Food, fun at fair

Scents of sawdust and sweet cotton candy mingled in the air as the fair gates opened wide Wednesday in Yuba City.

Five days of music, rides and arts and crafts will mix with a destruction derby, bull riding and livestock auction for the 149th Yuba-Sutter Fair.

For many people, the real attraction is the caramel apples, funnel cake and jumbo turkey legs that come to town once a year.

“It’s the whole reason we came,” said Kim Cheney. “We’re trying it all, a little bit of everything.”

She and her husband munched on corn dogs and a blooming onion before making their way to a cotton candy booth.

“It’s delicious,” Cheney said. “And it’s the only time of the year we get to eat it.”

As the sun started to set, a golden haze outlined fairgoers kicking up dust in shorts and flip-flops as they made their way to the Ferris wheel, fun slide and Gravitron, where children and adults were screaming with glee.

The Miss Yuba-Sutter competitors beamed with excitement backstage as they waited for their moment in the spotlight. With deep breaths, the girls checked their makeup, adjusted costumes and mumbled their speeches to themselves.

Autumn Kleinert was crowned Miss Yuba-Sutter. Meghan Degroodt was crowned Miss Teen Yuba-Sutter.

Micayla Turner and Alison Tarkey said they waited all year for the competition and fair opening day.

“It’s the busiest and it’s the day we do they most preparing for,” Tarkey said.

She spent the morning in boots and jeans before trading them in for a fancy dress and makeup.

“I had to show my pig this morning and then get ready for the competition,” she said.

The livestock pens were another bustling location. Courtney Smith, 14, washed and cooled off Rocky, the 15-month-old Polled Hereford cow she raised since November.

Rocky had stopped drinking water out of her tub and Smith laughed as she showed off her new trick. As she sprayed the cow with one hose, Rocky held another in her mouth and gulped down water.

“She just learned this at the fair,” she said with a smile.

Smith has raised animals as a member of Franklin 4-H for three years. She spends about an hour a day caring for her animals before the fair, and about 15 hours a day once it starts she spends .

“It’s fun,” she said. “Now I can show off my hard work.”

Mayson Bor, 7, convinced his mom to pay extra to see the carnival animal attractions, including a 1,000-pound pig and the world’s smallest horse.

“I liked them,” he said. “They were cool looking.”

The 13-foot alligator was Mayson’s favorite because “he has spines on his back.”

Isaac Solorio, 5, said he was having a great time at the fair.

He grinned in awe at the Walking Tree Man and tugged his mom’s hand toward the rides while trying to clutch his new Spider-Man stuffed animal and a bagged goldfish.

“This is Nemo,” he said, holding out the fish. “My mom won it. She’s giving it to me.”

Thursday Fair Schedule

Time: 5:30 p.m. to midnight

Cost: Adult (12 years and older) $7

Juniors (5-11 years) $4

Children (5 years and under) Free

Parking per day $3

7 p.m. Yuba-Sutter Mini-Miss Competition at the Pepsi Stage

California Beach Band at the Picnic Area (also at 8:30 and 10 p.m.)

Hypnotist Yvette Stone at the Geweke Stage (also at 9 and 11 p.m.)

7:30 p.m. The Mikel J. Moreno Professional Bull Riders Discovery Tour at the Grandstand Arena

8 p.m. Shane Dwight Band at the Geweke Stage (also at 10 p.m.)

For a complete list of events visit www.yubasutterfair.com

For complete fair coverage visit www.appeal-democrat.com

Ashley Gebb can be reached at 749-4724 or agebb@appealdemocrat.com