 Rich and Kathy White pose in front of the Inyo-Mono exhibit at the California State Fair as visitors venture into a world of information about activities, opportunities and the film history of the Eastern Sierra. This year’s exhibit is entitled “Hollywood’s Backlot Provided by Nature,” as the State Fair theme this year is “Hollywood.” Photo submitted By Mike Gervais
Register Staff 8-23-2008
SACRAMENTO – Inyo County is a hit once again at the California State Fair, thanks to the hard work of Rich and Kathy White of the Independence Chamber of Commerce.
This year the Whites are showcasing Inyo and Mono counties as “Hollywood’s Backlot Provided by Nature,” in accordance with the state fair’s Hollywood theme.
In just one week at the fair, the exhibit has been a success, winning two awards and cash prizes and drawing thousands of visitors.
Inyo County’s display has earned a silver medal and the Best Experience Award at this year’s California State Fair in Sacramento. The awards were handed out in presentations made Friday, Aug. 15, opening day of the fair, which continues through Labor Day, Sept. 1.
“We’ve been keeping track of the people who have stopped by and spent some time in the exhibit,” said Rich White. “We’ve been averaging 1,000 visitors a day in the first week of the fair,” and experiencing positive response from visitors. “We show them the things they can do here, like hiking, fishing, skiing, visiting the Bristlecones and Death Valley.”
The State Fair Theme of “Hollywood” has allowed Inyo and Mono to capitalize on the history of movie making from 1920 to the present.
Featured in the exhibit are still photos and posters from many movies filmed in the area, including special photo panels of hit films such as “Iron Man,” “The Other Side of the Mountain,” “Sum of All Fears” and “Trial and Error,” which were all filmed in the Eastern Sierra.
“We have posters and DVD covers of 50-60 movies filmed here with captions telling visitors where they were made,” White said.
The display also features photos and posters that show what visitors will see today throughout the two counties, including Mother Nature’s movie sets which have been virtually unchanged since the 1920s, and continue to draw film-makers today.
The exhibit also includes videos that showcase all the diverse activities available in the Sierra. The promotional films have been provided by the Lone Pine Museum of Film History, the Death Valley National Park, Manzanar National Historic Site, Bristlecone Pine Forest, and KSRW Sierra Wave TV 33.
There are a total of six DVDs playing in the exhibit, showing visitors everything from examples of some of the movies and commercials that have been filmed here, to the inspiring scenery provided by Death Valley and the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest and the recreational opportunities of all seasons in the Sierra.
“People have been coming in and they will stand there and watch the whole video if it’s something that catches their interest,” White said, adding that the videos open avenues for dialogue between visitors and volunteer staff members.
White said many visitors who stop by the exhibit say they never knew about Inyo and Mono counties, let alone the unique features of the landscape and unparalleled opportunities to escape the hustle and bustle of California’s urban areas to experience a taste of fresh, pristine mountain air. He said many visitors get directions from their home towns to the Sierra and some of the destinations featured in the exhibit.
A 27-foot mural created by Ruby Garza of Independence shows many of the natural features used in movies from Tecopa to Topaz Lake. The mural features all the 14,000-foot peaks that can be found in the Sierra, as there is only one other 14,000-footer in California. That peak is located in Shasta County.
“That is a real attraction for outdoors people, they’re very impressed by it,” said White, noting that many visitors at the exhibit are recreational backpackers and hikers.
A golden trout from the Trail of the Trout project is also on display to help promote the Eastern Sierra’s unparalleled fishing opportunities.
The exhibit is staffed daily by the Whites and a couple other volunteers who are on hand to promote the area and answer questions fair visitors may have.
The exhibit is jointly funded by Inyo and Mono counties which arranged for the Whites to create and build the exhibit. Each county provided $8,500 for the construction of the exhibit, travel expenses and food for volunteers and the opportunity to advertise the diverse opportunities the East Side has to offer.
Thirty-five counties have placed exhibits in the fair with approximately one-third receiving gold, one-third receiving silver and the rest receiving bronze awards.
The Best Experience Award, which was given to the Whites for the exhibit, is awarded to the exhibit that best engages the human senses, allowing the fairgoer to interact with the exhibit.
“Our exhibit tells all about our counties, and people have had a positive response and gotten involved with the displays,” he said.
In addition to the display featuring some of the East Side’s most popular attractions, the Whites are handing out Eastern Sierra Visitors Guides and the Motor Touring Guide, in hopes that some of the fair visitors will put them to use before the end of the summer.
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