Placer County Fair applications for vendor, exhibit and corporate sponsors

Arts & Crafts & Food Vendors, Still Exhibit Competitors and corporate sponsors

The 85th annual Fair returns June 22-25 with some additions and changes, along with longtime favorites such as the carnival, concerts, live entertainment, livestock exhibit, Family Fun Zone, Rib Cook-off, and Miss Placer County Scholarship Pageant

Roseville, Calif. – Attention bakers, photo-takers and money-makers, the Placer County Fair is looking for you.

Join the fun!

The 85th annual fair is accepting applications from residents to compete in dozens of still exhibit categories – from baking pies to making beer – and small-business owners looking to sell their one-of-a-kind custom arts and crafts creations or mouth-watering food sensations.

The Fair is also looking for additional corporate sponsors interested in connecting with thousands of fairgoers and recruiting more volunteers that help make the four-day event a success.

June 22- 25

The Placer County Fair opens @the Grounds on Thursday, June 22, and continues through Sunday, June 25. The fair is open 5-11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and noon to 11 p.m. Sunday at 700 Event Center Drive in Roseville.

You can learn more – including how to apply as a commercial vendor, competitor in the still exhibits, corporate sponsor or become a volunteer online.

Deadlines

The deadline to apply for a commercial arts and crafts or a food booth is Monday, May 22. Vendors are encouraged to apply as soon as possible, since there is a limit on the number of booths.

The deadline for still exhibits is Tuesday, May 30. There is no fee for youth up to 18 to enter their still exhibits and only a $5 fee for adults. All still exhibiters receive a free fair admission ticket to see their work on display.

And to celebrate the 85th anniversary, the Fair will award $85 to all adult Best of Show still exhibit winners – more than triple the amount from last year – in addition to Blue Ribbons and, of course, bragging rights throughout the year.

“The Placer County Fair is about celebrating our community, coming together and connecting with each other. There are so many ways to get involved, from entering a still exhibit competition that showcases your talent or making money as a hardworking vendor.”

Kim Summers, CEO of Placer Valley Tourism and @the Grounds

“The Summer Fun Starts Here”

The Fair’s new slogan is “The Summer Fun Starts Here” and embraces the first weekend of the season. The Fair brings the heat – the third annual Placer County Rib Cook-off is Sunday afternoon – and the cool, from nine concerts and daily entertainment to a carnival that features more than 20 kid-friendly to scream-worthy rides like the Zipper.

The attractions, exhibits and the always-popular livestock exhibit draws several thousand fairgoers daily – a money-making opportunity for small-business owners selling custom jewelry to Venezuelan food.

Business opportunity

“The business opportunity is amazing,” said Jessica Solis, who owns Ice Cold Candy Co. and This Chick Craft Company. The Sacramento-area entrepreneur had one booth last year, but each business will have their own space this summer. “The flow of customers is almost constant, with just enough down time to sort out your booth for the next rush.”

Fair officials have made a few changes that could help boost business for Solis and other vendors. The 20 food vendors – offering everything from ceviche dishes to fresh-squeezed lemonade – will now be spread throughout the fairgrounds, and most of the 150 commercial vendors are in the air-conditioned Roebbelen Center, the 160,000-square-foot event center that opened in 2020.

“It’s very different from what we’ve done in the past,” said Aimee Fankhauser, Event Manager and Vendor Coordinator for @the Grounds. We’re basically creating a trade show inside the fair.” So, fairgoers can take a break from the heat while visiting vendors.

“I’m excited with the moves that we’ve done,” Summers said. “We are fortunate to have a building of that size. The Fair will help showcase the flexibility of the Roebbelen Center.”

2 Carnival areas

Another move is creating two carnival areas – one featuring adult and teen-appropriate rides, and another with more kid-friendly games and rides. The All American Speedway, located on the 61-acre @the Grounds campus, will hold a race Saturday night.

And the Fair is holding a Stand-Up Photo Cutout Board Contest, allowing groups and organization to build 31/2- to 5-foot-tall cutouts where fairgoers can pose for photos. The deadline to choose a category is May 31. Fairgoers will vote for their favorite cutout board via a QR code survey with the winner receiving $500.

The Fair will also include a community stage; the Family Fun Zone with family-friendly games; and the always-popular livestock exhibit and auction. The auction generated $427,000 in sales last year, a 52% increase compared to a year ago.

Miss Placer County Scholarship Pageant

The annual Miss Placer County Scholarship Pageant officially opens the Fair on Thursday evening and continues Friday. Daily entertainment includes Circus Imagination, Sean Watson-Master of Illusion and Wild About Monkeys featuring Mickey the Baboon, who has appeared in dozens of movies and TV shows.

Live music, beer and wine are available at the Attaway Pavilion, which opened last summer and is named after the late David Attaway, the former CEO of @the Grounds and Placer Valley Tourism. The Spazmatics perform 8-10 p.m. Thursday, with Wonder Bread 5 at the same time on Friday and Outlaw Mariachi on Sunday.

Ordering Your Tickets

Admission to the Fair is $10 for adults; $6 for children 6 to 13 years old, children 5 and under are free; and military and seniors 65 years and older are $8 (save $2 per ticket before June 21). Admission and carnival ticket information are available online. Parking is $10 per day.

“We’re always looking at how we can improve the Fair, adding more entertainment and events while also keeping favorites that everyone enjoys,” Summers said. “Our never-ending goal is to create a family-friendly event that becomes an annual tradition, with changes every year that keep people coming back.”

About Placer Valley Tourism

Placer Valley Tourism is a Business Improvement District that serves South Placer County and the cities of Roseville, Rocklin and Lincoln. The BID operates to help generate incremental room night stays in hotels within Placer Valley Tourism’s geographic footprint through various conferences and youth and amateur sports events. PVT aims to coordinate community and sports events with the best hospitality options in the region. Placer Valley Tourism is a nonprofit and classified as a 501(c)6. For more information, please visit www.placertourism.com.

About @the Grounds

@the Grounds is a multipurpose event facility on 61 acres in the heart of Roseville, California. @the Grounds includes the Roebbelen Center, a 160,000-square-foot event center that can accommodate major amateur sports competitions, large meetings, trade shows, concerts and other events. For more than 80 years, @the Grounds has been the home of the Placer County Fair – an annual celebration of the diversity of the community – along with countless other community, family and corporate gatherings. @the Grounds is the business entity of Placer Valley Sports Complex, a 501(c)3.