Jessica Cejnar Andrews / Wednesday, July 31 @ 3:39 p.m.
From Bull Riding to Tough Trucks to Animal Auctions, the Del Norte County Fair Is In Town
Raiden Green gives his pig, Squeal Lee Ray, a good scrub ahead of the Del Norte County Fair. | Jessica C. Andrews
“I’m in love!” Martha Fleek declared.
Fleek peered through the open cage at Barnabus, a bourbon red turkey belonging to 10-year-old Grace Grant. The Del Norte County Fair officially kicks off on Thursday, but Grace, her sister Alice and many other kids were busy getting a clean bill of health on Wednesday for their chickens, turkey, quail and other animals they hoped to show to judges.
Fleek, a State of California poultry health inspector, was impressed with Barnabus and his flockmate, Roger the bronze turkey. After a few seconds, she allowed Grace and Alice to take their birds onto the fairgrounds.
“We look for any kind of damage to the feet. You’re looking for a runny nose, runny eyes, lice, those kinds of things,” she said, adding that if she spots signs of disease — Newcastles is the big one — she immediately quarantines the bird. “We’re not on the same soil, [that] is really important.”
Though she didn’t have the exact numbers, 2024 will be a big year for livestock at the Del Norte County Fair, CEO Kimberly Floyd told the Wild Rivers Outpost. In addition to getting their vet checks, youngsters were bringing their animals in for a final weigh-in.
If their animals make weight, they’ll head to the market classes for confirmation. If not, they’ll go into a lightweight division.
“All those kids are wonderful,” she said, adding that her own kids raised livestock for fair. “The kids that do these projects, they understand the farm-to-table aspect better than anybody else, and what it takes to produce a good quality product.”
Featuring the theme “Barn in the USA,” the Del Norte County Fair’s opening ceremony starts at 10:45 a.m. with the carnival opening at 11 a.m. Thursday. Livestock shows start with the Swine Show at 8 a.m. in the Livestock Arena.
The Goat Show will be at 9 a.m. in the Ace Pavilion. The Bucket Calf show will start at noon and the Beef Show will be at 4 p.m., also in the Ace Pavilion.
Kids 12 and under will get in free on Thursday. Strolling acts include T-Rex Dinosaur Encounters. The evening will close with Super Diamond, a Eureka-based Neal Diamond Tribute band, at 6 p.m. in the Tri-Counties Bank Arena.
Friday is Senior Day, when people 60 years and older get in free. Highlights for the day include the Andy Larson Memorial Car Show from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. with Stephanie LaTorre & the Reverbs providing live music from noon- 3p.m.
Poultry, sheep, rabbit, cavy and dairy shows will be held on Friday along with the PeeWee Showmanship.
Country-music star Abby Anderson will appear with Chase Michelson in the Tri-Counties Bank Arena at 6 p.m.
“My husband actually found her,” Floyd said, adding that her youngest danced to Anderson’s song “Daddy” at her wedding in June. “‘Hearts on Fire’ is her big song, and right before I booked her, it hit the charts.”
Saturday’s big highlight is Challenge of the Champions Broncs, Bulls & Barrels. Taking place at 4 p.m. in the Tri-Counties Bank Arena, the event features Canadian trick rider Veronica Archers.
Saturday is Military Day, anyone with a military ID will get in free.
Sunday will be a bit different. Instead of a demolition derby, Malicious Monster Trucks will take the arena at 2 p.m. There will also be a Tough Truck Competition, Floyd said.
“You can bring your pickup out and you can run the course and see if your truck can make it [with the] fastest time and not roll,” she said, explaining how the Tough Truck Competition works.
Veronica Hawkins demonstrates the right way to show a coturnix quail to judges. | Jessica C. Andrews
People will be able to enter the Tough Trucks Competition through Sunday, Floyd said.
For Veronica Hawkins and her family, Sunday’s Junior Livestock Auction is the one aspect of fair they’re looking forward to the most. The auction will be held at 1 p.m. in the Ace Pavilion. And for the first time in the fair’s history, people will be able to bid on quail, according to Hawkins.
“We’ve got 20 quail coming in, a turkey and six chickens,” she said.
The Hawkins own Hawkins Homestead north of Crescent City. The Hawkins breed Nigerian dwarf goats and meat rabbits. But Hawkins was most excited about the coturnix quail her son 11-year-old Callan brought in.
“These are the first market quail that has come through [the fair],” Veronica Hawkins said.
Del Norte 4-H will also hold archery and air rifle demonstrations once a day and will have barn yard games for youngsters up to 36 inches tall, Floyd said. Kids will also be able to take part in Prehistoric Dinosaur Adventures, which features a fossil dig and a roving T-Rex.
For a full schedule of events and admission information, click here.
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