El Dorado County Fair

5/09 tahoe mt. news unedited

By Kathryn Reed

County fairs aren’t just for kids or people who like farm animals.
They are about knitting, blue ribbons and best of show awards for one 74-year-old South Shore woman.
Jonnie Crawford has a collection of ribbons from about a decade’s worth of El Dorado County Fairs.
“I can’t sit down without picking up my knitting,” Crawford said.
It was from the suggestion of a friend that she entered her first county fair about 10 years ago. She went to Placerville with her two sons, daughter and granddaughter to see how the sweater which had four colors in one row – an unusual concept – had made out.
It was on a mannequin which also had a hat on it. The ribbon said third place.
“I was disappointed because it was a complicated sweater,” the South Lake Tahoe resident admitted. “My son then said, ‘No Mom, that is for the hat. The sweater is first place.’”
She’s been a roll ever since.
Even though several residents on this side of the county enter the various fair events – from baking to photography to painting to handicrafts – Crawford is rather prolific.
Last year she came away with best of show for a sweater she knitted for her son, along with first and second places for other sweaters.
What she enters all depends on what she’s been knitting in the last year. All the baby things have sent off to her great-niece, so they aren’t available. But she has sweaters she’s knitted for family members and other items that could be fair-worthy.
“I think it’s fun just to participate,” Crawford said. “I like the fair. I like to go down and look at all the animals. I like to go through the quilts and the architecture they have for the high school kids. It’s amazing what some people do.”
She learned her craft from her grandmother while in kindergarten. Through the years needles went from being straight to circular. The two basic stitches from which all other are derived remain the same. Wool yarn used to have to be taken care of to prevent moths from getting at it – now it comes pretreated.
Crawford still prefers wool, but says bamboo makes for nice yarn. Yarn is now made from hemp, soy and metal as well.
This year’s fair is June 18-21, with the theme being Hooves to Horsepower.
Fair officials hope the economy may be a boon for their event because it’s good entertainment, with something different each day. Borrowing from the stay-cation theme, they are using fair-cation and touting how much cheaper four days in Placerville are compared to Disneyland.
“You can spend all day at the fair for cheaper than a movie,” Jody Gray, fair executive director, said. “Every day you can do something different.”
She said attendance was down a bit last year, but contest entries stayed solid. Besides ribbons, cash prizes are awarded in most categories.
Entry deadlines are looming. Non-food entries will be picked up at the county library in South Lake on May 14 from 11am-3pm.
To further entice people, this year the fair is bringing in a shark show, Guinness Book of World Records juggler, magician and horse show.
Different musicians will take to the stage every evening. Special events are scheduled each night like bull riding and wheel barrow races.
Ticket prices vary, with discounts on the fair website. For all the details, go to www.eldoradocountyfair.org.