They were off and running at last year’s California State Fair. The temperature was up and so was attendance as nearly a million visitors passed through the gates at Cal Expo in Sacramento.

Horse racing continues to be one of the highlights of the eighteen day event, but this year’s fair will also have the other traditional contests…like corn husking.

People show up at the State Fair with more than just a bundle of energy, they also bring a whopping appetite! Just look at the amount of California foods they eat: more than 92,000 corn dogs, 54,000 snow cones, 115,000 lemons squeezed into lemonade, 40,000 ears of corn, some 32,000 "bloomin'" onions and 25,000 caramel apples.

Michael Bradley, Assistant General Manager for the California Exposition & State Fair, says there’s always big fun at the fair, and a big selection of things to eat. "Boy it’s a wide spectrum. We’ve got a wide cultural diversity of Latino food, Asian foods, what might be called traditional American foods. But there’s a little grease, a stick here and there…and there’s plenty of sugar."

Things may seem quiet at the State Fair’s 3 1/2 acre farm, where they showcase all sorts of California agriculture. But don’t let the tranquil environment fool you, because behind the scenes, workers are busy year-round preparing for the next fair.

There’s actually a full-time staff of seventy people, as well as hundreds of volunteers who help to make the fair happen every year. And Michael Bradley says it’s quite a challenge. "Well absolutely it is. We plan a party for a million people and it takes a little time to put that together."

And this year’s party promises to be the best ever. Be sure to mark the fair dates down on your calendar. It’ll be held August 18 through September 4, 2000. Now if you’re interested in entering any of the contests at the State Fair, it’s practically the "ag Olympics," here’s what you do: Either tap into their website at www.bigfun.org or call them at (916) 263-FAIR. And be sure to look for the California Heartland crew…we’ll be there too!

Not only will California Heartland have a presence at this year’s State Fair, in future episodes of the show, we’ll cover stories about the events, competitions and of course, animals!

Some 5,000 animals are on display during the 18 days…with proud owners and handlers coming from all parts of California and as far away as the east coast.

And every year, several hundred "baby animals" are born during the fair…which is always exciting and breathes "new life" into one of the state’s most historic agricultural traditions.

Here are a couple of things to look for this year: Be sure to check out the "Sale of Champions"…the Junior Livestock Auction. "Cattlemen’s Day" is a ranch rodeo that promises to be entertaining. And don’t miss the "Ranch Kid’s Olympics"…fun for youngsters and adults alike!

As the judges and State Fair officials say, it’s the "best of the best." Ag’s finest…competing for the state’s top awards.