2025 GOLD COUNTRY FAIR
September 4th - 7th, 2025
CEO CORNER
Don Ales
Chief Executive Officer
December 23, 2022
As we end another year at the Gold Country Fairgrounds & Event Center, I wanted to take a moment and reflect on you, our community!
Your support and constant encouragement brought a sense of determination and commitment to my team. We welcomed Ray Smith to lead our Maintenance Department and our fairgrounds continued its transition to improving our grounds. New landscaping, attention to detail and training our team to create a park-like environment for our guests.
Our office team added Sonia Del Toro and her skills were on display with our most successful Crab Feed, ever. She also championed our Junior Livestock Auction, and Gold Country Fair. She was promoted to our Service Staff Analyst in September, and we are thrilled to have her on the team!
We kept our improvements moving forward with the refurbishing of our Walker’s Stage and adding a new dance area. In addition, we redid the stucco on the Placer Building. Our Sacramento Street parking lot got an electronic gate, and we painted the Auburn Host Lions Building. With the help of California Construction Authority, we also installed a backup power system on our Administration and Placer Building.
The 20th District Agricultural Association Board updated our strategic plan and continued to adopt policies that will guide and improve the fairgrounds for years to come. In closing, we enter 2023 with high expectations and are planning for a spectacular annual Gold Country Fair.
From our extended family to your family may this holiday season bring you joy and blessing! Happy New Year and see you next year!
August 30, 2022
With just 8 days away, the Gold Country Fair is back and better than ever! We’re excited to go “Where No Fair Has Gone Before” with all the new entertainment and attractions such as a firework show on Thursday the 8th, included with admission, Medieval Knight Fights Friday the 9th & Saturday the 10th, Demolition Derby on Sunday the 11th!
We’ve also had the pleasure of partnering with the North Auburn Artists group to bring an “Art Experience” to the fairgrounds! Keep you’re an eye out for theme-painted rocks around the fairgrounds and be apart of the interactive scavenger hunt to redeem prizes on behalf of the Art Experience!
When you grab something to eat from one of many new and returning concession vendors, don’t forget to also enjoy an ice cold “fair beer” exclusive to the 2022 Gold Country Fair brewed by Slice Beer Company. Into the Citrasphere is hopped with Citra, Simcoe & Ekuanot and is bound to taste out of this word refreshing!
And what would fair be without a Jr. Livestock Program? Join us on Saturday, September 10th at 10 am to celebrate our future leader’s success by supporting their annual projects at the Junior Livestock Auction. Be sure to visit the barns, meet our Jr. exhibitors and learn the importance of agriculture in our community during your visit!
The Gold Country Fair team has worked diligently to present an exciting and entertaining fair for everyone to enjoy! Pack up your family and friends and visit the Gold Country Fair from September 8-11, where new memories are created, and old ones are renewed!
Be on the lookout for all new attractions at the 2022 Gold Country Fair:
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Firework Show (Thursday, September 8th)
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Knight Fights (Friday September 9th & Saturday September 10th)
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Ohana Comic Con @ Tahoe Building (September 8th-11th)
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Jedi Sword Training @ Kids World
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“Celebrity” Dunk Tank
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Da Vinci Surgery Exhibit @ Armory Building (Saturday, September 10th & Sunday, September 11th)
For more details and upcoming events, follow us on Instagram and Facebook at @GoldCountryFairgrounds
Don Ales
CEO
June 6, 2022
I am pleased to report that the Gold Country Fair Board has approved and adopted a Strategic Plan for the Gold Country Fairgrounds & Event Center. This Strategic Plan outlines our high-level objectives and action steps as we continue to rebuild, revive, and repurpose our facility and infrastructure.
In addition, it details our goals and estimated costs related to achieving them. This will allow the Board and our community to review our plan and provide benchmarks for its implementation. It is our intent and commitment to serve our community while providing a venue that meets the future needs of our patrons.
I have included our Strategic Plan in this month’s CEO Corner, and it will also be shared on our website here. If you would like to support any of our goals financially you may do so at www.goldcountryfair.com/donate. Thanks in advance for your support and I will be updating everyone next with all our exciting new activities at the 2022 Gold Country Fair:” Where no Fair has Gone Before.”
“Individually we give, together we make a difference”
Don Ales
CEO
April 15, 2022
Spring is in the air here at the Gold Country Fairgrounds and Event Center and we’re excited to share all the new improvements with our community as we are welcoming back events and guests back at full capacity!
