CHICO — The familiar sound of moos, baas and goat shrieks filled the pavilion and livestock barns Thursday at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds as kids with 4-H, FFA and Grange tended to the animals they’ve spent all year raising.
Animals like rabbits, sheep, goats and cows were presented for judging throughout the day Thursday as young ranchers were presented with various awards.
For Lillian Mattly, this was her first year raising a pig. Having already been shown, Mattly’s pig named Moose could be found in his pen taking a rest.
Lillian Mattly sits beside her pig Moose in Chico, California at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds on Thursday, May 24, 2024. (Jake Hutchison/Enterprise-Record)
“I just really like animals, and I felt like it was something fun to do,” Mattly said. “And I like learning new things and making new friends.”
This marked Mattly’s second year showing an animal at the fair. Last year she raised a lamb.
“We did pretty well,” Mattly said of the showing. “He’s a really good pig and I had a really good season.”
Colleen Cecil, the executive director of the Butte County Farm Bureau, said 595 animals were shown at the Silver Dollar Fair this year.
“We as an organization believe that supporting the exhibitors at the Silver Dollar Fair Junior Livestock Auction is an incredible way to support our community and the future of our community,” Cecil said. “We should be supporting them because these students learn skills through 4-H, FFA and Grange. They gain work ethic, learn the value of investments and getting up early and manage animals. They have to make decisions about health, nutrition and animal welfare. It’s a great opportunity for the community to support really awesome kids who work really hard.”
Because there are so many animals this year, Cecil said the auction will be broken into two days. Those who won first and second place prizes will present at the Sale of Champions at 4 p.m. Friday while the others will present at the general auction on Saturday.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the pavilion, Aurora Hunt was prepping her sheep for presentation. Hunt’s family has raised animals for generations so she is well-versed in the practice.
Aurora Hunt shows her sheep alongside her mom, Sunshine Hunt, at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds in Chico, California on Friday, May 24, 2024. (Jake Hutchison/Enterprise-Record)
“This is my ninth year,” Hunt said of her history with the Silver Dollar Fair. “I’ve come here since I was 9-years-old and I’m a (high school) senior now. My parents did it. My mom showed pigs when she was in high school, and my brothers did it when they turned nine.”
Alongside Hunt was her mom, Sunshine Hunt, who praised 4-H and how it helps children.
“It’s been a great opportunity for each of the kids and it’s what’s shaped my kids and our family into who we are today,” Sunshine Hunt said. “We encourage anybody to get involved in it in any way you can.”
On the larger end of the farm animal spectrum were the cows, which packed the north barn of the fairgrounds. In line to present his steer was Joseph Fernandez whose animal won first in showmanship.
Joseph Fernandez showcases his steer on Thursday, May 24, 2024 in Chico, California. (Jake Hutchison/Enterprise-Record)
“This is my first year doing steer too,” Fernandez said. “I raised pigs for six years.”
For many at the event, raising animals was a somewhat new experience. Becky Watner, whose daughter entered a meat goat into Wednesday’s judging, said that she and her family didn’t get into raising animals until moving to Durham about four years ago.
“Where I grew up there wasn’t a 4-H club,” Watner said. “We were more suburban. And so we are on the learning curve for sure. It’s a big club in Durham, and we have since moved out of the suburbs and into a rural community, and now we have livestock so it’s part of our lifestyle now, and our daughter is really into raising livestock.”
Tanner Hansen walks with his sheep around the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds in Chico, California on Thursday, May 24, 2024. (Jake Hutchison/Enterprise-Record)
The fair opened at 4 p.m. today. Admission for visitors ages 13 and up is $15; seniors, active military and veterans get in for $12. Kids up to age 5 get in for free and kids 6-12 get in for $5 each day except today, when the kids’ price is $12. Parking is $10.
The fair is open from 4 to 11 p.m. today and Friday, from noon to 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and from noon to 10 p.m. Monday.
The Silver Dollar Fairgrounds is located at 2357 Fair St. in Chico. For more information visit silverdollarfair.org.
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