Monday, October 31, 2011

Calling All BBQ Lovers


Don't miss the Smokin' on the Delta", Kansas City BBQ Competition on November 12 at the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds! Let those BBQ smells lead the way and taste some spectacular food!



You won't want to miss this authentic BBQ experience!
* Kansas City BBQ contest - 28 contestants competing to see who is the Champion BBQ'er on Saturday
* Rib Cookoff on Sunday
* BBQ event in conjunction with Fall Faire, crafts and holiday shopping



BBQ'ers seen on TV show "BBQ Pitmasters" will be there competing with their special recipes and techniques, including:

Big Poppa Smokers, Mike Clark, Head Chef
Bad to the Bone, Brian Cotariu, Head Chef
Slap Yo Daddy BBQ, Harry Soo, Head Chef

Get your taste buds ready and come out to the event November 12 & 13. Learn more on the Fall Faire website.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

BBQ Pitmasters at the Fall Faire


We have 3 teams signed up for the KCBS BBQ competition on Sat. Nov. 12th at the Fall Faire that have been on the TV show “BBQ Pitmasters”.

Big Poppa Smokers, Mike Clark, Head Chef

Bad to the Bone, Brian Cotariu, Head Chef

Slap Yo Daddy BBQ, Harry Soo, Head Chef



In addition to the Saturday KCBS BBQ competition, we are having a Backyard BBQ on Sun, 11/13. This is a ribs only competition. $100 entry fee and all the money will be divided up between the winners. Learn more on the Fall Faire website.

What is your favorite thing to BBQ?

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Fall Faire 2011 Accepting Applications


Fall Faire 2011 is sure to have something for everyone! We're bringing back our ever popular tradition of holiday shopping with 2 buildings filled with quality crafters and local businesses. Come enjoy a great variety of jewelry, clothing, holiday items, woodworking, novelties, food, and so much more.



New this year...we're proud to present "Smokin' on the Delta", our first KCBS Sanctioned BBQ Competition. Professional BBQ teams will be at our event, putting their best grill forward! We're also hosting our 3rd annual amateur Backyard Cookout Contest with local teams from all over Contra Costa County, they'll be grilling up some fall fun during the festivities...you can even be a part of the fun by taking part in our public judging of the chili cook off!



As always, our Kids Zone will be FREE! Take a break from all the festivities and let the little ones have some fun of their own including visits with Santa on his sleigh! Fall Faire 2011...don't miss it!

· Event Hours: Saturday 10am-5pm Sunday 10am-4pm
· Admission: Adults $5 Kids 12 & Under FREE
· FREE Parking

The vendor and BBQ Contest applications are available now. For more information please call 925-757-4400 or email info@ccfair.org.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

12 Things to do at the Fairgrounds



Did you know the Fairgrounds are open year-round? Here are 12 things you may have not known about the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds.

1. Play Paintball. Antioch Paintball Park has one 140’ x 140’ field and two 140’ x 70’. They host both X-Ball and Rec ball and are open weekends. Learn more at www.antiochpaintballpark.com or call 925-75-PAINT.

2. Race at Delta RC. Delta RC features a well-stocked shop, world-class banked paved oval & on-road track, year-round (indoors in the winter) off-road racing, and one of California's last dirt oval racing programs. www.DeltRaceaRC.com

3. Go Skating. For the best in family fun and recreation visit Paradise Skate. Open to all ages! Both traditional quad and inline Rental Skates are available. Paradise Skate is located at the fairgrounds on O Street off of West 10th street. www.Paradiseskate.com

4. Go to the races. Antioch Speedway runs under the All Pro Series, featuring Dirt Modifieds, Wingless Sprints, Super Stocks, Modified Street Stocks, Pure Stocks, Dwarf Cars, BCRA Midgets, BCRA Lites and the California Sprint Car Civil War Series. Races are every Saturday night, late-March through early October. For more information visit them at www.AntiochSpeedway.com.

5. Visit the museum. The Mangini Agricultural Museum is approximately a 10,000 square foot facility that has an array of early California agricultural and industrial equipment including antique wagons and a fire engine, a state of the art educational classroom and outdoor facilities to accommodate visitors.

6. Go to school here. We have two preschools. So Big Co-op Preschool and Kid’s Club (Contra Costa County Preschool Program). To learn more about So Big call, 925-757-6474 and to learn about Kid’s Club call 925-427-8529 or visit State Preschool Program. Also, Contra Costa County's original charter school started here. Now the Fairgrounds are the home of Antioch Charter Academy II. The school is operated by The Learner-Centered School, Inc., a non-profit, public benefit corporation. They combine positive discipline, understanding of multiple intelligences and brain compatibility, multi-age grouping, Montessori philosophies, natural and logical consequences, classroom meetings, lifelong guidelines and lifeskills, with parent volunteering, an excellent teaching staff, and terrific children, to make a school of which we are very proud. Learn more www.antiochcharteracademy.org.