Since the beginning of 2022, we have added Olivia Call and Sonia Del Toro to the Gold Country Fair Team and we’ve hit the ground running since. While there are many new improvements and projects that we have planned for the upcoming year, remodeling the livestock barns have been at the top of our list for some time now. In collaboration with the Gold Country Fair Heritage Foundation, our team successfully hosted a crab feed fundraiser in February that raised close to $38,000.00 that will benefit the barn remodeling project. Another $40,000.00 was generously allocated into the 20th District Agricultural Association 2022 budget, making us that much closer to our goal!
It takes a small army to accomplish big projects around here and we’re grateful to have the opportunity to work alongside Allyn Green and his team at Northern California Construction Training (NCCT). NCCT has taken our fairgrounds under their wing and has made some phenomenal improvements since. Some of these projects include the beautiful rebuilt redwood fence that compliments the main lawn, a safer and sturdier retaining wall alongside the patio of the Maurine Dobbas Placer Building, and last but not least brand new clear roofing with redwood supports over all three concession booths that’ll create shade yet allow you to still enjoy the sunlight during your visit!
During your next visit, you might also notice the long-awaited new stucco on the Maurine Dobbas Placer Building and other improvements such as the remodel of the Walker Stage and the Heritage Foundation Bar/Deck, compliments of the Gold Country Fair Heritage Foundation and NCCT. And you can’t forget to stop by Old Town Pizza located on the fairgrounds full-time, enjoy a slice of pizza, a cold craft beer and a new audiovisual experience for your next outdoor dining pleasure!
As we welcome some sort of normalcy back into our lives in 2022 we are excited to open back up for annual events this spring! The Gold Country Pro Rodeo will take place on April 23rd-24th, bring your family and friends and enjoy a weekend where the tradition of the west meets the Gold Country.
Last but not least if you haven’t heard already, the 2022 Gold Country Fair theme is “Where No Fair Has Gone Before”! Save the dates of September 8th,-11th, 2022 and come experience entertainment and amusement like never before! For more details and upcoming events follow us on Instagram and Facebook at @GoldCountryFairgrounds
Don Ales
CEO
July 2, 2021
I want to thank all our farmers, crafters, and loyal supporters for participating in the Gold Country Fair Farmers’ Market. During the COVID-19 shutdown it gave all of us the opportunity to gather and socialize in an outdoor venue that gave us some normalcy during a challenging time.
As we implement our reopening, we are seeing a dramatic increase in rentals, along with brand new events that are extremely exciting. This combined with our plans to bring you the best Gold Country Fair and Junior Livestock Auction ever, requires that we close our Farmers’ Market for the balance of the year.
We are committed to making the Gold Country Fairgrounds & Event Center a destination for families and friends to gather, create memories, and celebrate our community.
Stop by the Gold Country Fairgrounds & Event Center this Sunday, July 4th and celebrate Independence Day with food, fun, and fireworks!
Happy Fourth of July!
Don Ales
October 8, 2022
From fair to fire camp…
First and foremost, we want to thank all those who came to the beautiful foothills of Auburn, CA. to enjoy the 2022 Gold Country Fair! Despite the unpredictable circumstances including the high temperatures and the less than desirable air quality, many of us were able to enjoy the diversion while we prayed for a quick end to the fire that was rapidly spreading in our neighboring city. First responders from far and near reacted swiftly, worked diligently, and continue to work to control the fire completely and protect our community from the fire base camp that relocated to the Gold Country Fairgrounds and Event Center immediately after the fair.
I wanted to take a moment and share how impressed we are with the leadership and all the cooperating agencies at our 2022 Mosquito Fire Camp. The professionalism and attention to detail of everyone involved is amazing! My team and I met with Team 5 of the National Incident Fire Command (NIFC) at the beginning of this journey when they informed us that they would be serving their first meal in the next 48 hours. As we walked the Gold Country Fairgrounds & Event Center and listened to the rest of the staging plan, the Incident Manager of Team 5 mentioned to us that leading a fire camp felt like being the mayor of a newly developed city that needed to make sure all infrastructure was in place within 48 hours. She had mentioned to us that her mission was to smoothly transition the next incident management team in order to accomplish their shared goal of protecting and rebuilding the community.
As we watched it unfold, I still don’t think we as a community really understood the depth of incidents like this one. Terms like weather event, POI, apportionment, interagency, and containment became a part of our new vocabulary. Public briefings also quickly became part of our daily routine.
