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California State Fair opens Friday in big return

After two years off, annual ag celebration spotlights food and fun

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Debbie Arrington PUBLISHED JUL 12, 2022

The State Fair Farm showcases California's top crops. (Photo courtesy California State Fair)

It’s back! After a two-year absence due to Covid restrictions, the California State Fair returns Friday for its annual agricultural celebration of the Golden State.

From July 15 through 31, the fair will fill Cal Expo with such traditional favorites as nightly concerts, livestock exhibitions and horse racing.

An extra emphasis will be placed on food as the fair continues to rebrand itself as “California State Fair and Food Festival.” (The festival aspect was added in 2019.) More than 30 food vendors will participate in the fest, which includes a competition for best fair food. (Winner of 2019 Best in Show: Bacon Pecan Cinnamon Rolls by Country Fair Cinnamon Rolls.) In addition, cooking challenges and demonstrations will be held daily.

Also back this summer is the State Fair Farm, a growing display of California’s top crops.

“Here, guests are able to get a Save Mart Passport and learn about more than 70 crops grown in California, learn all about pollinators and their importance in California agriculture, as well as pet a live sturgeon in the aquaculture display,” say the fair organizers. “Receive water-saving tips during California’s drought by visiting the water-efficient gardens sponsored by the Department of Water Resources and get gardening tips from our Master Gardeners booth.”

Yes, the UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners of Sacramento County will be back, answering patrons’ gardening questions.

In addition, the fair is offering a downloadable “Ag Awareness Activity Book” and a virtual version of the State Fair Farm’s Insect Pavilion, spotlighting pollinators. Find both here: https://bit.ly/3AJDogd .

New this year is a “clear bag” rule. Only clear plastic bags, limited to 12 by 12 inches, will be allowed. Except for mini clutches (under 5 by 8 inches), no purses, totes or non-clear bags will be admitted.

Cal Expo is located at 1600 Exposition Blvd., Sacramento. Fair hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays-Sundays. General admission tickets are $14, $12 in advance. Senior admission (age 62 and up) is $12, $10 in advance. Youth admission (ages 5-12) is $10, $8 in advance. Children under age 5 admitted free. Parking: $15.

Details and advance admission tickets: https://calexpostatefair.com .

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State Fair UCCE master gardeners harvest gardening Sacramento Cal Expo agriculture crops July summer traditions

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Garden Checklist for week of Nov. 3

November still offers good weather for fall planting:

* If you haven't already, it's time to clean up the remains of summer. Pull faded annuals and vegetables. Prune dead or broken branches from trees.

* Now is the best time to plant most trees and shrubs. This gives them plenty of time for root development before spring growth. They also benefit from fall and winter rains.

* Set out cool-weather annuals such as pansies and snapdragons.

* Lettuce, cabbage and broccoli also can be planted now.

* Plant garlic and onions.

* Keep planting bulbs to spread out your spring bloom. Some possible suggestions: daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, tulips, anemones and scillas.

* This is also a good time to seed wildflowers and plant such spring bloomers as sweet pea, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.

* Rake and compost leaves, but dispose of any diseased plant material. For example, if peach and nectarine trees showed signs of leaf curl this year, clean up under trees and dispose of those leaves instead of composting.

* Save dry stalks and seedpods from poppies and coneflowers for fall bouquets and holiday decorating.

* For holiday blooms indoors, plant paperwhite narcissus bulbs now. Fill a shallow bowl or dish with 2 inches of rocks or pebbles. Place bulbs in the dish with the root end nestled in the rocks. Add water until it just touches the bottom of the bulbs. Place the dish in a sunny window. Add water as needed.

* Give your azaleas, gardenias and camellias a boost with chelated iron.

* For larger blooms, pinch off some camellia buds.

* Prune non-flowering trees and shrubs while dormant.

* To help prevent leaf curl, apply a copper fungicide spray to peach and nectarine trees after they lose their leaves this month. Leaf curl, which shows up in the spring, is caused by a fungus that winters as spores on the limbs and around the tree in fallen leaves. Sprays are most effective now.

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