03/02/2010 PLEASANTON — A combination of
more horse racing and the return of
fireworks plus a break on the weather helped
the Alameda County Fair set record
attendance last year, and the formula worked
so well that fair officials won't tweak much
to this year's edition.
The Alameda County
Fair will run from June 23 through July 11.
The dates, which were announced Monday,
include 15 days of horse racing with the
possibility of an additional day.
The fair will run Wednesday through
Monday for the near three-week duration and
be closed June 29 and July 6. Horse racing
will not occur June 28-29 and July 6. The
fair is still awaiting approval from the
California Horse Racing Board to add horse
racing July 7, said April Mitchell, Alameda
County Fairgrounds' event sales and
marketing manager.
To accommodate the July 4 weekend, the
fair will run on Mondays this year and will
have its $2 Tuesdays converted into $3
Wednesdays. The fair is also shifting its
free days for seniors from Wednesdays to
Thursdays. Kids days will continue on
Fridays, also with free admission.
Independence Day fireworks are scheduled for
July 2.
The Alameda County Community Food Bank
and the fair are also teaming up June 28 for
a food drive day, providing free admission
to those who bring four nonperishable items
with them to the fair. The nonperishable
items will be donated to the food bank.
Last year, the fair attracted 434,919
visitors, who enjoyed everything from food
to horse racing to roller derby. Attendance
was up by almost 87,000 visitors from 2008,
and it broke the 1997 record of 431,000. The
numbers include a single-day attendance of
more than 50,000 people — the most in a
single day in more than 20 years — who
attended July 3 to see the fireworks.
The fair has also announced a few of its
concerts with Tower of Power, War and
country act Lonestar as some of the
headliners. For update information on the
Alameda County Fair, go to
www.facebook.com/alamedacountyfair.