7. Play ball. The Contra Costa County Fairgrounds are home to Antioch Little League. www.antiochlittleleague.com

8. Stay at the RV Park. The RV Park is open year-round and is perfect for travelers seeking some of the Bay Area’s best offerings. We have 20 beautiful sites for only $20 a night.

9. Rent our facilities. Rent any of our beautiful buildings or large park for your next birthday party, wedding, anniversary party, trade show, or club event. Learn more on our Rental Facilities page.

10. Buy a pre-owned vehicle at the Fairgrounds. Antioch Autoland has friendly sales people to serve you and all vehicles are safety and smog inspected. They have great prices and a wide selection, in house financing for select models, and no credit/bad credit is OK! http://autoland.esmartbuyer.com

11. Get your Transmission repaired. Deans Transmission Shop. Call 925-757-5240 to for more info.

12. Learn to drive a truck. The American Truck School operates on the Fairgrounds. To find out more, call 925-753-0220 or visit www.americantruckschool.com.

Find out more about all of the above and more at www.contracostafair.com.

(Originally posted on Nov. 3, 2010)

Thursday, June 23, 2011

75th annual Contra Costa County Fair


Despite the unusual weather, the 75th annual Contra Costa County Fair went off without a hitch. We rocked out to some great bands, awarded a host of blue ribbons to our talented county residents and ate some good (and interesting, if you swung by Jungle George's stand with his raccoon on a stick and kangaroo burgers) food.

And if you can believe it, we're already planning for next year's event. No rest for the weary!

Throughout the year we'll keep you posted on events happening at the fairgrounds, along with updates on the Fair itself as we get closer to next year's big event.

Thank you all for enjoying this longstanding tradition with us! Let us know what your favorite part was, if you won a ribbon, or if you tried George's raccoon on a stick. Leave a comment below or share your photos on facebook.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Fair Gets Mooovin'!




I can smell the corn dogs and hear the lowing of the cows as the 75th annual 2011 Contra Costa County Fair is underway. Except this year, the meaty treats inside those cozy corn cocoons include alligator and kangaroo. And some of the mooing coming from the barn is from six recently shaved and sunscreened (I'll explain later) dairy cows.

The attractions are quite varied this year. George Sandefur, known as Jungle George, will delight Contra Costa fairgoers for the first time ever with outlandish dishes including raccoon on a stick and, for the truly adventurous, kangaroo burgers, just to name a few. So make sure you bring your appetite! And local 4-H group Delta Diablo will be showing off six primped and preened dairy cows for the first time at the Contra Costa Count Fair in 20 years.

The six local girls in Delta Diablo decided to raise and show dairy cows this year simply because they'd never done it before and were looking for something new and challenging, said Brentwood resident Brenda Dominguez, whose granddaughters are both in the group. Also, the cows will retire to a dairy after they're shown, which appealed to the girls.

The group will show their heifers early Saturday morning and are pretty nervous, especially after they shaved the cows (part of the rules, Brenda says) and most of the animals got sunburned. But now that they're properly lathered with plenty of sunscreen, the girls are hoping everything goes off without a hitch.

Between the dairy cows, rocky mountain oysters, live music, midway games and everything else, the next few days will be a blast.

Come on down and see us today, Saturday and Sunday at the Fairgrounds in Antioch, to experience all the Fair has to offer!

Bonus: to see a list of ways to get free or discounted tickets, check out our website.

We'll see you at the Fair!

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Top 20 things to see and do at the Fair


Summer kicks off with the Contra Costa County Fair, June 2 – 5. Don’t miss these top 20 things to see and do at the Fair:

20. Food. Everyone loves all of the great Fair favorites like corndogs, funnel cakes, caramel apples and cotton candy. Are you ready to try raccoon on a stick, kangaroo burgers, or smoked alligator ribs?


19. Exhibits. There is something for everyone’s tastes including traditional exhibits from preserved foods to homemade wine and from quilts to outdoor landscapes. Some of the kids’ exhibits include Lego creations, short stories, paintings, photographs, scrapbook pages, and jams and jellies.


18. Shopping. You’ll find so many unique and interesting items at the Fair from hand-crafted jewelry to t-shirts and personalized wood signs to designer handbags.


17. Special contests. Participate in one of our many special contests like Marshmallow creation, or You’ve Got Mail. Pre-entry is preferred but late entries may be accepted if space is
available. Details can be found in the Exhibitors Handbook online.


16. Community Building. You can visit with organizations from around the county and learn about the community we live in from exhibitors such as the Sheriff’s department, the Bee Keepers Association and the City of Antioch.

15. A World Of Music. Our totally ‘hands-on’ museum of music features several hundred instruments from around the world, drum circles throughout the day (accommodating up to seventy guest participants at a time), an ongoing Rhythm Workshop (for young and rhythmically challenged guests), a Blue Man Group Station, a Kids Band Area, and an Electronic Instrument section, featuring the amazing Beamz Laser Music Player (in which guests can conduct an entire orchestra with lasers). Our unique, unusual and historical instruments come from all corners of the globe for everyone to experience AND experiment with!


