Draft Horse Classic Tickets on Sale Now!!

Majestic Draft Horse performances, breath-taking competitions, seeing a Draft Horse “up-close,” a clogging jamboree, and a world class lumberjack show are all part of the festivities at the 23rd annual Draft Horse Classic and Harvest Fair, September 24 – 27, at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley.

Tickets for this must-see annual event are on sale now. Purchase your tickets early and save! If you purchase your performance tickets before the Draft Horse Classic begins, you will receive $3 off the ticket price you’d pay on the day of the event. There are six performances featuring the magnificent Draft Horses – Thursday and Friday at 6:30 pm, Saturday at 10 am & 6:30 pm, and Sunday at 10 am & 4 pm. Tickets can be purchased by calling, faxing or visiting the Fair Office by Wednesday, September 23, at 5 pm.

Although there is a charge for the Draft Horse performances in the arena, admission to the Fairgrounds is free so all can enjoy the many activities of the Harvest Fair. The grounds are alive with western music, Harvest Fair agricultural competitions, world-class lumberjacks performing for the crowds, a live shoeing competition, crowds enjoying Treat Street goodies, and a world-class art show. Plus, you don’t want to miss the opportunity to visit the barns and meet the famous Draft Horses up-close.

On Saturday, enjoy the Fall-like weather underneath the tall pine trees for “A Taste of the Gold Country,” featuring food from an abundance of local restaurants and wineries. For tickets and information, call the Grass Valley Downtown Association at (530) 272-8315, or visit www.HistoricGrassValley.com.

Call (530) 273-6217 or visit www.NevadaCountyFair.com for more information.

A Successful Nevada County Fair

Beautiful weather, a successful canned food drive, more than $400,000 raised for Nevada County youth, several charity benefits, and an increase in overall attendance made the 2009 Nevada County Fair a huge success. Below are some fun Fair facts.

• At Sunday’s canned food drive, 1,240 pounds of food were collected for the
Food Bank of Nevada County. This is enough to feed 550 – 600 families.

• Two hundred and sixty animals were auctioned at this year’s Junior Livestock Auction, raising more than $360,000 for the youth of Nevada County. Funds raised from the auction go directly to these students and many use the money for college education or vocational training.

• This year’s Ag Mechanics Auction, featuring 58 custom projects handmade by FFA students from Bear River and Nevada Union high schools, raised more than $43,000 for these students.

• Many of the non-profit organizations that sell food on Treat Street reported an increase in sales this year. Treat Street consists solely of local non-profit organizations, so proceeds from Fair sales allow these organizations to provide vital services to our community.

• The Fair featured more than 10,000 community exhibits. A complete list of exhibit winners will be posted on the Fair's website by month's end.

• Wednesday evening’s Idol Competition was won by Katie Howard, who received $575 for her charity of choice – Sierra Services for the Blind.

• Saturday’s Locks of Love event had 22 individuals donate hair to help provide a hairpiece to financially disadvantaged children suffering from long-term medical hair loss. VJ’s Salon assisted with the hair donation process, and cut and styled hair for free.

• Sunday evening’s VIP Derby winner was won by Mark Andreus, who received $1,000 for his charity of choice – Christian Encounter Ministries.

• Almost 90,000 Fairgoers visited this year’s Fair. This is a 4% increase from the 2008 attendance. Additionally, carnival sales increased by 2%.

• The Fairgrounds Foundation raised approximately $28,000 through its Heritage Steer program. This money will be used to help pay off the debt on the newly-built Whitney Pavilion, which was built to house livestock, as well as to provide a new show and sale ring for the Junior Livestock Auction.

Nevada County Fair - August 12 - 16

The Nevada County Fair starts tomorrow. We're busy setting up and getting ready for you! Come see us - August 12 -16. We have such a fun Fair planned! Our website has all the details: www.NevadaCountyFair.com.

Entertainment Abounds: Arena Events, Live Bands, Magic Tricks, and Karaoke

Entertainment abounds at this year’s Nevada County Fair, August 12 – 16. This year’s Fair will feature five stages of ongoing entertainment. Providing a little something for everyone, there will be everything from Japanese style drumming, to Country music and a hypnotist, to Blues music and old-fashioned Rock and Roll.

