The 2012 California State Fair was Awesome!
Our reporters were at the Fair; here are some first-hand accounts:
California State Fair 2012 Youth Art and Design Expo
Our Fair and Their Food!
Wizard's Challenge
SACRAMENTO, CA -- The 159th edition of the California State Fair and “Fun That Moves You” came to a close Sunday night with the final fireworks salute of the summer. Better hours and a slew of new attractions were among the highlights of the 2012 California State Fair which ran from July 12-29 at Cal Expo. New Rides, Foods, Exhibits, and an amazing interactive science building called the Wizard Challenge drew thousands to the State Fair this year.
The 2012 Fair saw roller-coaster temperatures – ranging from a high of 105 degrees on opening day to a low of 56 degrees on July 13 – along with a successful Concert Series, including “American Idol” winner Scotty McCreery and legendary rockers Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, several value days for families, lots of new Fair food (on and off the stick), and a few records broken.
The new Wells Fargo Savings Days on Wednesdays offered $6 admission for everyone and $15 unlimited-ride wristbands – and proved to be a huge success. Twenty-nine California counties participated in the Counties Exhibits. Solano County won the Best of Show award. For the first time, the State Fair donated produce harvested from “The Farm” to local charities. Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services and California Emergency Foodlink received nearly 2,000 pounds of fresh fruit and vegetables grown at the three-acre demonstration farm.
Photo by Eva Dunn: Solano County exhibit wins Best of Show award
More than 170 vendors delighted fairgoers with new and innovative food creations, including chocolate-covered wine grapes, chocolate-dipped Key lime pie, deep-fried Mac n’ cheese, deep-fried cheeseburger, and pork chop on a stick. Also new to the Fair was the Big Rib, a massive 24-ounce piece of U.S. Prime seasoned beef, slow-cooked onto a 17-inch rib. Hungry fairgoers consumed more than 2,000 Big Ribs.
The last night of the State Fair saw huge crowds at a six-hour spectacular in the Ford Horse Show & Rodeo Arena, featuring bull riding, a dance and Mexican entertainer Ezequiel Pena. Cal Expo will host California’s Grape & Gourmet on August 18, 2012. Tickets are on sale now at www.calexpo.com
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California State Fair 2012 Youth Art and Design Expo
A Review by James E. Roberts
Staff Writer
I love going to the State Fair. Each year my wife and I arrive at Cal Expo at the opening of the gates and head for the exhibit halls, vendors, and critters. We don’t go for the rides or games, but we always enjoy seeing what new food is for sale (I’ll skip the chocolate covered bacon this year, thank you), what the County Exhibits look like, what the vendors are selling (model helicopters, Sleep Number Beds, jewelry, kitchenware, ladders, truck bed liners and anything else you can imagine), and particularly the displays in Expo Halls number one through eight. That’s where all the Fine Art, Fashion & Textile, Media, and Crafts & Hobbies submitted for judging are on display, as well as a toy emporium, a tribute to Sun Maid Raisins’ 100th anniversary, some of the aforementioned critters, and so much more.
Building 1 of the Expo Center is devoted to the Youth Art & Design. The entrants range in age from 5 to 19, and feature creations in printmaking, pastel & charcoal, ceramics, quilts, paintings, fashion and textile, dolls, miniatures and models, photography, collage, mixed media, graphic art, and 3D sculpture, among others.
The first thing that I noticed in this room, as with most of the expo halls, is that the display seemed sparser than in years past. Whether this is a reflection of a de-emphasis on art and design in the public schools, or evidence that the economy has taken its toll on the arts, it saddened me to see less work on display than was available in previous years. And the empty space was evident in the Fur and Feathers hall, as well as halls devoted to adult art and design. The only crowded hall was the toy exhibit, and they were there to sell rather than to enlighten or display the creative efforts of Californians. Clearly, though, the art that was on exhibit in the Youth Art & Design building was the work of talented people in a wide range of ages.
There were four categories that had Best of Show winners: Fine Arts, Fashion & Textile, Crafts & Hobbies, and Media. Skylar Brown, a student at the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia won the Fine Arts award for “Near Light,” a colored pencil portrait of a beautiful young woman.
Ashley Olson of Sacramento won the Fashion & Textile award for a hand-crafted woman’s three piece wool suit. It was an interesting, tasteful ensemble, and would have looked right at home on Pat Nixon when her husband was Eisenhower’s Vice President.
In the Crafts & Hobbies category, Jessica Robinson of North Highlands won for her small ceramic cup titled “Choco Vanilla Swirl.” A seemingly simple cup, the brown and white glaze made it stand out as a lovely work of art even more than a drinking vessel.
In the Media category, the delightful photograph titled “Cowboy Magic” won Best of Show. It is a portrait of a small child wearing a cowboy hat, and standing in the middle of a golden field near a barn. The contrast between the bright golden grain and the shadowed barn give the photo an almost over-exposed feel, lending it an aura of playful imagination.
There were many, many more pieces on display, ranging from cartoonish to surrealistic, many that could have been found in any professional gallery, and all representing the astonishing array of talent to be found in California’s youth. As for whether or not it looked childish or professional, the quality was first-rate all the way through, and the only difference in age that was really obvious in the works themselves was the level of maturity reflected in the subject matter of some of the pieces. Photo by Eva Dunn
Art is a subjective adventure. Some things that won second or third place in their sub-categories were, I thought, better than the first place winners. Some six year olds seemed to exhibit more talent than some ten year olds. The next person looking at the same display will likely think something entirely different. The one thing that I believe all can agree on is that this exhibit shows how truly talented California youth can be. Go see it!
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Our Fair and Their Food!
