Tag: CA state fair

Award winning beer and wines at State Fair

During the closing weekend at the State Fair, make sure you find your way to my two favorite spots; the Wine Garden and the Brewfest. While the Wine Garden is open every day, the Brewfest is only on Saturday at 5pm.

The Wine Garden has changed things up this year. Instead of offering nothing but award winning wines, they have a smaller selection of award winners with a large selection of inexpensive bottles for you to enjoy while you see acts such as Foghat and Weird Al. If you are buying by the glass, spend the extra $8 to get a commemorative glass, giving you double pours for the same price.
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Adventures in eating at The State Fair

Gator Joe shows off his delicious smoked alligator ribs

In keeping with the adventurous theme of this year’s fair, organizers invited Jungle George’s Exotic Meats to challenge your palate and allow you to taste something that I’ll wager you have not yet tried.
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2010 CA State Fair Opens!

Poppy points the way to adventure!
An adventure is waiting inside at the 157th annual California State Fair! Check in here at The Rag for updates on food, fun, music, booze and more so you don’t miss out on new features and old favorites. Discount tickets are still available through midnight tonight! Meanwhile, here are a few images from the opening day.

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Sacramento brewers best in state, again

28 beers and ciders from Sacramento were recognized at the 2009 California State Fair Commercial Craft Brew Competition.

Sac Brew Master Brewer Peter Hoey is proud of his creations! (photo courtesy of Rick Sellers & Tracy Bethune, Pacific Brew News)
Sac Brew Master Brewer Peter Hoey is proud of his creations! (photo courtesy of Rick Sellers & Tracy Bethune, Pacific Brew News)

The 2009 California State Fair has faded off into fond memory, but you can still enjoy many of the beers that were honored at this year’s Commercial Craft Brew competition. In case you are confused by the judging results, beers (and ciders and meads) are entered into one of 28 categories (and 93 styles), are awarded both a designation of overall quality (gold, silver, bronze) and and an overall ranking in their beer style (1st, 2nd, 3rd). Congrats to our local brewers and thanks for all the great beer!
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Big week for music at The Fair

A preview of the mainstage musical acts during the last week of the California State Fair.

This is it, folks, the week that the California State Fair brings out the big guns on the Golden 1 Stage. Well, more like medium range artillery. I can’t say that I am thrilled about any of these acts, but am curious to see what kind of show they will deliver and they should each please their target audience. Hey, I was pleasantly surprised last week by the Hullabaloo Music Festival and I didn’t hate Salvador, so I am going in with an open mind.
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Some State Fair Weirdness

Put this on the ballot - When the budget is late, we have to fly this above the Capitol.
Put this on the ballot - When the budget is late, we have to fly this above the Capitol.

As encouragement for you to head over to Cal Expo for the California State Fair, I will entice you with some little tastes of what you could be enjoying if you were there right now. But first, a huge congrats to the state’s most famous purveyor of deep fried treats and his new bride! Chicken Charlie got married at The Fair today on the promenade stage in front of his food stand. The wedding cake? Totally fried cheesecake, and it was delicious. Mazel Tov, and thanks for sharing the special day with us!

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State Fair Drinking Guide

Your guide to the best beer and wine at the California State Fair!

The California State Fair's incredible wine garden
The California State Fair's incredible wine garden

The California State Fair was created by the legislature in 1854 to celebrate and promote California agriculture and industry. I choose to celebrate The Fair’s historical origins by seeking out the finest alcoholic beverages in the realm of Cal Expo. If you choose to join me on this quest, print up this handy guide to the best beer and wine offered at The Fair.

Since 1854, The Fair has honored California’s winemakers in what is now North America’s oldest wine competition. This year, almost 1200 wines were designated as bronze, silver, gold or double gold award winners. At the Save Mart Wine Garden, you can choose from more than 100 winning wines. 100! How can you decide? Before I get to the recommendations, I’ll give you tip #1. If you plan on enjoying more than a few wines, invest in the souvenir wine glass. For $5, your wine purchase will double from a 5 oz pour in a plastic cup to a 10 oz pour in a reusable, stylish glass.

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