The annual festival had strong turnout despite a record-breaking temperature of 100 degrees in San Rafael.
“Water” was the word of the day as the Marin County Fair kicked off in a scorching heat wave on Wednesday.
The fair’s theme – “Make a Splash!” – was welcome relief for those who turned out on first day to take advantage free admission for veterans, seniors and younger children. The temperature in San Rafael reached 100 degrees on Wednesday, breaking a record for the date set in 2001, according to the National Weather Service.
“It’s like waiting for people to melt,” Supervisor Mary Sackett said just before noon as she ascended the ramp to the Ferris wheel.
Sackett jangled the cubes of ice in her fresh-squeezed Mossed Juicery ginger drink. With all the options to keep her refreshed and cool, she said she was glad the one she found was a local business to patronize. Other guests would surely find their own way to relief, she added.
“It’s a great opportunity for all members of the community to come out,” she said.
Supervisor Katie Rice agreed. “Super hot, super great fair,” she said.
Morgan Patton, an aide to Supervisor Dennis Rodoni who attended with her husband and children, said it was one of her family’s favorite annual events.
“It’s such an important cultural event for the community,” she said. “We come every year. It’s a great way to get out with family and friends.”
“Everywhere I go I see kids with happy faces. This is what the fair is all about,” said Gabriella Calicchio, the county’s director of cultural services.
Last year’s fair visitors — 92,076 attendees who generated $1,951,265 in ticket revenue — faced similar challenges in a year marked by blazing heat.
Calicchio said she is optimistic about attendance this year. “The opening lines went down past the Civic Center and around the corner,” she said.
She took it as a sign that despite the heat, attendance might match or exceed last year — the first fair post-pandemic without restrictions on offerings. There were hundreds more attendees in the first hour compared to last year, she said.
In the carnival area, Aiysha Bham of Novato took a video of her children as they spiraled in a multicolored ride. Every year, the family attends the fairs in Marin and Santa Cruz, she said.
“I don’t like the rides, but my kids enjoy them,” she said. “And this year, we feel even better. Even though it’s hot, last year there was no wind at all.”
Nina Millikin of Novato was joined by her children Haven, 11, Teja, 9, and Millie, 7. They were headed for the swing ride – Millie’s favorite.
“I like that the rides are included in the ticket price and the rides are free on this day,” she said.
There was an abiding youth interest in the Scorpion ride, the Ferris wheel, the Typhoon, the Ring of Fire, T’Rex and Starship 3000.
That did not stop a throng from congregating in the air-conditioned Exhibit Hall.
“I feel like I’m swimming,” she Marge Bartolini, a member of the Marin Cultural Association board, as she mimed strokes next to an azure sea creature mural in the threshold of the Exhibit Hall. A namesake award – called “the Bartolini Award” – was presented to a Larkspur artist named Lori Emerson for her art piece called “Reflecting on Corte Madera Creek.”
Other popular climate-controlled spots were the virtual reality center, a bonsai tree exhibit, and a splashing and arcing central fountain.
Wendy Goldberg of Fairfax, this year’s artist-of-the-year honoree, said she was “in tears” when she received the news.
“After so many years, it’s a real honor,” she said. “For a long time, I was a part of the team that hung everything up on the walls.”
Bradain Bello, a 18-year-old from Santa Rosa, also received plaudits with the Barbara McQuaid Award for his photo titled “Cooper’s Hawk.”
“It feels really special,” he said.
The centerpiece this year is a display of water fountains in the Exhibit Hall lobby and on the plaza. The fountains are intended to induce tranquility, improve air quality, increase humidity and offer an oasis for the guests seeking a respite from the heat.
Elsewhere, new events were drawing visitors as well. Some explored the “Butterfly Kingdom,” an exhibit enclosure filled with more than 200 live butterflies of six species. The “ADA Lounge” offered a cool, quiet space for relaxation.
The fair also touted the return of the Marin County Fair International Film Festival for the first time since 2019 and inclusion events such as Latin Heritage Day and an expanded fair day dedicated to Pride, or LGBTQ+ members of the community.
A special booth by the Marin Municipal and North Marin water districts highlighted the fair theme by advocating for conservation and drought awareness.
“We really want to make it easier for folks to save water,” said Victor Schwalm, a volunteer program aide with MMWD.
Andrew Trujillo, a pipe locator for the water district, added, “We are trying to teach people you can still enjoy the water and save water at the same time.”
The fair continues on Thursday and will include “Splashback Music Fest,” a group of tribute bands covering hits from the 1970s and 1980s. Daya, Ziggy Marley and Los Lonely Boys also will perform during the fair’s run.
The fair is open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. through Sunday at the Marin County Fairgrounds. Fireworks are planned nightly at 9:30.
Tickets are available online only. More information is at marinfair.org.
