Watermelons Replace Pigs In County Fair Tradition
The 83-year-old Sonoma County Fair next month will not include a favorite event almost as old as the fair itself:…
The 83-year-old Sonoma County Fair next month will not include a favorite event almost as old as the fair itself: children diving in the dirt to capture scampering and squealing piglets.
Instead, children will race against the clock trying to carry a vegetable oil-covered watermelon around an obstacle course, according to media reports.
Fair board members, acknowledging public concern and protests over animal welfare, eliminated the pig scramble from the agenda of agriculture-related contests on Farmers Day.
Fair Board President Rob Muelrath said the decision reflected a “heightened awareness” for humane treatment of farm animals.
