Sonoma County Fair – Brilliant!!

The Don Giovannis at the Sonoma County Fair
The Don Giovannis at the Sonoma County Fair

As soon as we were clicked through the entrance and escaped the  bombardment of the knives, fudge, and dill pickles in the Pavilion, we were treated to the sound of the  most glorious tenor singing his heart out.  I’m a sucker for a good tenor.  He was part of a group called The Don Giovannis.  We were seranaded while we ate our plates of Ibletto’s green and red spaghetti.

Horse in parade ring before racing

The sound of the horses enticed us to place several bets which we lost, but last year we won, so there you go.  One horse in the 8th jumped the gun and ran the wrong way all around the track.  (Yes, I bet on him).  As he crossed the finish line, the highly amused crowd burst into rousing applause and cheering!  Sometimes you just don’t care if you lose as long as you are entertained.

There were several new attractions this year,  notably Mechanical Bull Riding!  Very amusing.  Everyone looks cool while the bull is going slow, but invariably the bull wins the contest.

Riding the mechanical bull

The DJ/bull-master was having a great time matching the music to the rider and giving riders a chance to demonstrate at least a few seconds of glory.

The flower show was brilliant!  The flowers  glowed with exuberance about their own color and design.  The exhibits are a beautiful look at past fair themes, called “A Stroll Down Memory Lane”.  Very nicely done.

One of the greatest feelings I get living in Sonoma County is the friendliness of the people.  Everywhere we turned, people said hello and spoke to us as if we were long term friends.  In the rest room (which was very clean , by the way) w0men who didn’t know each other were helping  apply sunscreen to the backs of their fellow fair travelers.  I love living here!  It really is “the chosen place”  to paraphrase our good friend Luther.

Dinner plate dahlia at Sonoma County Fair
Glorious dahlia

I love the Sonoma County Fair!  We’re going back aagin to see the art, animals, and  play a few more horses.  See you there!