Yuba City Toyota buys naming rights to Y-S Fairgrounds' main building

Yuba City Toyota has increased its sponsorship at the Yuba-Sutter Fairgrounds, becoming the first business with its name on the venue's main building.

And though Gov. Jerry Brown's recent proposal to cut the state's annual funding to California fairs would affect the Yuba-Sutter event, the local fair board and management have talked about selling naming rights for a couple of years, Fair Manager Regina Goody said Friday.

"The amount of money that we are going to lose from the state will obviously impact us," Goody said. "But it's not something that we can't overcome. We're just going to have to work harder."

The state's budget cut is just a proposal, she emphasized.

A sign with the new name Yuba City Toyota Exhibit Hall should be posted within a month, Goody said.

The building's new sign is an opportunity to get the name of the dealership in front of local people, said Steve Downing, owner of Yuba City Toyota.

"It's a venue used many times a year," Downing said, "and it's an opportunity for people to associate (the dealership) with quality events."

Annual events regularly held in the building include the home show, bridal fair and fundraisers by local service clubs.

The $20,000 deal between is a one-year contract with an option to renew for two years, Goody said.

The fair board, which proposed the idea to Downing, is also looking into the possibility of selling naming rights to the Flower House and Expo Hall, Goody said.

Two buildings on the fairgrounds are named for people: Franklin Hall and Palmer Hall.

Yuba City Toyota, a longtime supporter of the fair, regularly presents its product in conjunction with the Northern California Toyota Dealers during the annual Yuba-Sutter Fair.

CONTACT community editor Leticia Gutierrez at 749-4722.