The California Horse Racing Board deferred approving race dates for Northern California fairs this morning, voting instead to hold a special meeting on the item in February. The vote came after more than an hour of discussion and comment on the agenda item, a proposal by Bernal Park Racing Management Co. to conduct 19 weeks […]
Humboldt County Fair
Posted inEat + Drink
Chili Town: A Look Back at Fieri’s Fair Cook-off
Coming from his sold-out meet and greet, dressed in snakeskin boots and smoking a cigar, Guy Fieri took the stage to announce the winners of Humboldt County Fair’s Chili Cook-off, calling it “some of the best chili” he has ever seen. The grandstands were the epicenter of a flavor explosion on Aug. 21, as 12 […]
Posted inNews
Abalone, Sea Stars and Possibly Too Much Pie
This week, we’re looking at the 10-year ban on abalone and the newly discovered cause of the starfish wasting disease that is among the die-off’s major factors. We’re also behind the scenes at the Humboldt County Fair apple pie contest. Hit subscribe for weekly updates on Humboldt stories.
Posted inArts + Scene
Photos: Ladies Hats and Kinetic Races at the Fair
An end to a 128-year tradition of horse racing and a drop in attendance and money-making at this year’s Humboldt County Fair? Not an insurmountable problem with some creativity, said long-time Kinetic Universe race organizer Jennifer Thelander and Kinetic Rutabaga Queen-for-Life Olivia Gambino. They teamed up with the fair board to transform the historic Ferndale […]
Posted inNews
Still No Racing Decision, but Fair Will Seek Meet Dates
February’s regularly scheduled board meeting of the Humboldt County Fair Association included an announcement from Junior Livestock Auction Chair Mandy Marquez that the committee has added three new members (Lee Chamberlain, Charlie Anderson and Breanna Cahoon), a decision for revised fair dates that will allow for the possibility of an open show and a report […]
Posted inNews
Fair Board Violates Brown Act in Deciding Fair Dates
The Humboldt County Fair Association violated California’s open meeting laws when deciding to advance a seven-day fair calendar during closed session Feb. 18. The amended fair dates — which will see the fair start Aug. 16 and close Aug. 24 — were formally approved by the board at its regularly scheduled Feb. 24 meeting after […]
Posted inNews
Fair Board Faces Critical Racing Decision Tomorrow
The Humboldt County Fair Association Board of Directors will meet tomorrow facing a decision its members say may shape the very future of the iconic annual event. At issue is whether the association should pursue holding a horse racing meet — a staple of the yearly event going back generations — even as the industry […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Ladies Throw Their Hats In
Participants in the 12th annual Ladies Hat Day at the Races event on Saturday offered some glamour and wild creativity in front of the recently repaired (from earthquake damage) horse-track grandstands at the 128th annual Humboldt County Fair in Ferndale. This year’s fair theme was “Ribbons, Rides & Racing,” with six days of horse racing […]
Posted inNews
Mad River Hospital’s birth center to close and CCC’s Chili Champs
This week’s episode of the NCJ Preview features tag-team action! As arts & features editor Jennifer Fumiko Cahill and California Local Journalism fellow Kelby McIntosh discuss The Journal cover story ‘Loss’ written by news editor Thadeus Greenson. As well as catching you up on the Humboldt County Fair chili cookoff and other competition hijinks. Watch all this […]
Posted inEat + Drink
CCC’s Chili Champs
A drizzly day isn’t great for fair attendance but it does lend itself to sampling steaming cups of chili. Five competing teams that had been cooking under tents by the grandstands ladled out their wares to hardy chili fans who, like the judges gathered behind the Humboldt County Fair offices (myself among them), tasted, compared […]
Posted inNews
Spooky Trains, Sketchy Books and Ballot Initiatives
We’re going behind the scenes at the Haunted Rail Tour to see how volunteers put on the show for visitors and raise money for local nonprofits. We’ve got updates on the Humboldt County Fair’s bookkeeper’s indictment by the U.S. Attorney’s office and the Humboldt Cannabis Reform Initiative. Hit subscribe for weekly updates on Humboldt stories.
Posted inArts + Scene
Photos: Ladies’ Hat Day at the Races
Under a cool marine layer of fog, the 127th annual Humboldt County Fair on Saturday featured the usual horse racing and some amazing displays of creativity, humor and beauty in the 11th annual Ladies Hat Day at the Races. Thanks to the last-minute repairs of earthquake damage, a large crowd safely packed the grandstands to watch the […]