The 100th anniversary San Juan County Fair – Wednesday, Aug. 13 through Saturday, Aug. 16- offers a mix of entertainment, educational displays and fun for fairgoers of all ages and interests. In addition to rides, fair food, and entertainment there will be numerous fair displays and contests.

“I am excited about the whole fair. It’s always amazing how much community effort goes into it. All the islands have their own little fairs, but this is the only countywide event,” said Rev. Shannon, Fair Director.

Shannon says that some of the new and special exhibits for fairgoers include a celebration of Friday Harbor’s Centennial in the Triangle Exhibit Area, a bonsai and desert plants demonstration by the Master Gardeners and free felting and art press painting workshops for children. The Agricultural Display is being coordinated by the County’s Agricultural Resource Committee (ARC), a new development this year.

Agricultural Displays

Ann Peterson, ARC member, says the display is a collaboration of the San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild and the Washington State University (WSU) Extension’s Ag Program. “Some things not to be missed are the Scarecrow Display, the cooking demonstrations and the Farm and Garden Survey,” said Peterson.

“Farmers from throughout the San Juans have been invited to bring a scarecrow to promote their farm. Bob and Maria Nutt from Orcas and Nick Jones from the Jones Family Farm on Lopez are two who are participating. All the cooking demonstrations will feature local food products. Thursday is exciting as it will be a showcase of San Juan restaurateurs. Four of the five cooking demos are participants in the Islands Certified Local Program.

“The Farm and Garden Survey is to help us try to determine the amount of food we are producing on the islands. It’s about food security. If we were quarantined from the mainland because of an emergency, how long could we feed ourselves?” Peterson said.

There will be three workshops scheduled daily at 11 a.m., 1:30 and 4 p.m. that include native plant topics. Exhibits include Saving Historic Barns, Farm-to-School Programs in the County, Farm Displays, Forage and Grain Displays and Weed Control with Goats.

Entertainment

An eclectic menu of musical styles will headline the entertainment at the fair. On Wednesday, the crowd will enjoy the hot licks and high-energy dance music of The Fabulous Rhythmatics. It’s the rock of the 60s and 70s with Steppenwolf founder and keyboard player Goldy McJohn & Friendz on Friday. On Saturday, the Freak Mountain Ramblers will perform their rockfolk music with roots in the alternative music scene. All performances begin at 7 p.m.

Wednesday entertainment includes Musekiwa Chingodza performing Mbira music, the traditional Mexican dance of the Ballet Folklorico Monarca who will perform again on Saturday, the tween band Stop, Drop and Rock, the keyboard and vocals of Dawn Angelosante, local rock band Anthemology, the oldies and country music of the All You Can Eat Band and Kate Schuman’s country western originals will perform in addition to The Fabulous Rhythmatics.

The Guitones, a father and son duo on acoustic and electric guitars, start Thursday’s entertainment line-up. They are followed by Keith Constable on the acoustic guitar, the vocals and guitar music of Rhiana Franklin, old favorites with the 3 Corner Boys, Ed Wilson’s country songs, the high-energy marimba of Kubatana, the rock music of Spur and the Play-Rite Boys with whimsical tunes and originals.

On Friday, it will be the oldies and rock of Ian Byingto, the acoustic and Indie-folk music of Six Inch Voices, old-time tunes with Sugar on the Floor, original music and readings by Jim Nollman, the Indie rock of Be Careful, and a special CD release performance with Devorah. Before the evening’s headliner, Goldy McJohn & Friendz, the big band and swing music of the One More Time Band and Uncle Otto’s rock favorites and sweet harmonies will play.

On Saturday morning, the 31st Annual Friday Harbor 8.8k Loop Run starts. The rest of the day will feature classic acoustic rock and vocals with Ian Boulton, the acoustic rock of Bob Leytze, folk and rock with the Ian McFeron Band, the Celtic and folk music of the Floating Glass Balls, a sing-along with Kirk Fuhrmeister, original poet and songwriter Daniel Finn and the Freak Mountain Ramblers. The Essential Horsemanship Demonstration is billed as a unique opportunity to see the exceptional partnership and harmony between horses and humans.

Daily family entertainment includes the traditional Sicilian marionette theater production of Cinderella by the Carter Family Marionettes, Predators of the Heart, the Zucchini 500 daily elimination race of custom zucchini racers and horse games.

Arts and Crafts

In addition to arts and crafts, the arts are represented by photography and written word exhibits and competitions. Fine Arts Demonstrations spread over the four days include Making Chain, Screen Printing, Quick Sketch, Island Landscape, Make a book, Comic Book Art and Cartooning and Collage.

Highlights of activities in the Fiber Courtyard include opportunities for fairgoers to participate in crafts with the members of the San Juan County Textile Guild. Wednesday there will be a no fee beading project, Thursday a rug hooking demonstration and no fee felting project and silk scarf dying under the direction of Master Dyer Chris Conrad using persimmon dye. On Friday, fairgoers can make their own baskets with the SJC Guild Basket makers and observe or participate in the Longest Spun Thread and Spin-in competion. Saturday’s events include the day-long annual Sheep to Shawl demonstration and a speed knitting demonstration.

Horticulture

The San Juan Horticultural Society will be celebrating 100 years of horticulture on the San Juan Islands with display gardens representing the pioneer model of decorative plants and culinary and medicinal herbs and models of today’s gardens with imaginative color palettes.

4-H

The county’s 4-H Leadership Council is using the fair to initiate a new fundraising effort of personally inscribed bricks that will become part of the fairgrounds’ Marie Boe 4-H building. The money raised will be used to sponsor San Juan County 4H member’s attendance at regional and national teen events and county and state fairs. Bricks will be available in the 4-H building and at the San Juan Islands Community Foundation booth in the fairgrounds’ commercial building.

The 4-H exhibit has a daily schedule of events including Wednesday’s Cat Show and Showmanship and Cage Décor. Sheep, dog, llama/alpaca and goat showmanship, the llama, alpaca obstacle course and dog-judging contest will fill the day on Thursday. Friday there will be dog obedience, dog agility and a small animal costume contest. Saturday’s events include horse jumping, the livestock auctions and the 4-H awards ceremony.

The fair is open from 10 to 9 p.m. daily. Complimentary transportation from the ferry dock to the fair is being provided by San Juan transit. Day and season passes are available at youth, adult and seniors prices ranging from $8 to $22. Children under 5 year-of-age are admitted free.

For event schedules and more fair information, consult the San Juan County Fair Guide inside this issue of the Sounder.