Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Fair plans nearly done; two rodeos are slated

Plans for the 67th Nevada County Fair are nearing completion.

The Nevada County Fair Board met Thursday, May 13, to work out details about the fair.

Carol Tyree said ad sales are progressing, with information sent to everyone who advertised last year. She provided a list of those who had said they wanted an ad, but not paid. The ads, she said, pay for the fair book, which costs between $1,400 and $1,500 each year.

Honeycutt Printing has been informed there will be major changes to this year's fair book, Tyree said, and the copy needs to be turned in to the printer as soon as possible so they can start working on it.

The smaller ribbons are in, and are right. Tyree showed the board what the new ribbons look like. They are smaller than in past years, and will be used for the adult competitions. The larger ribbons will be presented to children who exhibit and win. Tyree said the board got a discount by ordering the ribbons early.

All of Tyree's news wasn't as good, though. She said after the audit, she received a letter stating the district's premium money would be cut 44 percent. The district only gets $3,000 and this would amount to nearly half of the funds. However, the amount the district will be cut this year will only be 4 percent.

"Everything we can do for the fair will help the audit," she said, "and we can get more money next year."

The board approved buying a glass door for the Stewart Building at its April meeting, but didn't have price and installation quotes. Mary Godwin said she would take care of buying a door and having it installed.

Talked turned to the rodeo, with Rex Dollar saying the contractor had been contacted and agreed to handle both the high school and old timer's rodeos. The high school rodeo will be held Saturday, Aug. 28, as the state horse show is the next weekend.

The old timer's rodeo will be the Saturday of the fair, Sept. 4, and have four events.

Dollar said the contractor would provide everything in the way of livestock, but the fair board would be responsible for the concession stand and main gate for both rodeos. The contractor, he said, may want part of the gate receipts, and will handle the entry fees and prizes for the contestants. "We'd need to provide the sound system, but he would have an announcer."

By having the high school rodeo before the fair, he said, will allow for more parking as the carnival won't be set up by then. Additionally, patrons will be charged at the rodeo arena for the high school rodeo.

Animals will be checked in from 3:30-7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 30, as there is too much going on Tuesday for the animals to be dealt with properly.

The pageants and talent show will remain as they have been in the past, with the younger pageant contestants competing Thursday, and the older girls taking the stage Saturday evening. The talent show will also remain on Tuesday night, starting at 7:30. The pageants will begin at 6 o'clock each night.

Sheila Cannon was named as the new pageant director, and will take care of getting everything ready for the contests. However, she asks pageant parents to help decorate the float for the parade.

The livestock premium sale will be Thursday of the fair, with the dinner to begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by the auction at 6:30.

Several ideas were tossed around for some kind of event Friday night, including karoake. However, the board decided to have a homemade ice cream contest following the Prescott-Gurdon football game, and also sell watermelons by the slice. A cash prize will be presented to the winner of the ice cream contest. It will be judged by people putting money in jars in front of the entries.

Godwin volunteered the Prescott-Nevada County Chamber of Commerce to handle this event.

Buckles for livestock show winners were discussed. The decision was made to give the winners in the senior division buckles, while junior and pee wee winners are presented trophies. In the pee wee class, all entrants will be given a participation ribbon.

Additionally, a plaque will be presented to the top herdsman from each barn.