By Jennifer Benton
Staff Writer
Each year as the summer is under way and July rolls in, I eagerly anticipate the California State Fair. For one reason. FAIR FOOD!! I pack up the family and slowly, intently, walk the rows of brightly lit food carts taking it all in and making a mental list of the guilty pleasures available to me. Once I've seen all of my choices, I factor in which foods are only available at fairs and then decide how brave I'm feeling. Last year, the barbequed raccoon was a bit much for me! I did notice an absence of Jungle George's this year and can't help but think I was not alone in this sentiment.
What they did offer this year were delicious, unique items one only dare eat at a fair. My husband and I shared a Fat Darrel sandwich from the Fingersteak booth and it was lettuce, tomato, deep fried mozzarella sticks, fingersteaks, and cheese on a hoagie roll; delicious!! We also shared a beef brisket sandwich (perfectly cooked and seasoned) with a NEW fair food, deep fried macaroni and cheese on a stick, which was everything one would hope. Cheesy and doughy and full of goodness! Accompanied with the deep fried cheese curds, who could ask for anything more?
In addition to the Mac and cheese on a stick, the inventive vendors also offered up these NEW items this year: Big Beef Rib-24 ounces of steak on a 17 inch cow's rib bone, a deep fried cheeseburger (five-alarm style with jalapeno cheese), pork chop on a stick, and a deep fried grilled cheese sandwich. A local favorite, The Squeeze Inn, also made an appearance this year! And yes, you can still find favorites like chocolate covered bacon (now also with white chocolate), soft tacos, and cinnamon rolls.
We were so full by this point, dessert was not looking as though it would be a part of our future but we had a look anyhow and it is with much excitement I report some new offerings for this year: caramel apple and peanut butter and jelly sundaes, Sorbetto filled fresh fruit, red velvet funnel cakes and hot fudge sundae funnel cakes, chocolate dipped key lime pie on a stick, and chocolate covered wine grapes. In addition, Sweet Cheeks, who has been bringing us our deep fried sweets like snickers, pop tarts, and moon pies, has outdone themselves this year. They have all of the favorites we've come to love and added, deep fried red velvet cake with frosting and deep fried cinnamon rolls with icing!
So take your families, take your friends, pack some sun block, water and a blood pressure cuff and head out for some good and unique eats at the California State Fair, this year's selection is sure to satisfy! The California State Fair will be here through Sunday, July 29th. Fair hours are as follows: M-Th, 11 am til 10 pm; Fri-Sun, 10 am til 10 pm. The Magical Midway and Kids Park stay open until 11 pm weekdays and midnight on the weekends. For fair pricing and additional information visit their website at www.bigfun.org Photo by Eva Dunn: State fair tacos
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Wizard's Challenge
A Review by John Benton
Staff Writer
The California State Fair, known far and wide for new and interesting exhibits, has done it again. With the assistance of sponsor SMUD, Wizard's Challenge is a huge kid focused, air conditioned indoor space where children of all ages can participate in various fun science activities. Photo by John Benton: Wizards Challenge
At Musical Knights, children can bang or shake knight helmets to create their own music. Continuing the musical experience, the Enchanted melody organ allows viewers to choose a style of music by pushing an actuator pedal. The song stays the same, but the style changes enough to make it sound like a completely different song.
In the center of the area, three large cauldrons filled with bubbles draw the attention if all. People could use the different sized rings to create huge bubbles, some large enough to envelope a child. Everyone had a fun time trying to keep the bubbles from popping. 
Another of the many hands-on activities was the Wall of Nails. Here, you could push a body part or item against the "nails" and see the shape transferred to the back of the wall. Many children enjoyed pushing back 
against the nails to "erase" the shape someone on the other side created. The Dragon's Lair was also fun for all ages. As you entered the darkened tunnel, you noticed stars and shapes in neon spinning around you. Walking through you quickly got disoriented and by the end felt dizzy. It felt as if you'd taken a magical trip through space. Photos by John Benton: Bubble Cauldron, Wall of Nails and Dragon's Lair delighted old and young alike
At the Morphing Mirror, two can sit across from one another and look at their images reflected in the mirror. Using fader switches and bright lights, they can let the image of the person opposite them through the glass. The result is the faces "morphing" into one another, an unusual effect. Another musical attraction was the Magic Harp. This large machine looked like the entryway to a magical room, complete with colored lights along the floor. As you danced or moved within the light beams, a computer recognized a beam being turned on or off. Each time it turned off a different musical effect was created. By stringing effects together a musical piece was created. Photo by John Benton: Magic Harp
At the Common Scents station, a dragon oversees as people sample 12 different scents with hidden labels. Research has shown that humans' sense of smell has a powerful connection to memory. Here, you try to identify the scent trapped in a bottle. This was very challenging and fun. At Bernoulli Blower a big green ball stays suspended "magically" in air with no strings or mechanisms. Really what is happening is the bernoulli effect, in which objects in a fast flow of air are not only blown away by that air, but are also sucked toward it by the air around it. This is the same effect that causes lift on bird and airplane wings. It's a very neat way for kids to learn about physics. Photo by John Benton: Morphing Mirror
Another display of the laws and properties of physics was The Energy Machine. This large enclosed machine showed the different types of energy and how potential energy could be changed into other types, such as sound, heat, mechanical, and light. Small balls would be carried up the the top of the machine by a spiraling wire. As they dropped down the tracks, they encountered obstacles, demonstrating the different types of energy. Wizard's Challenge at The State Fair, sponsored by SMUD, was a fun way to learn a lot about science- a free exhibit that offered a fun and cool escape from the heat of the rest of the fair. For information about next year's California State Fair, visit www.bigfun.org Photo by John Benton: Energy Machine
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