Category: Press Releases

SAN MATEO – May 24, 2023 – The highly anticipated San Mateo County Fair is set to make its grand return to the city of San Mateo from June 3rd to June 11th, promising an unforgettable experience for fairgoers of all ages. With a perfect blend of tradition and innovation, this year’s fair will showcase exhilarating entertainment, captivating exhibits, and delightful festivities, making it a must-attend event for the entire community.

Sponsored by Safeway, the San Mateo County Fair is thrilled to present an electrifying concert series featuring renowned bands that will rock the stage night after night. Music enthusiasts will be treated to phenomenal performances by an array of talented artists, including Foghat, Remember When Rock Was Young (an Elton John Tribute), Abel Sanchez, Fleetwood Masks (a Fleetwood Mac Tribute), Smash Mouth, 3 Plus, Grupo Bryndis, Los Gamma, and Las Fenix. Get ready to dance and sing along to your favorite hits as these incredible acts create an atmosphere of pure musical magic.

In addition to the concert series, the San Mateo County Fair offers a wide range of attractions and activities to keep the excitement soaring. One of the crowd favorites is the thrilling pig races, where these adorable and agile creatures compete for the Title of fastest piglet. Carnival rides will provide endless fun for thrill-seekers, while the opportunity to interact with friendly farm animals will delight animal lovers of all ages. And of course, fairgoers can indulge in a delectable array of classic fair food, satisfying every craving imaginable.

New for this year’s fair is the Dragon Exhibit, featuring seven animatronic dragons. Step into a world of fantasy and marvel at these magnificent creatures brought to life with cutting-edge technology. The Dragon Exhibit promises to be an enchanting experience for fairgoers of all ages.

Prepare to be amazed by the wealth of exhibits and displays showcasing the best of San Mateo County and the surrounding Bay Area. Discover captivating works of art, explore innovative technologies, and immerse yourself in the cultural richness of the community. This year, the fair proudly celebrates the 10th Year Anniversary of the Domini Hoskins Black History Museum and Learning Center, which offers a compelling journey through African American history and culture. Additionally, the Farmworker Heroes Appreciation Event, featuring a special appearance by renowned activist Dolores Huerta, will pay tribute to the hardworking individuals who contribute so much to our local agriculture.

With the San Mateo County Fair, you truly get exceptional value with your admission. For only $20, fairgoers can enjoy a full day of entertainment, including the exhilarating concerts, captivating exhibits, thrilling rides, farm animals, the Dragon Exhibit, and so much more. It’s an all-inclusive experience designed to create lasting memories for everyone.

“The San Mateo County Fair is where tradition meets innovation,” says Dana Stoehr, CEO. “We’re thrilled to bring together the best elements of our beloved fair, from the Timeless attractions that families have enjoyed for generations to exciting new exhibits and entertainment that push boundaries and captivate audiences. It’s an event that truly has something for everyone.”

Don’t miss out on the San Mateo County Fair, the highlight of the summer season. Mark your calendars for June 3rd to June 11th and join us at the fairgrounds for seven days of unforgettable fun, laughter, and entertainment. For more information, visit www.sanmateocountyfair.com.

SAN MATEO – The San Mateo County Event Center and Fair is proud to announce that it has won the prestigious Western Fairs Association Merrill Award for its 2022 Farmworker Heroes Appreciation Day at the Fair. The Merrill Award, named in honor of Western Fairs Association Founder Louis Merrill, and is awarded to Fair programs that clearly demonstrate innovation, vision, and excellence. It is the highest honor that a Fair can receive.

The San Mateo County Fair team is committed to inclusion and diversity Recognizing how hard Farmworkers in our community and throughout the U.S work to provide food, often during extreme conditions including severe weather, fires, and during the pandemic, and who too often go unrecognized. The Fair staff created an educational and recognition program celebrating their hard work, and the legacy of Cesar Chavez, Larry Itliong and Dolores Huerta. A curated exhibit in partnership with the National Chavez Center, Cesar Chavez Foundation and local non-profit association, ALAS (Ayundando Latinos A Soñar) was established with over 100 photographs.

