rides, livestock and farming contests, turkey races, free concerts and even a peek at the world’s largest alligator. These are just a few of the many things visitors of the 2009 Kern County Fair can experience. The annual Kern County Fair opens Sept. 23 and runs through Oct. 4 at the 168-acre county fairgrounds located on South P Street between Bell Terrace Avenue and Ming Avenue.
This year’s fair continues a tradition that was first organized in 1924, to promote the local industry of the county.
“The fair has always had some sort of exhibit program,” said Bill Blair, CEO of the 15th District Agricultural Association, the organization in charge of the fairgrounds.
“It started out with farmers bringing their produce to the fair to show off,” he said. “And then they started giving out awards for the biggest pumpkin and stuff.”
Over the years the fair has evolved into the 12-day spectacle that we see today. “Granted, fairs have gotten more commercialized over the years,” Blair said. “But that is just how fairs have developed.”
That development means added revenue for the county. Blair estimates that the fairgrounds generates over $30 million a year. “But the bulk of that comes from the 12 days of the fair,” he said.
Blair is also quick to point out that although the fair and fairgrounds are operated by a state agency, all of the revenue goes back into the local economy.
“All of the money that’s generated on this fairgrounds stays here, we don’t send any of it to the state,” he said. “Our impact on the local economy is huge.”
Blair is optimistic about how current economic troubles may affect this year’s fair attendance. “Fortunately, fairs are kind of the last ones to feel the effects of a true economic downturn,” he said. “The weather is usually a bigger factor in our attendance than the economy.”
The fact that the fair is local entertainment, rich in tradition and local history, coupled with the fact they have not raised their ticket prices in several years keeps Blair hopeful that they will once again see attendance numbers of between 380,000 and 400,000 visitors this year.
There are a number of discount programs, however, to give fair-goers a chance to save a bit of money on the price of admission. As in previous years, guests arriving between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on opening day, Sept. 23, will receive free admission. In a program sponsored by Bright House, some 30,000 school children were offered the opportunity to earn free admission to the fair by participating in a reading program. And new for this year, Active-duty military members can receive free admission for the full 12-day run of the fair by showing their military ID at the fair entrance.
“But even at the full $8 ticket price, the fair is a value,” Blair said. “Where else can you go and pay $8 dollars to see Phil Vassar or Tower of Power, plus all of the other things the fair has to offer. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to come to the fair, it’s a huge value.”