SALINAS VALLEY — The annual Salinas Valley Fair Kick-Off on April 20 started with a great turnout of about 625 attendees inside the Orradre Building, bidding in the silent auction and a delicious dinner by the King City Young Farmers.
Once dinner was served, speeches were given by Fair CEO Lauren Hamilton, Fair Board President Frank Lopez, 2024 Miss Salinas Valley Fair Natalia Merritt and 2024 Miss King City Stampede Brooke Weitz.
All welcomed fairgoers to the 80th Salinas Valley Fair, May 16-19, while giving thanks to staff for their hard work year-round and highlighting the Maddie & Tae concert set for Saturday, May 18, at the fairgrounds in King City.
The live auction started at 8 p.m. — hands were up and bids were high. The Fair had 33 live auction items, and 16 were sold before the power went out. The power outage affected a good portion of King City that night.
“The Salinas Valley Fair Board, Kick-Off Committee and volunteers did everything they could to have the night go on,” according to the Fair in a news release. “Unfortunately, due to safety concerns, the Salinas Valley Fair Kick-Off ended before the live auction was over and the band got to hit the stage — leaving the Fair with 15 auction items still up for grabs.”
After several discussions with the Salinas Valley Fair Kick-Off Committee and the Salinas Valley Fair Board, the decision was made to take the remaining Fair Kick-Off items online, beginning April 29. Fair supporters can find the link for the 15 auction items up for grabs on the Salinas Valley Fair website salinasvalleyfair.com/p/fair/kickoff.
Items range from getaways to fishing trips to one-of-a-kind meal options. Options are provided to start the bid or buy now, and proxy bidding is setup allowing bidders the convenience of entering their max bid versus needing to keep an eye on their item.
Activities for the Fair will continue Thursday, May 16, at 11 a.m. and through Sunday, May 19, at 10 p.m. In addition to Maddie & Tae, the Salinas Valley Fair will provide four days of family-friendly entertainment across the fairgrounds, music on the Steinbeck Stage, as well as the Junior Livestock Auction — to be held Saturday, May 18, at 8 a.m. Fair food favorites, 21-plus beverages and dancing in the Long Branch Saloon are available daily.
“The Salinas Valley Fair Board and CEO invite everyone from the communities of San Luis Obispo County up through San Benito County and beyond to bid on auction items and make their way to King City for a great Salinas Valley Fair themed ‘Golden Hills & Fair Time Thrills,’” stated the Fair.
All questions regarding the Fair Kick-Off online auction, the 80th Salinas Valley Fair or the Maddie & Tae concert can be directed to the SVF Office by phone at 831-385-3243 or by email at sv*@sa***************.com .