14. Dr. Solar's Good-Time Sunshine Traveling Medicine Show. In his Traveling Medicine Show, Dr. Solar has blended nostalgic arts of times past, added a bit of old-time Medicine show flair, a blend of vaudevillian showmanship, comedy, magic, a little flim-flam, and a whole lot of pizzazz. With the slapstick frolics of his “woodpile wonders”, and an assortment of animated objects, you have an inspiring show for all ages!

13. Kids Pedal Tractor Pull. It’s not everyday a kid gets a chance to become a star of a show, unless of course they’re at the Kids Pedal Tractor Pull Competitions! Kids from ages 4 to 12 are welcome to participate in a fast paced, action packed pedal tractor pull. Fast Track Entertainment, Inc. has been performing at Fairs and Festivals since 1994 and the attraction is always “tops” for audience participation, education, and down home fun!

12. Kids Town. Kids Town America is a hands-on activity zone perfect for kids of all ages! All activities in Kids Town America are family oriented for both children and parents. Parents can relax while the kids have a blast building with blocks, driving mini cars, whirling around with hula hoops, getting their faces painted, drawing on marker boards, making crafts, and even having a treasure hunt! Kids Town America is a fun and FREE attraction!


11. Livestock. The livestock barns are the heart of the Fair. Celebrate the tradition with the many youth livestock shows and at the Junior Livestock Auction on June 5 at 10 am. The animals sold at the auction have been raised and shown by the youth of Contra Costa County. A complete schedule of livestock shows can be found online at www.contracostafair.com.
Mangini Agricultural Museum. The days when Contra Costa County was mostly farms and ranches are gone, but important elements of our agricultural past are being preserved at the Mangini Agricultural Museum. Learn about our agricultural heritage and historical farm equipment, as well as the top agricultural commodities of our county, environmental issues, and facts about farm animals.

10. Flo The Clown. The one and only Flo the Clown is back! Flo and her clowning antics have been delighting audiences for more than 20 years from the West Coast of the United States to Russia, Taiwan, Japan, Korea and Singapore. She has even toured with the Yankee Doodle Circus in New York and beyond. Look for Flo riding her tricycle down the midway, carting fair guests around in her custom car, or running all the fun games and activities at the Kids Korral stage…she’s a delight to fairgoers of all ages!


9. Fables Of The West. Get ready to ride with the biggest little cowboys in the Old West! This strolling cowboy comedy team is always 100 % G-rated, family friendly, and fun. Performing at over 550 Fairs from California all the way to Alaska, these crazy cowboys have been entertaining crowds of all ages for over 10 years. Be sure to keep a look out for them and their trusty steeds during your visit to the Fair!

8. Play With Gravity. Spectators will be amazed by their motorcycle show in which riders overcome obstacles on the motorcycles using control, balance, and fitness. Showing their audiences what type of riding can be accomplished on trial motorcycles is a huge pleasure for the team. Now riding, performing, and competing all over the country, Play with Gravity is determined to fascinate audiences and push this sport to new limits.

7. Rides. When you think of the County Fair, one of the first things that come to mind is a Ferris wheel. Am I right? Well, don’t miss all of the exciting rides for all ages at the 2011 Contra Costa County Fair!


6. The Movie Stunt Adventure. An incredible and interactive attraction where you can be the STAR! Many have dreamed of being stuntmen or stuntwomen in an action movie, now for the first time ever you can be! Watch amazing jumps and high falls from real stunt professionals, then it’s your turn to take a leap! Receive a training course from a professional stunt coordinator which can qualify you to take your own high fall!

5. Wildlife Of The World. For more than 20 years, Pacific Animal Productions has been dedicated to conserving wildlife and endangered species while educating people about the wonders of wildlife. We incorporate "edu-tainment" into our presentations to engage the audience and give them a safe environment to see, touch and learn about a monkey, fox, parrot, kinkajou, alligator, snake, bugs and more! Come take a walk on the wild side!

4-2. Concerts. Kicking off the concert series is Whiskey Dawn, California's hottest country band, on Thursday June 2 at 5:30 and 7:30. The Lost Boys rock band will rock the stage on Friday June 3 at 5:30 & 7:30 followed by the ultimate 80’s experience: The Spazmatics at 9:00 pm. On June 4 you won’t want to miss the SATURDAY TRIPLE TRIBUTE with Swift Country Tribute To Taylor Swift at 5:30, Paradise City Tribute To Guns N' Roses Saturday at 7:30 and Pyromania Tribute To Def Leppard ending the night at 9:30. Finally to end the Fair, Hispanic Day Entertainment will be on the Fiesta Stage Sunday from 2:00 -8:00 featuring Bruno d Jesus- Culsillos, Komando de La Sierra, Los Kinos, Los Grandes de Tijuana and more!

And the number 1 thing to do at the Contra Costa County Fair… help us celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Contra Costa County Fair! There is so much to see and do at the Fair happening June 2 - 5, you’ll need to check out the full schedule, admission prices and hours online at http://www.contracostafair.com/!