Crowds in Pleasanton brave heat for fun and food at Alameda County Fair
PLEASANTON -- Friday night in Pleasanton, fireworks and drones painted patriotic designs, lighting up the night sky at the Alameda County Fair.
Daytime temperatures reached well into the 90s but that didn't stop crowds from kicking off the holiday weekend outdoors.
Hundreds of people indulged in county fair favorites, including live music, rides, games and food.
Among the fair's most popular items: classic corn dogs and lemonade from concession stands run by the Williams family.
Brentwood resident Dean Williams and owner of Red & White Concessions has been doing this for nearly 50 years.
"It's our livelihood and a lot of people -- they don't realize this is our occupation. They think it's just a one-time thing for fun but it's what we do and we do it because we love it. My wife and I met at the fairs," he said.
Williams began working at this very fair in 1966, when corn dogs were just 25 cents. Today, they sell for $7-$10.
He and his wife Liesel travel to 25 fairs around the state throughout the year.
The recipe has never changed. Their team expects to crank out 1,600 corn dogs each day this holiday weekend.
"We got stocked up with everything we need for three big days: Saturday, Sunday, Monday, I think, will be gigantic out here so it's going to be crazy," Williams said.
The couple can rely on a few of their eight kids to pitch in.
Twenty-year-old Melanie Williams considers the fairgrounds her second home. Her mom was working at the fair just before she went into labor with Melanie.
"It very much impacted who I am as a person, especially working since I could talk, in customer service," Melanie said. "I feel like I really know how to talk to people."
The family said crowds this year have returned to pre-pandemic levels.
"Even when there's a recession or pandemic we always do well at fairs and I think they really like that nostalgia, just coming back. We've seen changes but a county fair has generally stayed the same," Liesel said.
The Alameda County Fair has added a few new concessions and performers to this year's lineup. it runs through July 9.
"When people ask me what fair in this area ... would we recommend going to, we would say Pleasanton because you can come out here and spend the day at this fair and not see it all," Williams said.