San Rafael, CA – The Marin County Fair took home a first place and featured program award for its 2021 virtual fair website during the Western Fairs Association (WFA) annual conference last month in Reno, Nevada. The WFA, a 150-member trade association representing fairs in the western United States and Canada, recognizes excellence in the fair industry at its convention and provides a forum for fairs to share successful ideas and programs.
The goal of the virtual fair was to keep the community engaged, entertained, and creative without being able to produce an in-person fair for the second year in a row because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The MarinFair.org website was the platform for fair entertainment, competitive exhibits, fair memories, and more, using interactive maps, image carousels, videos, and photos from community submissions and past fairs.
The award winning 2021 Virtual Marin County Fair offered patrons an opportunity to connect despite COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. From June 1 through June 25, 2021, community members submitted nearly 1,000 individual entries for categories including fine art and photography, decorated cakes and cookies, creative writing and poetry, clothing and textiles, barnyard photos, and more. The virtual fair took place from July 1-4 when the winners were uploaded to the website and awarded virtual ribbons in each category.
“The virtual fair was a way to engage our community who truly missed being able to attend the beloved Marin County Fair for a second year in a row,” said Director of Cultural Services Gabriella Calicchio. “I’m thrilled at the number of fairgoers who participated in the virtual fair celebrating the creative spirit and diversity of Marin.”
The fair also won first place and judges’ choice award in the category Interim Events for its partnership with San Francisco Opera. The Marin Center and fairgrounds hosted one of the first live opera performances in the United States since the beginning of the pandemic through the unique partnership. San Francisco Opera staged a new, specially adapted production of Gioachino Rossini’s The Barber of Seville in a drive-in setting next to Lagoon Park at the fairgrounds. From April 23 to May 15, 2021, the 11 performances were SF Opera’s first live pandemic-era performances since March 2020.
“It’s fitting that this happened at the Marin Center and fairgrounds which played a key role in every phase of our pandemic response,” Marin County Public Health Officer Dr. Matt Willis said. “Our community came here for COVID-19 testing, and then for vaccinations, and then came to support their health through the power of the arts.”
The 2022 outdoor-only Marin County Fair, with the theme of So Happy Together!, will be held in person from June 30 through July 4, 2022. The competitive exhibits program will be held online until 2023. Visit MarinFair.org for more information.