Should we die on the hill – that is not what I want to see. How about you?
June 8, was the beginning of the 2023 Colusa County Fair.
Fun facts…did you know
- In 1954 it was called the Colusa County Harvest Festival
- The Colusa Sun Herald played an active role in publishing numerous articles about the Harvest Festival, including program schedules, events, fun things for the kids and emphasizing the importance of bringing families together.
- Bob King was the Secretary-Manager of the Fair (CEO)
- Carol Goforth was Miss Colusa County
- Attendance was 17,613
- Emerson-Braden advertised the festival announcing the International Harvester trucks would be on display in a truck caravan
- There were twenty (20) floats in the parade.
- On June 10, 1954, The Sun Herald was fifteen pages (15) pages with forty-five (45) ads by local business encouraging the county to support the Harvest Festival (Fair)
- There were twenty-four (24) animals auctioned bringing in a total of $1,811.
- Beef went for 39 cents a pound; swine, 32 cents a pound and sheep 28 cents a pound.
Fast forward to 1974
- Again, the Sun Herald supported the Fair with numerous articles about events, shows and rides to be enjoyed by all.
- The Sun Herald was thirteen (13) pages with forty-one (41) ads placed by Colusa businesses.
- The name had changed from the Colusa County Harvest Festival to the Colusa County Fair.
- Beverly Hoblit was Miss Colusa County
- Attendance was 19,786
- The livestock auction generated $23,221. There were approximately 186 animals auctioned. Top prize for the swine was 80 cents; beef at 61 cents with sheep at $2.25.
You should be able to see where I am headed with this article…
I look back on my days in Colusa and recall that in the 1960’s everyone went to the fair. If you did not attend all four nights, shame on you. Do you remember Freddie Cairo walking through Colusa nailing Fair posters on the telephone poles, always with a smile on his face? Or Phillip Diggs driving his Packard, with speakers, through town reminding everyone to attend the fair? How about the floats in the parade? How many hours were spent putting napkins in chicken wire on the floats, so we could clap and yell at our friends sitting on the floats? Not quite the Rose Bowl Parade, but for Colusa, it was our Rose Bowl.
Great memories and I know that is what they are, but should we stop making memories? As a County, we can make this better.
I applaud the Fair Foundation for all the hard work they have done to fund-raise for needed repairs/upgrades to the Fair Grounds. They have always graciously thanked the community with the ads in the Pioneer.
High accolades to the businesses and members of our county who continue to support our local youth through the livestock auction. Our youth is important. Seeing their eyes light up and hearing their giggles and screams on the rides is what our County Fair is about.
But it disheartens me to read and see that our current Fair Board and CEO chose not to promote the fair in the Pioneer Review or collaborate with them on marketing. Do we not have a banner on Market Street periodically, that reminds our community to support our local business?
Is our local newspaper not a business in the County?
I understand many things have changed since 1954. Social media was not around then. But, when do we as a community, look the other way and not support a local business, who by the way, will be expected to show up and write articles and provide pictures on the events of the Fair, even though, this same entity, the Colusa County Fair Board and CEO chose not to use this channel of communication in disseminating information.
I am asking a couple of things…
Can the Colusa County Fair Board and CEO share with us why they choose to only use social media as the channel to advertise the Fair? After all the Pioneer Review hasn’t charged the Colusa Fairgrounds for advertising its events since 2017, saving the fairgrounds $6,000 to $10,000 a year. If you are going to use budget constraints as a reason, then please be transparent and provide the budget for the Fair and how monies were allocated. I could be missing it, but I am not finding a link to your budget on your website.
Why did the CEO and Colusa County Fair Board choose to ignore Public Records requests for information pertaining to OUR County Fair?
I have no ties to the Pioneer other than I believe in our First Amendment, the right to free speech. I respect the Editorial and I challenge the businesses of this County to a fifteen-page (15) Pioneer edition with forty-five (45) paid business advertisements supporting the Fair in 2024.
I also challenge every County High School graduating class to host a float in the 2024 Colusa County Fair. We do not need monetary prizes. The comradely, competition and simple fun will be enough of a reward.
More importantly, I challenge our Fair Board to transparency and collaboration with the citizens of Colusa County, including our local newspaper. Not everyone uses social media. Step back and consider a different approach in 2024.
Thank you for listening and see you in 2024!
Marilyn Acree
Colusa, CA
