New Yuba-Sutter Fair attractions bolster old favorites

The Yuba-Sutter Fair has something everyone can enjoy, whether it's browsing crafts and goods created by local residents, scholarship pageants, livestock, the midway of fun, or must-have fair foods, said fair executive Regina Goody.

"I've been here almost 19 years now, and every year I get chills walking out the night before we open, watching everything go up," she said. "It's like building a little city, and we watch it grow. ... My biggest thrill is to walk out on the grounds and find people all over the place enjoying the fair." The fair has several new additions this year, including a display of vintage Chevrolet Impalas and a slot car racetrack for children by Friday Night Live. It's also bringing back the Future Miss Yuba-Sutter pageant, where girls ages 5 to 8 will walk the stage with older contestants to receive a crown and sash.

A new Hawaiian food vendor will be present, along with corndogs, cotton candy and other traditional treats.

Goody hopes this year will see a rebound in attendance, which has fallen or been stagnant for four consecutive years, reaching 54,600 in 2011 after a peak of 72,793 in 2008. The decline has been attributed to the economy.

This year, the fair has several promotions to get fairgoers through the gates.

On Wednesday, admittance is free from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. And at the same time on Thursday, people can get in for $1 and ride carnival rides for $1 each. On Saturday, ride wristbands are buy-one-get-one-free.

"With the state budget the way it is, we lost our funding," Goody said. "The only way we can stay is to continue with our interim program during the year, but the fair plays a big part of it too."

CONTACT Ashley Gebb at agebb@appealdemocrat.com or 749-4783. Find her on Facebook at /ADagebb or on Twitter at @ADagebb.