Today the Fairgrounds and Kenilworth Park continue to host the Sonoma-Marin Fair and attract tens of thousands of visitors each year. For example, the Sonoma-Marin Fair achieved national recognition with the first Ugliest Dog Contest, established in 1993. Events and adventures abound through the year, highlighting the county’s commitment to agriculture, wildlife, food, community, and preservation of its rich history.

Ag Days

Held annually, Ag Days provides school classes with the opportunity to explore the role Sonoma County agriculture plays in their daily lives and community. Students learn the journey of food from the farm to the table. They also get to meet farm animals and watch demonstrations of life on a farm. Conversations with local farmers and ranchers teach them how to work with the environment and natural resources to raise plants and animals. Students are also invited to investigate agriculture and participate in the academic and artistic contests offered.

Petaluma Music Festival

The goal is simple: “keeping music in the schools”. The Petaluma Music Festival Board of Directors believes passionately in the positive influence of music in children’s lives. Proceeds from this annual event will be distributed among Petaluma’s public elementary and secondary schools to provide funding for their music programs. Funding for the arts is problematic in California, as there is never enough funding for all our school’s needs.

World’s Ugliest Dog® Contest

The old saying “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” is exemplified at the World’s Ugliest Dog® Contest at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, CA. The internationally observed event celebrates homely hounds and the humans who love them.

Lagunitas Beer Circus

The Lagunitas Beer Circus is an amazing, eclectic beer festival, held at the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds. The wildly popular event attracts about 5,500 visitors annually.