Responders were quickly able to obtain containment of the fire-lines but the work behind the scenes continues on. Roads must be repaired, power lines must be restored, fallen trees and debris must be removed. All of this to make sure the affected area is safe for the displaced residents to return home and ensure they receive the support they require to continue on. Trees will need to be replanted, forests rebuilt, and families reconnected.
Every 10 days a new NIFC team arrives and the transition is incredibly seamless. Tents fill the ballfield, barns, McCann Stadium, Farrell Wren Park and any open area that can support a structure. Everything you can think of to make this fire camp function is here; there is laundry service, showers, potable water, grey water removed, full meals served, first aid and medical station, finance department, incident command, maps, meteorologist, media updates, even a recycling station and more in the parking lot.
Here is a list of the cooperating agencies:
· Sierra Pacific Industries
· Georgetown DIVIDE PUD
· PG&E
· Placer County Water Agency
· Foresthill PU
· CalTrans
· Placer County Road Department
· California Highway Patrol
· El Dorado County Sheriff
· Placer County Sheriff
· American Red Cross
· CALFIRE AEU
· CAL FIRE NEU
· Placer County Fire Department
We as a community are blessed to have these selfless men and women protecting our lives and property and we are honored to have helped them in whatever small measure we gave as a location for them to stage, meet, prepare, and maybe catch a small nap along the way and do it all over again the next day.
Ultimately, this means we have had to postpone or even cancel events at the Gold Country Fairgrounds and Event Center. On behalf of my team and I, we apologize for any inconvenience or hardship that may have or has caused. However, when our community needs us we must all remember that the ability to serve our community outweighs any individual obligation. In closing, I ask that you all remain respectful to our team and those that serve. The true test of our integrity is how we react to adversity and how we treat each other.
Don Ales
CEO
June 22, 2021
Summer is here and the temperatures are starting to climb. The good news is that California has officially reopened, and the Gold Country Fair is only 79 days away! We are thrilled to announce that the 2021 Gold Country Fair on September 9th-12th is a go and we have a full slate of activities for everyone to enjoy.
Come visit our food court and enjoy a full palate of culinary treats along with all your traditional favorites like corndogs, deep fried sweets, kettle corn, and funnel cakes. We will have libations for all ages and our very own beer created by Slice Brewing Company of Lincoln.
In addition, you will have the opportunity to listen to live music on all three stages as well as enjoy a variety of travelling acts. Look for our new time travel show including exotic animals and our community favorite tortoise rescue.
We will have our traditional Demolition Derby on Sunday and our Second Annual Cornhole Tournament on Saturday for social and professionals. Register early and enjoy your chance to win prizes and cash. The Gold Country Fair would not be complete without our Junior Livestock Auction. Come watch our future leaders in 4-H, FFA, and Independent compete for your generosity and support with their special project.
Last year our community’s generosity laid the foundation for their educational needs and future careers. In a year of uncertainty, you provided the sense of normalcy we all needed! On July 10th, we will have our weigh-in for market sheep, market goats, and market swine. This year’s Gold Country Fair Livestock Auction promises to be even better.
Stay tuned and do not forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram as we update what is planned at our 2021 Gold Country Fair: The Show Goes On! I hope to see everyone at this year’s fair and if you spot our mascot on the town look for your chance to win tickets to the Gold Country Fair.
Stay safe and have a Happy Fourth of July!
Don Ales, CEO
Gold Country Fairgrounds & Event Center
November 24, 2020
As we approach Thanksgiving Day, I am extremely thankful for everyone in our community that has stepped up to support the Gold Country Fairgrounds & Event Center during this exceedingly difficult year. With that in mind, I am thrilled to introduce our new Marketplace vision for your beautiful fairgrounds. Old Town Pizza is building a brand-new covered outdoor pavilion that will serve as a destination for your outdoor dining experience, catered event or as a staple for our new food and retail market destination.
We are also in contact with other local businesses that want to partner as they reimagine their business options for 2021. It is our intent to establish a year long concentration of eateries, wine tasting, craft beers, Farmers Market, crafts, and entertainment at the Gold Country Fairgrounds & Event Center. The Team is reaching out to you are customers to help create a name for our new destination spot. Watch our Facebook post for how you can play an active role in our marketing and brand creation. The winner will be our guest at the Grand Opening of the OTP Outdoor Pavilion Restaurant.
In closing, lets form a partnership with our local businesses while creating an exciting new destination for 2021 and with your support for many years to come!
Don Ales, CEO