WATSONVILLE — Everybody by now is familiar with pig races, almost every fair has them. But turkey races? What are those?
“My wife calls it an idiot fest,” said Gil Riegler, who will be operating the races at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds this week with his wife Nancy. Riegler, a former Aptos resident, has been a regular attraction at the fair in the past with he and his wife’s wild and exotic bird show. Where as that draws “oohs” and “aaahs,” Riegler said the races draw mostly “guffaws.”
“It’s a goofy, funny show,” Riegler said. “It’s hysterical.” Riegler now lives in San Diego, having left Aptos about 12 years ago. He said he and his wife love to come to the Santa Cruz County Fair. “It’s beautiful here. The people are wonderful. We love coming up here,” he said.
The turkey races might become a new favorite, but for old-time fairgoers, they will have difficult competition.
For Bill Ringe of Corralitos, the fair’s best is Saturday’s Junior Livestock Auction — or maybe the opening day barbecue and ice cream social. “To watch those young kids who’ve raised their animals, to have to turn around and give them up to sell them — the life lessons in that is just amazing,” he said. “And to watch the senior citizens at the opening day barbecue and ice cream social afterwards, some look forward to that all year.”
Billie Street of Santa Cruz has been volunteering in the Home Arts Department for decades and she loves to see what and who comes in. She’ll be doing weaving and quilting demonstrations all week.
Loretta Estrada of Watsonville has several things she’s looking forward to this year. Her great-granddaughter Paris Peixoto, just 4, entered her first vegetables in the fair. “She was very excited about that,” Estrada said. “But, of course, my favorite part is the Rodgers House.”
Estrada has led the fair’s Rodgers House Committee for many years and has been integral to the historic home’s restoration. The national landmark was the home of John Steinbeck’s’ sister and her family. “We’ve done massive work this year. There’s all new landscaping all the way around it,” Estrada said. “There’s a lot of new stuff this year. Its’ awesome.”
The fair opened Tuesday and continues through Sunday. For more on the fair, go online at www.santacruzcountyfair.com.