Tyzen: Master of Suggestion will be performing on Friday at 3:30 and 6 pm and Saturday at 2 and 6 pm. Tyzen is one of the world’s most remarkable and dynamic stage hypnotists. His hilarious comedic antics have audiences rolling in the aisles with laughter.

Steel Breeze makes their appearance at the Fair on Friday at 8:15 and 9:30. Mogollon, a crowd favorite, known for their guitar wizardry and dueling fiddles, will perform on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights at 8 and 9:30 pm; CoolHeat, playing smooth jazz, will be at the Pine Tree Stage on Friday at 11, 12:30 and 2 pm; and Solid Air will perform original Americana Folk music on Wednesday at 5 and 6:30 pm. New this year, Nevada Hazzurd, playing country and rock, will perform on Thursday at 4:30 and 6 pm at the Budweiser True Music Stage; and Cuesta Drive will play rock and soul on Thursday at 8 and 9:30 pm on the Pine Tree Stage.

Some of Nevada County’s local bands featured this year will be Stepping Stone, a young rock band, on Thursday at 2:30 pm; Nevada County Regulators, providing original and classic rock on Sunday at 5 and 6:15 pm; Grass Valley Taiko, performing Japanese-style drumming on Thursday at 4 and 5:30 pm; and No Taboo, Northern California’s travelin’ party band, will perform on Thursday at 8 and 9:30 pm.

For old-fashioned Rock and Roll, visit the Budweiser Music Stage on Saturday evening at 4 and 5:30 pm to see Highway 49 perform a mixture of Rock and Roll, Blues, and funkadelic Rock. Or, check out Dr. Bach and the Jazz Practitioners, on Sunday at 1:30 and 3 pm on the Pine Tree Stage for some Dixieland, Swing, Dance, Blues and Gospel.

Also, featured on Friday and Saturday nights from 6:30 – 10:30 on the Tumbleweed Stage in the Magic Forest area will be teen bands from the Coalition for a Drug Free Nevada County’s Youth Sector “NEO.” The diverse groups range from Rock, Alternative, Electro, Ska, Metal, Pop Punk, and Indie. Friday will feature Creative Chaos at 6:30 pm; Blue Tuesday at 7:30; Sensual Saint at 8:30; and Electric Shock at 9:30. Saturday evening will feature The Legend of the Sunburst Bandits at 6:30 pm; General Cause at 7:30 pm; Virgin Limbs at 8:30 pm; and 2Hot 3Fast at 9:30.

For something out of the ordinary, check out the Haute Trash Fashion Show, the outrageous fashion show using recycled trash, on Friday at 5:30 pm at the Pine Tree Stage. Or, Spike the Juggler on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 1:30 pm. The Idol Competition will be on Wednesday at 8 pm at the Pine Tree Stage. There’s also nightly karaoke from 8 – 11 pm in the Special Events Tent, and KVMR will be at the Silver Stage, where they will broadcast live during the Fair.

Each night of the Fair will also feature action-packed events in the Arena. On Wednesday – Professional Bull Riding; Thursday – the Rodeo; Friday - Tuff Truck Racing & Monster Trucks; Saturday – Free Style Moto X Riders & Monster Trucks; and Sunday – the Demolition Derby. All arena events begin at 7 pm nightly.

Visit www.NevadaCountyFair.com for a schedule of events.

Exciting Contests Happening Each Day of the Fair

At this year’s Nevada County Fair, August 12 – 16, there are exciting contests and activities going on each day! Here are just a few of the fun contests planned for this year’s Fair.

VJ's Salon and Day Spa is sponsoring a Locks of Love event on Saturday, August 15, from noon – 3 pm. Donate your hair to help provide a hairpiece to financially disadvantaged children suffering from long-term medical hair loss. VJ’s will have stylists available to assist with the hair donation process, as well as to cut and style your hair for free.

Do you think you can text faster than anyone? If so, a Text Messaging Speed Contest will be held on Friday, August 14, from 4 – 6 pm. This is for children and adults alike.

Join us for a Gift Wrapping Contest at 2 pm on Wednesday, August 12. You’ll have 30 minutes to create a gift wrapped box out of a variety of supplies. There’s also the “Just Call Me Martha” contest which allows participants 30 minutes to create something special from a variety of supplies. This contest is also on Wednesday from 4 – 6 pm.

