The Siskiyou Golden Fair has been a cherished part of local culture since 1859, but is facing a funding crisis that could jeopardize its future.
The Siskiyou Golden Fair has been a cherished part of local culture since 1859, but is facing a funding crisis that could jeopardize its future. A public meeting is planned for Tuesday, Jan. 29 to gather input and suggestions on how to find new funding sources to save this storied local institution.
The current fiscal crisis in California triggered the elimination of all state support for county fairs in 2011. For the Siskiyou Golden Fair that equals almost $300,000 including cash and services. Other fairgrounds around the state are working to become self-sustaining using Joint Powers Agreements or 501C3 nonprofits as the governing body.
The state’s 10th District Agricultural Association will be hosting an informational meeting about the fair industry titled “The State of our Siskiyou Golden Fair,” addressing fair history, recent changes and planning for the future. This meeting will give the fair and local citizens the opportunity to explore what works best for Siskiyou County.
The meeting will be held in Winema Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 29, starting at 6 pm.
“The fair is an important part of our community” stated Siskiyou Golden Fair CEO Cliff Munson. “This meeting will be the starting point for further exploration into saving our Siskiyou Golden Fair.”
The first fair in Siskiyou County was held in 1859 in Fort Jones on Oct. 5 and 6. The fair was moved to Yreka in 1867 and held in the Yreka City Park. William Irwin, who later became Governor of California (1881) was president of the Siskiyou County Agricultural Society at the time.
Local fairs were abandoned for a while in the early 1900s in favor of six county shows sponsored by mining and agricultural interests. In 1919 the Siskiyou County fair was revived and sponsored by the Pomona Grange.
In 1925, funds were solicited to purchase the current fairgrounds on Fairlane Road in Yreka and the property was deeded to Siskiyou County. Under the State Agricultural Association Act, Siskiyou County was designated as the 10th District Agricultural Association and in 1926 reorganization of fair funding occurred and the Siskiyou County Fair was included in the system that used pari-mutual horse racing licensing fees to operate.
In 2008, the California Legislature moved the fair funding source away from horse racing and into the general fund. It should be noted that the fairs generate around $150 million in income for the state and were receiving $32 million in support to operate. That is a five to one return on investment.
In 2010/11, many changes came to the state of California. A new governor was elected and the economy became extremely unstable. The new budget has eliminated 100 percent of fair funding and the California Department of Agriculture has been directed to create a plan that will move the entire fair industry out of state control.
So, in the fall of 2011, the 10th District Agricultural Association Board of Directors and staff became faced with the challenge of creating a vision that will sustain the oldest and largest community event in Siskiyou County.
For more information about the fair or the upcoming meeting, contact the Siskiyou Golden Fair office at 842-2767 or firstname.lastname@example.org.