By Kayla-Marie Gigante
From Ross to San Rafael
Photographs courtesy of Anne T. Kent California Room
Before its current location at the Marin Fairgrounds, the Marin County Fair called the Marin Art and Garden Center in Ross its home. The transition from one location to the next was not an easy goodbye or hello. It was considered as an end to an era and an introduction to a new one for the Marin County Fair. The change of location impacted the future of the fair and where it is today.
Photographs courtesy of Anne T. Kent California Room
Star Wars in the 1988 Fair
By Simon Chan
The 1988 Marin County Fair hosted something never before seen in the world. It was the first Star Wars exhibit that displayed preliminary set designs and actual models used in the movies. With the amount of excitement experienced by the fair-goers, it will always be remembered as an innovative event that allowed fans to go behind the scenes of such a revolutionary motion picture in the field of science fiction.
Patriotism at the Marin County Fair
By: Mia Lopez
The fairs during the years 1959 and 2002 served as a fervent source of patriotism, offering fairgoers a chance to voice their love for their country. During War times there was a lot of concern for the future, and the fair acted as an outlet and as a promotion of peace. This can be seen throughout the fifty-year span with the Cold War and 9/11 though opening anthems of "This Land is Your Land" and "America the Beautiful.
Photographs courtesy of Anne T. Kent California Room
The Greenest Fair in The World
Photographs courtesy of Anne T. Kent California Room
By: Emily Yuen
The Marin County Fair of 2008 opened the Fourth of July weekend with the daring theme “The Greenest Fair on Earth.” One of the central foci of this fair was its dedication to renewable energy. They installed solar panels along the Exhibition Hall, replaced light bulbs, installed new more efficient plumping, used a solar-powered carousel, and used sorted waste bins to reduce waste.
Photographs courtesy of Anne T. Kent California Room
World Versus Local History:
Representation at the Marin County Fair
By: Christine Manalang
The Marin county fair has had a collage of themes that represent both global and local historical eras throughout its run. Marin County Fairs are budgeted and commercialized celebrations of collective human history, heavily romanticized to appeal to the general public. Some examples of the fair themes that range in historical relevance include Medieval Times, Summer of Love, and “Fiesta del Verano.”
Photographs courtesy of Anne T. Kent California Room
Safety and Security at the Fair
By: Piattie Hadi
The Marin County Fairgrounds has been host to the Marin County Fair in July since 1946, but it has experienced numerous adjustments regarding safety and security over the years. Events across the county and country instigated many reactive changes at the Marin County Fair, in an effort to make the fairgrounds a safer place for patrons to come and enjoy the entertainment.
Photographs courtesy of Anne T. Kent California Room