Additional educational content was developed to share and celebrate the enormous contributions of Farmworkers, and Cesar Chavez.

An exciting aspect of this curated exhibit is that it will be shared with schools and other county fairs throughout California as a traveling educational exhibit; amplifying the messaging of what our Farmworkers do and how important they are.

The San Mateo County Fair is proud to have had the opportunity to recognize our Farmworkers and their essential contributions to our daily lives. “It has been a privilege to recognize the hard work and dedication of our Farmworkers,” said Dana Stoehr, CEO of the San Mateo County Event Center & Fair. “This award is a testament to our Farmworkers, the legacy of Cesar Chavez, our team and the San Mateo County community.”

The Farmworker Heroes Appreciation Day was a huge success, educating tens of thousands of visitors to the fair on how important our Farmworkers are and acknowledge and celebrate their hard work.

We are thrilled to have received this recognition and will continue to showcase and celebrate the contributions of Farmworkers in our community. We want to thank the Western Fairs Association for recognizing our efforts, and we look forward to continuing our work toward hosting a fair that is inclusive and celebrates the diversity of San Mateo County.

“Farmworker Heroes Day is more than just a one-time event,” added Justin Aquino, Fair Operations Manager at the San Mateo County Event Center & Fair. “It is an educational exhibit designed to educate our public and acknowledge and celebrate individuals who keep our food system running.”

We invite everyone to join us in celebrating Farmworker Heroes Day and recognizing the invaluable contributions of Farmworkers at the San Mateo County Fair, June 3-11, 2023. More information about the event, including a schedule of activities, will be available on our website closer to the event start date.

SAN MATEO – The San Mateo Event Center & Fair is pleased to announce its continued sponsorship of this year’s Second Harvest of Silicon Valley Food Distribution to continue serving San Mateo County.

This year’s historic inflation has exacerbated preexisting economic hardship. More families today are struggling with food insecurity than in years past, and this has driven an urgent need for direct aid to combat hunger. This need has been met by the work of the Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, which has played a key role in accommodating this dramatic increase in families seeking food assistance.

“Here at the San Mateo Event Center, we exist first and foremost to serve San Mateo County. In looking around our community, we see our neighbors struggling to put food on the table every week,” said Dana Stoehr, CEO of the San Mateo County Fair and Event Center. “We’re blessed to have the resources to take action on this issue through our partnership with Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, an organization that has been truly invaluable in fight against hunger right here in San Mateo.”

The Second Harvest Drive-Thru will be located in the East Parking lot of the San Mateo Event Center (1346 Saratoga Dr, San Mateo – Gate 9) every Thursday from 8:30am to 10:45am starting tomorrow morning, and anyone needing assistance is welcome.

Since its establishment in 1974, Second Harvest of Silicon Valley has led the charge against hunger in the local community through its work as one of America’s largest food banks. The organization seeks to provide nutritionally balanced meals free of charge to the entirety of its community, regardless of race, religion, citizenship or sexual orientation.

Their sponsorship of this food distribution event is one of many efforts the San Mateo Event Center has undertaken to serve the San Mateo community, in addition to its sponsorship of the Samaritan House Holiday Gift Drive, Seniors on the Move, and numerous other community events.

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SAN MATEO – The San Mateo County Event Center & Fair will host Fortitude Careers’ Summer Build Program this year. The 8-week program offers a curriculum for Life Skills, Careers Services, and Construction Job Readiness for young adults (18 to 24 years old) interested in a construction trade career.

Fortitude is a non-profit organization offering free training for young adults seeking a career in the trades. Its mission is to provide a life-changing opportunity as an alternative to college. Its multifaceted mission is to serve young adults in their ambition to build a successful career in the construction trades. By helping young adults to develop practical, technical, and life mastery skills, Fortitude supports the needs of the community, industry, and workforce.

“Patti Bentley and I have worked for two years to develop this program,” says Nicole Davis, CoFounder and CEO of Fortitude Careers. “It is truly a labor of love. For us to know that the effort that we have put into this provides hope and promise for the young adults in our program is a gift to us and hopefully to them.”

