Merced Fair creates ‘new traditions’

If you haven’t made your way to the Merced County Fair, but plan to, here’s a tip: Have a light breakfast or lunch. You’ll need room for dozens of food items you’ll want to try.

From the moment you enter the fairgrounds, the smoky, mesmerizing smell of barbecue may lead you straight to the food vendors, but you may want to check out rides, games or musical numbers first.

The “5 Best Days of Summer” kicked off Wednesday and will continue through Sunday. The fair opens at 3 p.m. and closes at 12:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.

This gives fairgoers enough time to do a little bit of everything and then some.

On opening night, families enjoyed a nice breeze and a fireworks show.

Jose Barajas, 40, stopped by the fair with his family from Merced and Planada on Wednesday. He said the fair has been a tradition for them since they moved to the county about 15 years ago. They try to make it out at least twice every year.

The first day, he thought, is the best day to enjoy the fair fully.

“Especially this year because it was the coolest day of the week, and there’s usually less people here. ... On the weekends it can get crowded,” he said.

But that will not stop him from returning on Sunday, he said.

Sitting on his bench were several plates. Pizza, tri-tip, curly fries, funnel cake and pie were crossed off his must-try list, he said. Next up were the chocolate-dipped bananas, covered with nuts.

Also available at this year’s fair for the first time are fried desserts, including Twinkies, Oreo cookies, MoonPie, brownies and cheesecake, to name a few. Adding chocolate syrup to the fried goods will add to the richness. Pies from the Oregon-based Willamette Valley Pie Co. are also making a first-time appearance.

Without a doubt, children will gravitate to the rides. An area for younger children with smaller rides is available. Teens and adults can enjoy rides such as carousels, a chair swing and bumper cars. Those who are up for an accelerating experience can check out “Gravitron,” in which riders can experience centrifugal force about three times the force of gravity.

For $5, fairgoers can take photos with a Capuchin monkey. For $10, they can get their hands read. They can also check out snakes and small farm animal races. A bull riding event is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the grandstand.

Gina Henri of Merced was there Wednesday night with her two grandchildren, Azlyn, 10, and Makaio, 12. She said she remembers attending the fair as a child in the late 1950s. Despite the years, the fair still has the same small, country fair feel, she said. But every year, there’s something new to do. This year, she shot her first balloon darts and won a honey badger stuffed animal for her grandchildren.

“While I was watching them go on the rides, memories of me going on the rides as a kid just came right back,” Henri said. “I used to come here with my grandfolks and now I’m the grandfolk.”

And that’s exactly what the Merced County Fair is about: creating memories, according to fair organizers.

“I’ve always said the fair is about tradition, but also about creating new traditions,” said Tom Musser, the Merced County Fair CEO. “People can expect a lot of fun with some opportunities to learn the roots of the county.”

This story was originally published June 12, 2015 at 5:31 PM with the headline "Merced Fair creates ‘new traditions’."