New this year is the Diaper Derby! How fast can your baby crawl? Join us on Sunday, August 16, at 4 pm to find out. There are two categories: 6-9 months (must crawl 8 feet) and 10-12 months (start on knees and crawl or walk 10 feet). This contest is limited to the first 20 contestants in each age category.

So you think you want to be a rock star? The place to be is the Special Events Tent from 4 – 6 pm on Saturday, August 15, for Rock Band 2. Show off your rock start talents for the audience to enjoy. Great prizes for all who participate.
For all those magicians-to-be, join us for a Magic Show Contest on Thursday, August 13, from 4 – 6 pm. Kids can perform their magic tricks for the crowd or learn some new magic tricks. All skill and age levels are welcome.

Attach wheels to the fastest squash or carrot from your garden and enter in the Haretrigger Squash or Carrot Mobile Races. Check in at the “Haretrigger” Speedway at noon on Friday, August 14.

There are no entry forms or fees for these events. Just show up ½ hour before the event at the Special Events Tent and get ready to play. Lots of fun and lots of great prizes!

Also, for your viewing pleasure, each day in the Special Events tent will feature special food contests. Join us to see the judging and meet some of the talented cooks in our community. Special food contests for children, happening each day at 3 pm, include a chocolate treat on Wednesday; carrot cake on Thursday; dipping sauce on Friday; salsa on Saturday; and berry pie on Sunday. Special food contests for adults, happening each day at 6 pm, include cheesecake on Wednesday; pies on Thursday; salsa on Friday, chocolate on Saturday, and carrot cake on Sunday.

Carnival Ride from Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch Featured at the Nevada County Fair

The Nevada County Fair, which opens on Wednesday, will feature a ride purchased from Michael Jackson's infamous Neverland Ranch amusement park. The ride, Balloon Samba, was previously owned by Michael Jackson, operated at the Neverland Ranch and was purchased in the fall of 2008 by California-based carnival company, Butler Amusements.

The ride is designed to look like a hot-air balloon and features hot air balloon carriages. The Balloon Samba seats 32 children in six air balloons. The ride will be part of the carnival area during Nevada County’s five-day Fair.

Butler Amusements purchased the ride, along with five others from Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch, last September. One ride is currently travelling with the Butler Amusements Oregon/ Washington carnival unit, one is operating at Coney Island, one is at the Stanislaus County Fair and the others are being refurbished at Butler’s winter quarters in Santa Nella, CA.

Balloon Samba will be open to the public at the Nevada County Fair beginning on Wednesday. This year’s Fair runs August 12 – 16.

July's Winner!

Congratulations, Debbie! Because you posted a comment on the Nevada County Fair blog, you have been chosen as the monthly winner for two free tickets to the Fair-sponsored event of your choice. Please email us at reply@nevadacountyfair.com to let us know if you would like tickets to the Nevada County Fair, the Draft Horse Classic or the Country Christmas Faire. You could be next month's winner. Simply post a comment on our blog and we'll randomly choose a name at the end of August.

Buy Your Fair Tickets Early and Save!

Tickets for the Nevada County Fair are on sale now. Purchase your admission, entertainment, and arena event tickets before the Fair begins and save money!

Buy your admission tickets before August 11, and get admission for only $5. Or, take advantage of other pre-sale offers before August 11 – a 5-day Fair pass with unlimited entry for $20; a season parking pass for $25; a carnival ride bracelet, good for unlimited rides for any one day for $23; purchase 30 carnival ride coupons for $20; or purchase any ticket to an arena event and receive admission to the Fair for only $5.

There are several ways to get your tickets early. Pre-sale and discounted tickets may be purchased by calling, faxing, or visiting the Fair Office by Tuesday, August 11 at 5 pm.

Pre-sale tickets can be ordered and picked up at the Fair Office or they can be put in “Will Call” in the Fair's Office, open Monday through Friday from 8 am – 5 pm. To save time, it is recommended that tickets in Will Call be picked up before opening day of the Fair. Beginning August 6 until August 11, pre-sale tickets will be available at the Gate 1 cashiers' booth.

The Fair’s Office is located on McCourtney Road in Grass Valley. The phone number is (530) 273-6217 and the FAX number is (530) 273-1146. Visit www.nevadacountyfair.com for more information.