By Reporter Staff
Article Launched: 08/14/2008
Crews work on Wednesday on the Solano County exhibit for the 2008 California State Fair at Cal-Expo in Sacramento. (Rick Roach/The Reporter)
If regular California State Fair-goers thought Solano County pulled all the stops last year to take the "Best of Show" award in the fair's annual county exhibits competition, wait until they get a load of this year's display.
Final touches were put in place Wednesday on the display, which features a giant animatronic yellow chicken that actually talks.
What does it say?
"Well it says 'Welcome to Solano County' and lots of 'cock-a-doodle dos,' " said exhibit coordinator Bob Meador, with a laugh.
Above the chicken hangs a spinning, smiling sun and dancing sunflowers. Visitors will enter the display under the chicken, and once inside are treated to a host of displays on agriculture and a garden setting complete with birdhouses made from miniature models of Solano's previous winning county exhibits.
The theme of this year's State Fair is "Going Hollywood," and Solano's exhibit incorporates that with power point displays of films shot in Solano County during the past 100 years.
And the display features some filmmaking of its own. A giant barn marks the display's exit point, but only after visitors encounter a life-sized model of a cow with video displays on it's sides showing typical farm life in the region.
The design is once again by Paul Curtis of Curtis Designs, who fabricated the whimsical characters for the display. Supervisor John Vasquez, Meador and electronics expert Cliff Covey also had a hand in the display, which was constructed by staff of the county's General Services Department.
Judging for the display will be done today, and winners will be announced Friday. Solano has a tough standard to meet, having taken Best of Show honors three years in a row and four out of the last five years.
The California State Fair opens Friday and runs through Sept. 1.
The California's Counties Exhibit is both an exhibit and a competition in which California's diverse counties compete for accolades by creating original and elaborate displays showing off the incredible and unique beauty of California.
The exhibit is located in the California Building on the state fairgrounds in Sacramento.
