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 Hare’s Magical A-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. 

“These events represent the Nevada County Fairgrounds’ commitment in supporting and developing community partnerships,” said Sandy Woods, CEO of the Fairgrounds. “It also represents Nevada County’s continued generosity. Our community is what makes this Fair so special, and we are grateful for that support.”    

For information about the Fairgrounds, visit www.NevadaCountyFair.com or call 273-6217.