Stories From the Past Meet the Present

For nearly 80 years, the Santa Clara County Fair has been where our community comes together—and we’re working to preserve that legacy for generations to come.

 

From the Collection

Matchbook Cover & Button – 1951

We recently acquired two fantastic items from 1951: a matchbook cover and a pin-back button.

Matchbook advertising served as a “mini billboard” and was widely used from the 1940s through the 1970s. The Fair embraced this trend early, and our collection includes examples from 1949–1976. Many designs featured the beloved “Cheery Farmer” and the slogan “Hi! Neighbor, Come to The Fair.”

Pin-back buttons followed a similar concept, with designs updated annually. We now have a complete set from 1947–1953 in excellent condition—another great glimpse into how The Fair promoted itself over the years.

Do you have old Fair items, photos, or memorabilia at home? – We’d love to hear your story. Please reach out and help us preserve our shared history..

 

In January, we received a meaningful donation from Teri Foley Smith—a pristine copy of A Brief History of the Santa Clara County Fair by Dick Barrett.

Dick, a longtime San Jose Mercury News columnist, had a deep passion for local history and was a strong supporter of the Fair. This booklet remains one of our most valuable resources on the early development of the Fairgrounds.

Have a favorite Fair memory or historical item to share? – We invite you to contribute photos, stories, or artifacts to help grow this collection.

 

Fairgrounds Heritage Foundation Updates

News from the Annex!

It’s been a busy and exciting few months at the Annex, home of the our Heritage Collection.

With significant growth in 2025, we’ve transitioned from a chronological filing system to a thematic organization, grouping items like Home Arts, Christmas Lane, and Carnival. This has already sparked new exhibit ideas for the 2026 Fair and dramatically improved how quickly we can locate items.

We’ve also expanded into the second floor, creating much-needed space for storage and exhibit preparation.

Digitizing Our History

Digitization efforts are in full swing. Through a partnership with the San Jose Public Library’s California Room and Foothill College, volunteers are scanning, tagging, and cataloging historic Fair materials.

Students initially joined to meet course requirements—but many have stayed on, continuing their work beyond the required hours. We’re grateful for their dedication.

Special thanks to Tori Grayum, who has cataloged over 800 items since January, bringing our total to 2,800. Our volunteers truly are the backbone of FHF.

Learning & Growing

Board members Colleen Alger and Marcella Gulmon attended the California Association of Museums (CAM) Conference in March. They participated in sessions on topics including volunteer engagement, cataloging, and building sustainable nonprofit boards.

They returned energized with new ideas to help grow our collection, expand our reach, and better engage our community.

 

 

 

 

Explore opportunities and secure your sponsorship:

https://fairgroundsfoundationscc.org/sponsorship

Join Our Board

We’re excited to welcome Barbara Suit as our newest board member and Secretary. Barbara brings deep experience in youth development through 4-H and the Clover Foundation, and works professionally as a Dyslexia Specialist supporting students and families.

We’re also looking to grow our board—if you or someone you know is interested, we’d love to connect.

Snippet from the Past

Citrus Salad -People’s Choice Winner

Serves 6-8
4 oranges medium to large size
2 pink or ruby red grapefruit
3 mandarin oranges or cuties or similar size
1 pomello grapefruit
2 satsuma orange
¼ cup pomegranate seeds
5 large fresh mint leaves
4 oz sprite or clear soda

Peel and supreme all citrus (peel, segment and remove as much white membrane as possible). Chiffonade mint leaves
Add citrus, pomegranate, mint and soda to a large bowl, lightly toss and serve.

Adult version: substitute soda with 4 oz white wine or 2 oz gin
* you may substitute any citrus for in season availability

This award-winning recipe from Tori Grayum was featured at the 2026 4-H Favorite Foods Day.
Tori is a dedicated FHF volunteer with deep family ties to the Fairgrounds—her grandfather, William Straub, served as Fair Manager from 1956–1972.

Did you know?  The Fair offers opportunities for both youth and adults to participate in Home Arts, cooking, and competitions. Interested in entering? Learn more: guides-and-forms

 

Visit Us & Get Involved

Interested in seeing our collection? We’re open Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

The Fair!

Don’t forget to mark your calendar and come visit us at The Fair this August (Aug 19–23) to experience the Heritage Exhibit in person. If you cannot attend The Fair, take a virtual tour of our exhibit.
Have items to donate or loan for the 2026 Heritage Exhibit August 19th – 23rd? Please reach out: [email protected]

Volunteer with us and help bring history to life!

It’s been wonderful connecting—we hope you enjoy a Citrus Salad this summer!

Please Click here to explore sponsorship opportunities with FHF!

For all things fair-related, head to The Fair and please share this with your family, friends, and neighbors. It’s going to be a great Fair this year and we hope to see you there!!!!