‘Getting back to a new normal.’ Placer County Fair to return this summer

The Placer County Fair is back on this year.

After being canceled last year during the COVID-19 pandemic, the fair is likely to be one of the largest events of the summer, coming just a week after the state reopens.

“We’re very excited for the return of the fair and taking a huge step in getting back to a new normal from what has been such a difficult period for everyone,” said David Attaway, chief executive officer of @the Grounds and Placer Valley Tourism, in a prepared statement.

The fair’s lineup will include games, food booths and concerts. There will also be plenty of free crafts for families, and pie-baking and photography contests. The Miss Placer County Scholarship Pageants and Placer County Rib Cook-off will also return this year, along with livestock exhibits and auctions.

The fair will have 20 rides, including a Ferris wheel and 100-foot drop ride.

Indoor vendors will be housed in the brand new Roebbelen Center, a 160,000-square-foot building at the fairgrounds, allowing plenty of space for social-distancing, organizers said.

The fair will be hosted @The Grounds in Roseville, and opens Thursday, June 24 at 5 p.m. It will run through Sunday, June 27 and close at 9 p.m.

“The Placer County Fair is an extremely important annual event,” said Placer County Board of Supervisors Chairman Robert Weygandt in a statement. He grew up showing livestock at the fair. “It celebrates our rich heritage and highlights the best of where we’re going. The fair is a chance for all of us to come together, experience our diversity and have a great time.”

The fair is the first to return to the region. At least 15 state fairs have been canceled or postponed this year, including the California State Fair at Cal Expo, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

This story was originally published May 21, 2021 at 1:57 PM.