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Inyo brings home gold for second year in row |
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Thursday, 22 July 2010 |
 Rich White (in orange) tells visitors all about Inyo County’s diverse activities and attractions at this year’s State Fair. The Inyo exhibit received another gold ribbon at this year’s fair. Photo courtesy Rich and Kathy White By Mike Gervais
Register Staff
7-22-2010 Inyo County once again blew judges and spectators away with a creative, educational and aesthetically unique booth at the California State Fair.
There are a total of 30 county exhibits at this year’s fair, and Inyo’s display, which includes videos, literature and a huge mural, earned a gold ribbon for the second year in a row.
Rich and Kathy White, who have represented Inyo County at the State Fair for the past several years, received the gold ribbon last Wednesday for “Best County Exhibit,” proving that their hard work and the county’s investment in the fair pays off.
Placer County took home honors for Best of Show and Mono County received a silver ribbon for having the best use of artifacts.
What Rich and Kathy do by building and manning the state fair exhibit each year “is a tremendous civic service,” County Administrative Officer Kevin Carunchio said. “As much as there is marketing value, there is a civic pride, and the display is Inyo County putting its best foot forward.”
And that “best foot” is provided by a group of local volunteers who take time out of their schedule to be sure Inyo County is represented at the event.
Rich and Kathy work along with Perry and Sally White of Independence, Kathleen New of Lone Pine and David Blacker of Death Valley to man the 36-foot long, 16-foot deep exhibit.
Inyo County has one of the largest displays despite the fact that Inyo County provides $10,000 for the exhibit, while larger counties such as San Francisco and Los Angeles pour what amounts to hundreds of thousands of dollars into their exhibits.
Inyo’s booth features 11 separate four-foot panels depicting the majestic Eastern Sierra and features highlights of the county, along with promotional videos and various pieces of literature showing visitors what the county has to offer.
“What Rich and Kathy put into this exhibit can’t be measured in dollars,” Carunchio said. “Their budget is a fraction of what other counties have and they do an excellent job. It’s my understanding that they are a favorite exhibit each year at the fair.”
For example, San Francisco spent $3,500 just to have a cable car transported to the fair, in addition to other features in its exhibit and the cost of manning it.
In contrast, Inyo relies a great deal on donations of time and material for its exhibit to create such a popular attraction.
“The exhibit is made to be educational and encourages visitation to enjoy the county’s many natural wonders and events. Volunteers are on hand during fair hours to answer questions and promote the area,” Rich and Kathy said via e-mail.
The centerpiece for this year’s display is the mural painted by Ruby Garza depicting the Sierra. The mural has served as an educational tool for many who are not familiar with the Eastern Sierra, and as a hook that catches the eyes of attendees and brings them into the booth.
“We are looking for a home for Ruby’s mural” once the fair is over, the Whites said.
The painting is pretty fragile so can’t go anywhere where it will be touched by a lot of people.
The mural consists of 11 panels each four feet wide. In addition, some cutouts have been made for TVs to be installed to play promotional videos during the event.
“We’ve saved the pieces, but there will be scars when they’re reinstalled,” the Whites said.
State Fair officials report presale of tickets up 31 percent over last year. First day attendance was approximately 20,000. In the first two days alone, more than 1,500 people visited the Inyo exhibit.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 03 August 2010 )
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