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 […]
Humboldt County Fair
Posted inNews
Homophobic Slurs Mar Fair’s Chili Cook-off
The friendly competition of the Chili Cook-off hosted by Guy Fieri at the Humboldt County fair took an unfriendly turn Aug. 24, with anti-gay slurs, property damage and the arrest of one contestant on suspicion of DUI. After an afternoon of cooking chili and making homophobic comments peppered with slurs, Loco Fish Co. owner Jayme […]
Posted inNews
Humboldt History, Maui Fires and Fair Baking
This week we’ve got a historian’s look back on how Japanese people fared in our county in the wake of the Chinese Expulsion. We’re also sharing a first-hand account of the fires in Maui from a reserve Ferndale police officer who lost his family home. Finally, a dispatch from the county fair’s baking competition. Hit […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Gluten for Punishment
The night before the fair officially opens, the food stalls are up, signs ablaze with corn dogs and funnel cakes, but none of the fryers are going. Tonight, the treats are inside Belotti Hall, where, behind a flank of hanging quilts, felted wool bear sculptures and jars of jam, some 140 entries await judging in […]
Posted inNews
Repairs to Grandstands Ready By Humboldt County Fair Time
This year’s Humboldt County Fair horse racing season took off from the starting gates Aug. 18, one week after emergency repairs were completed to prevent one of the annual event’s major draws from being scratched, which potentially could have put Ferndale’s spot on the racing circuit in jeopardy. But the repairs — including the installation […]
Posted inNews
Ferndale Pride, Otters and Trouble at the Fair
We’re closing out Pride Month with a look back at Ferndale’s march and celebration. And could sea otters make a comeback on the North Coast? We’ll talk about proposed introduction. Another hurdle for Humboldt County Fair horse racing: Quake damage has left the fairgrounds grandstands unsafe and now the fair board is looking for solutions. […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Without an Exclusive Second Week, Fair Racing Faces Competition
Horseracing at the 2023 Humboldt County Fair will once again overlap with races at Golden Gate Fields for the second week of the fair after four out of five California Horse Racing Board commissioners voted to keep the status quo. Jim Morgan, special counsel to the Humboldt County Fair, and others consider the competition for […]
Posted inNews
NCJ Preview: Embezzlement, a Singing Chef and Spearfishing
This week we’re looking at the alleged embezzlement at the Humboldt County Fair Association. We’re also talking about the singing coming from the kitchen at Opera Alley Bistro, where the chef croons while he cooks. Finally, we’ve got tips for those who want to spearfish in Humboldt. Hit subscribe for weekly updates on local stories.
Posted inEat + Drink
‘Guy’s Hometown: From Ferndale to Flavortown’ to Air
It’s a Humboldt-heavy month at the Food Network. First it was Big Island Kine’s feature on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, and now a special Guy’s Hometown: From Ferndale to Flavortown episode is scheduled to air at 9 p.m. on Dec. 30. Many fair-goers will recall Fieri’s crew hauling cameras and equipment around the Humboldt County […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Big Island Kine on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives
Guy Fieri fans and poké enthusiasts, you’ll want to tune in for this week’s episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, when the Humboldt-raised host features local food truck Big Island Kine. The episode “Burgers, Bowls and Bangers” airs Friday, Dec. 9, at 6 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 10, Saturday, Dec. 24. “Guy Fieri pops into a […]
Posted inNews
Humboldt County Fair General Manager Resigns
Rich Silacci, general manager of the Humboldt County Fair Association, announced to the HCFA Executive Committee last night that he has submitted his resignation letter to board President Andy Titus. Silacci began work at the job Jan. 3 and will officially exit the position Jan. 31. In his remarks to the committee, Silacci underscored that […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Photos: A Brimming Hat Day at the Races
The wild array of inventive and beautiful hats came in useful on a warm, sunny day at the 10th annual Ladies Hat Day at the Humboldt County Fair in Ferndale on Saturday. The organizers offered free admission to the fair and an array of attractive prizes to lure the hat wearers to the horserace grandstands. […]