County Fair Time

Eureka is the largest city in Humboldt County, CA (pop. 26,000) and the largest coastal city between Portland, OR and San Francisco. The surrounding county is largely rural, full of farms and ranches. As a result, the county fair is an important event. Each year I’ve gotten a bit more involved. We’ve lived here four years, and I’ve participated in three Humboldt County fairs.

My first year as a member of the Eureka Sequoia Garden Club (ESGC) I discovered that the club develops and assembles a display for the county fair. Every year the fair has a theme, and each garden club’s display highlights some aspect of it. This year’s theme was, Where the Trees Meet the Seas.

This year the planning committee began by talking about all the different environmental zones in Humboldt County from the mountains to the coast, and ended up with a display showing what plants can take the place of some of the most widespread invasive species found in our region. In a kind of “red light-green light” arrangement, samples of invasive plants were in pots marked by red ribbon, while plants that thrive locally without becoming invasive were in pots marked by green ribbon. One sign defined “invasive” plants, those that outcompete or overtake the plants around them. Other signs said, “Plant this, Not That!”, or “Right Plant, Right Place.” Our display won a blue ribbon.

Clockwise from Upper L: Setting up the display; Eureka Garden Club Blue Ribbon; Right Plant, Right Place display

While I’ve been involved in the garden club, my family has been getting more involved with the fair, too. In 2025, Amanda entered her biscuits, and received a blue ribbon and award. My son in law Jim, entered the beautiful Japanese pencil boxes he makes, and won both a blue ribbon and a nice award credit at the Pierson’s hardware store.

Building on their successes last year, both entered again, and inspired me, too. Amanda entered biscuits and upside down cake, and won a second place ribbon.

Jim entered one of the bonsai he cultivates in his backyard (third place), and an unusual spider plant growing on a lava rock in a distinctive container (first place).

I entered the mosaic table that I posted about not long ago and won a blue ribbon, and a Best of Show ribbon. I am surprised and delighted.

Granddaughter Aurora visited the fair several times, and managed a couple of turns through all the exhibits and animals. I think her favorites were the animals that could be petted, though she also enjoyed wearing the garden club’s blue ribbon while we cleaned up the exhibit space at the end of the fair.