August 2009Fair, Weather, Fans Spells New Giants EventBy Greg ThomasWhile the streets of San Francisco teem with people perusing summer street fairs and festivals that may sprawl over a few blocks, no single overarching event binds city dwellers together. Unlike 20 of the state’s 58 counties, San Francisco doesn’t host a county fair. And that’s what makes the Giants County Fair such an appealing event, according to Jens Weiden, marketing manager for Giants Enterprises, a subsidiary of the Giants baseball franchise that coordinates non-baseball events in and around the ballpark. “A fair just makes sense,” he said. “It’s the quintessential summer family event.” Hosting a fair – with ferris wheel, cotton candy, live music and carnies – during the early part of July has been on Giants Enterprise’s agenda for years. During July the Giants usually go on All-Star break, and there are no games or other festivities attracting people to AT&T Park. This year, the 11-day fair, held in the McCovey Cove parking lot, overlapped with four Giants games before drifting into the All-Star break. On a sunny Sunday afternoon, on one of the fair’s first days, minutes before the start of a Giants-Padres game, the fairgrounds bustled with families decked out in black and orange sports paraphernalia. Parents weaved strollers through the crowds, around the ring toss booths to the concession stands seeking deep fried, sugar-coated treats. “What’s not to like?” said peninsula resident Carolyn Putney while waving to her children and husband who were spinning through the air on the Tornado ride. “It’s clean, the people are helpful and friendly, there are rides for a variety of ages, games for different age groups, and very family friendly...It’s the little things in life that make the difference.” According to Weiden the company plans to make the County Fair an annual event. More than 20,000 people visited the fair this year, “an excellent number that far exceeded our expectations,” Weiden said. |
This Month's StoriesResidential Areas Exempt from Parking Meter Plan, According to MTA Official City Hopes America’s Cup Runneth Over Starr King Elementary Leads SF Schools in Improved Test Scores Southside a Center for Metal Harvesting History Lives on Wisconsin Street San Francisco Breweries Chug Water Dogpatch Hosts Design Residency Project Monte Cristo Club Serves-Up Salty Fish UCSF - Mission Bay’s Scientist Dave Morgan Studies Segregation Foreclosure Crises Lingers in Bayview Black Population Continues to Dwindle Bayview Foreclosure Fighters Take a Stand Radio Africa & Kitchen Puts Down Roots in Bayview Downtown High School Teaches Environmental Lessons San Francisco Firefighters Distribute Toys, Just Not Through Chimneys Hill Resident Publishes Book About Apple’s Post-Jobs Future Henry Joseph Judnick 1927 ~ 2011 On-going FeaturesCrime & Safety Report: Potrero Hill Resident Works Cases at District Attorney’s Office
 |