On July 11th, their Summer Build Program officially started at the San Mateo County Event Center & Fair. Those interested in joining a union can be fast-tracked into an apprenticeship by one of Fortitude’s sponsors as a carpenter, electrician, plumber, laborer, etc.

Others may go to college to pursue formal education required for upper-level management or roles in Construction Engineering, Architecture, Design, or Project Management. The professional spectrum for the trades is vast – participants may decide to work in support of the industry as product reps, administrative roles, inspectors, and many more.

“We are delighted and thankful to host Fortitude Careers,” says Dana Stoehr, CEO of the San Mateo County Event Center & Fair. “As a non profit organization we continually look for ways to support other non-profits serving our community. We are so happy these deserving young people are being trained at our Event Center.”

Participants have a lot to say about the program as well: “I have learned more about math through two months in Fortitude than in 4 years in high school,” says one, while another states, “My mom is so happy I’m in Fortitude – she says she can already see a difference in my maturity.”

Program participants are spending their summer to become job-ready by the end of the program. Eight weeks of 8 hours a day spent studying the necessary skills to bring value to the workforce. Meet those eager, intelligent, dedicated young adults at the Reverse Job Fair event on September 2nd at the San Mateo County Event Center, or contact Fortitude Careers at [email protected] for more information about adding them to your team.

SAN MATEO – The 2022 San Mateo County Fair was a success based on any metric, including the number of corndogs eaten! With well over 100,000 fairgoers this year, the Fair was almost back to pre-pandemic numbers and proved once again that this yearly event is more than just carnival rides and fair foods – as fun and delicious as all of those things always are.

The Fair managed to capture the essence of California with special events and exhibits such as PRIDE, Pacific Islands Day, Día de la Feria, Farmworker Heroes Appreciation, and the Black History Museum. It was an event for all to feel welcome and represented.

The year’s fair included multiple education and interactive exhibits for the entire family. Expedition: Dinosaur (animatronic dinosaurs), SkyRiver Butterflies (fairgoers were able to interact with real butterflies), All-Alaskan Racing Pigs, Fair Farm (with baby barnyard), Robotic For more information: Sean Gallitz [email protected] (414) 315-0436 For Immediate Release: June 30th, 2022 Zone, Department of INNOVATION (which had many activities and workshops for adults and kids to be creative and have fun), the SMC Libraries Bookmobile, Black History Museum and the newly created Farmworker Exhibit honoring the legacy of Cesar Chavez and local farmworkers made this year’s Fair as memorable as any other.

The Community Stage showcased local performers daily from our vibrant and creative community. Also participating were many roving acts around the fairgrounds such as our adorable and loving Fritters (big fluffy mascot…hard to miss!), Zoey the Butterfly, the Street Drum Corps, magician Louis Foxx, and the amazing balloon artist Dennis Forel. Other special events and performances included stand-up comedy with Jesús U Bettawork (a San Mateo native) and saw the incredibly gifted San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band march through the fairgrounds during our PRIDE celebration.

Amazing and legendary musical acts, including the Commodores and Gloria Gaynor, played for thousands on our free outdoor mainstage every night and really put the exclamation point on each day.

“I am so proud of our staff and all their hard work that goes into creating a successful Fair. Their passion for our community showed and attendees benefited from the many attractions and educational exhibits,” said Dana Stoehr, CEO of the San Mateo County Event Center & Fair. “This year surpassed all previous years, delivering so much quality content for our Fairgoers.”

“We were inspired by the support of our community when we reopened to a modified fair in 2021 but it felt much more different this year,” added Justin Aquino, the San Mateo County Fair Manager. “There is no place like a County Fair where guests can use all their five senses to experience the richness of diversity in San Mateo County. Our county fair is a safe place where all are welcome, and it is our entire staff having these values that make it possible.”

Overall, the 2022 San Mateo County Fair was a great success, and we can’t wait to see what 2023 brings! Stay tuned!