A Northern California fair is returning for its 165th year
PLACERVILLE — One Northern California fair is making its finishing touches to return for its 165th year.
From the rides to the livestock to the greasy food, there will be something for everyone to enjoy during the four-day El Dorado County Fair.
"All the hotels are filled up. The RV parks around us are filled up. People eat here in town. The gas stations are busy," said Kathy Dunkak, the CEO of the El Dorado County Fair Association.
Dunkak said that in 2023, the fair brought in roughly $650,000 in revenue to the county. She also said attendance was up 15% from the year prior.
"We create about 120 part-time jobs. The carnival has a pretty large payroll and then, of course, all of the businesses around hire extra people to help during the fair," Dunkak said.
Events from the FMX Rampage to the tractor-pull will keep the weekend jam-packed.
Franny Fox is a manager at Rocker Oysterfeller's on Main Street in Placerville. She said it's not always as busy at the restaurant during the fair weekend as some may think.
"During the fair, it's pretty quiet around here because everyone is at the fair which is great because we want to support that community event," Fox said.
The fair is an event that she said brings a lot of people from out of town to the area, which can attract more eyes to Placerville.
Something she said is a win-win for everyone.
"There are a lot of buyers that bid for that fair too for the steers and the pigs and all the livestock there. So it definitely can bring awareness to Placerville," Fox said.
The El Dorado County Fair is held at the fairgrounds in Placerville and runs June 13-16. You can find a list of events on each day and ticket information on their website.