The Big Fresno Fair was nothing out of the ordinaryThursdaynight at dusk: families enjoyed their foot massages to end the day, kids straggled behind their parents with stuffed animals in tow, karaoke singers belting out notes of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and multi-colored blinking lights adorned every booth, game and ride.
Fresno State students sported their Bulldog gear while working and soaking up the fair sights, sounds and grease from deep-fried food.
The fair food was what attracted Fresno State student Christina Martinez and her boyfriend. Martinez has attended the fair the past three years said it has become a “yearly thing.”
Martinez, who is majoring in child development, smiled as she described the pig races.
“It was nice seeing the kids at the pig races. Even after the races were over the kids were still jumping up and down and getting into it,” she said.
For some students, being at the fair was more work than play.
Matt Sani, an agriculture marketing student, served up free samples of Fresno State wine in the wine gardenThursdaynight as part of an assignment in his wine marketing class. Sani said working at the fair helped apply the marketing skills learned in the classroom to real life.
Sani estimated that 70 percent of the samplers were trying Fresno State wine for the first time. Most chose the Merlot and Chardonnay.
“Every customer gets three samples. They’re only allowed three, but they’re always begging for more,” Sani said. “There’s always those people who hang around to try and get four or five samples.”
Wes Campbell, a Save Mart store manager, said the wine garden is a combined effort of the Save Mart Corporation and Gallo Wineries. The wine garden began in 2010 at The Big Fresno Fair.
Campbell said half those who sample Fresno State wine didn’t previously know it existed, and fewer know that every Save Mart in the Fresno and Clovis area sells the university wine.
Kyle Mendes was another Fresno State student working at the fair. Mendes, who is majoring in agriculture education, worked as a judge for pee-wee showmanship in livestock.
Because Mendes raised livestock his entire life and has been judging shows since he was in high school, he appreciates the work that the kids and fairgrounds staff put into the shows.
“This is a great fair that’s run well. It’s a great thing to be a part of,” he said. “My favorite thing is seeing all the hard work pay off””for kids who raise the animals for six to nine months and to see that look on their face when that work pays off.”
Mendes was working at the fair this year for a class and said there were at least 50 other students doing the same thing. The students help load and unload the animals, get them in and out of the ring and sort through the entries.
“It takes a small army to do this job,” he said.
The Big Fresno Fair will continue throughOct. 14.