Carson City to host Nevada Fair July 30-Aug. 2

Highlights of the Nevada Fair this summer will include a contest judging the most creative use of duct tape by competitors.

That was one tidbit that came to light Tuesday as Scott Fahrenbruch, deputy director of Carson City Parks and Recreation, reported progress on putting together the July 30-Aug. 2 fair at Fuji Park and Fairgrounds. He was reporting to the Parks and Recreation Commission.

Actually, interest among commissioners seemed greater in a beer garden that will serve such libations as beer, wine and margaritas across from a single performance stage planned for this second annual fair at Fuji.

“Recreation staff will be running that tent,” said Fahrenbruch, which he added means revenues will go directly into fair coffers.

He said there would be just one rather than two stages because last year music from one tended to drown out the other and detracted from the fairgoers’ experience at times.

Among other changes or additions he cited will be 100 parking passes at the fairgrounds for $20 each, as well as some handicapped and VIP parking there. The 100 paid parking passes went on sale Tuesday at City Hall.

“One of the things we ran into last year is we didn’t have enough handicapped parking,” he said. Mass parking, meanwhile, again will be handled at Casino Fandango lots with fairgoers taken to and from their cars by a shuttle bus system day and night.

Among other highlights cited during the report were such things as pig races, Civil War reenactors putting on an extensive show, horse and livestock judging, smack down bull riding and a Saturday evening truck pull event.

Fahrenbruch also said there would be a new carnival rides vendor for this year’s fair and about 30 percent more vendors due to additional space because a cottonwood tree was felled for safety reasons at the fairgrounds.

Again this year as last there will be livestock and smaller animal exhibits and the like, he said, but other additions will include watermelon and corn dog eating competitions.

“We’ve got a pretty extensive fair schedule,” said Fahrenbruch.

The fair again this year will be open to anyone with no entry fee.

In other matters, the commission voted to cancel its scheduled Aug. 4 meeting and hold a joint session on Aug. 17 with the Open Space Advisory Committee to brainstorm grant opportunities and strategies. It also heard reports on Assembly Bill 25, which amended residential construction tax policy but didn’t change the tax and on the transfer of federal land to Carson City from the federal Bureau of Land Management.