The magic of the fair is that, just as a corn dog tastes better here than anywhere else in the known universe, dumb dad jokes and lame puns land on the ear more naturally at the fair. Sure enough, there’s plenty of corn and cheese, literal and figurative, to be found here. It’s too easy to dismiss the fair as corny or cheesy. The nutritionally apocalyptic food, the clanging and brightly colored rides, the hard-working magicians and musicians, and the not-so-hard-working livestock, they’re all there on the familiar fairgrounds midway, with the only concession to the changing world being ubiquitous face masks.Ĭredit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz The vibe of the 2021 fair, which opened Wednesday, is pretty much what it’s always been, a celebration of the county’s (and, writ large, America’s) agricultural heritage.Īfter a year in hibernation - the 2020 fair didn’t happen for reasons we all know about - it’s comforting to know that most everything has returned to its customary place at the fairgrounds near Watsonville, from the Alaskan racing pigs to the showcase dahlias. Yet, 20 years older, this time I’m no longer ambivalent: The fair is definitely a reminder of what is real and meaningful. But it’s as close as it’s been since then, thanks to a seemingly endless pandemic. This year, the contrast between the appealingly predictable environment of the county fair and the frightening world outside its gates isn’t quite as dramatic as it was in 2001, thankfully. In the anguished days that followed, I remember finding myself at the fair, trying to determine, like so many others, if gnawing on giant turkey legs and admiring 400-pound pumpkins was a form of infantile denial of a world in peril, or a way to take solace and stay grounded in what was real and meaningful. Twenty years ago, it was a tragic coincidence that the Santa Cruz County Fair happened to open the very day of the shocking 9/11 terrorist attacks. Lookout in the Classroom Open dropdown menu.Community Voices Opinion Open dropdown menu.Enjoy Santa Cruz County Open dropdown menu.With the return of the county fair comes a return to some normalcy in this world of ours gone mad - Lookout Santa Cruz Close
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