See a gallery of photos from opening day here.
Roe Borunda / The Collegian
Fried foods, hand wax sculptures, musical acts and bright neon lights dressing carnival rides can only mean one thing ”” The Big Fresno Fair has come to town.
The annual fair, operating through Oct. 14, opened on Wednesday under 100-degree weather with thousands of Valley residents in attendance.
This year’s event features various events, carnival rides, horse racing, game and novelty booths and food stands.
According to the event’s website, The Big Fresno Fair is the fifth largest fair in California.
Matt Jimenez, a Fresno State student, was among the crowd that attended the fair’s opening on Wednesday, a day when admission and carnival rides were reduced to only a dollar.
Jimenez said he enjoyed what the fair had to offer, but was surprised at the crowded spaces. It was his first time attending the event.
“I thought it was a lot of fun,” Jimenez said. “I enjoyed being there. But the thing was I didn’t expect it to be as small as it was. I thought it’d be a lot different; just hanging out with friends and just trying to have fun and enjoying the night.”
With the high volume of attendees, event security and also Fresno Police patrol the fair to ensure a safe environment. Incidents such as theft and lost children can be prevalent in huge crowds.
Dan Cafarelli, a Fresno Police officer on patrol on Wednesday, said that while crime is relatively low at the event, it is still something law enforcers are wary about.
“Usually it sticks out because it’s a family venue,” Cafarelli said. “People are here to have a good time””they’re in that mode. So if you see somebody acting up or that had too much to drink, that’s the main deal. Otherwise it’s usually a nice, safe, fun venue for everybody.”
Cafarelli said taking preemptive steps is the best prevention method for theft and crime.
“Take what you need for the time you’re going to have, and use good common sense,” Cafarelli said. “Usually, that’s enough to prevent you from becoming a victim.”
Cafarelli said that more than 35 police officers patrol the fairgrounds at any given time. This is not including event security and officials patrolling traffic and activity outside the fair.
“The fact that there’s so many uniformed police and security and that [people] are being checked at the gate cuts down on the probability of people being victims anyway. But you never want to let your guard down.
“There’s all kinds of different units deployed for this time because of the over-concentration of the people.”
The fair will continue to operate through next Sunday.
The Big Fresno Fair’s concert series in the Paul Paul Theater continues each day the event is in operation.