Tulare County Fair kicks off with 'Salute to Agriculture' theme

TULARE, Calif. (KFSN) -- The 108th annual Tulare County Fair officially kicked off on Wednesday with a parade.

Dozens of floats made their way along the route. Locals say the city shuts down for this event.

Students even get the day off of school for what's called Fair Day.

"It's a really great feeling to watch the Community come together and take the time out, just like in the old days, to celebrate this event. It's a community-wide function. It's a great feeling. I think everyone here has the same sentiment," said Ken Forbes, who has attended the parade for 10 years.

Just a few miles down the road at the Tulare County Fairgrounds, a ribbon-cutting marked the start of a week filled with food and rides, some of which are free.

There are also new exhibits this year, including a reptile display where kids can learn about animals.

Dena Rizzardo, the fair's CEO, says it brings in over $1 million of revenue to the city of Tulare, which includes hotels booked up by traveling fair employees and entertainment.

The economic boost is welcomed by the city, especially after the lost revenue during the pandemic.

"Everyone's traveling from out of town, so the carnival employs about 130 people, and every food vendor is employing people revenue coming in," explained Rizzardo.

This year's theme is Salute to Agriculture, and fair-goers will have a chance to visit several exhibitors.

For the next three days, Tulare County students in FFA and Ag have the opportunity to showcase the hard work they've been putting in to raise their animals for the last four months.

More than 40 rides will be set up at this year's fair, including various food vendors.

Organizers say families can enjoy live performances from platinum recording artists.

All the fun kicked off at noon on Wednesday at the fairgrounds on Martin Luther King Junior Avenue in Tulare.

It runs through Sunday.

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