Merrill Award

The Arizona State Fair brought Omnium, A Bold New Circus, to the Fair to educate and celebrate diversities through art. Omnium’s “I’m Possible” show featured acrobats, dancers, contortion, and aerial artistry. The Arizona State Fair staff thought beyond the standard ADA requirements to meet the needs of those with neurodiversity’s. The show utilized storytelling throughout the performances to share how each performer had overcome challenges in their life and learning their craft. Guests were entertained with beautiful performances, which included aerial work performed by an individual who was born without legs and acrobat skill demonstrated by an individual who was born deaf.

Result – The Arizona State Fair team created a welcoming experience at the Fair for those impacted by low mobility, blind/low vision, deaf and hard of hearing, autism, Down’s Syndrome, and other disabilities. The Circus proved to be an excellent vehicle to adapt to the community, integrating new practices to how people experienced the Fair.

Celebrating the community and bringing awareness to important causes is one of the goals of the California Mid-State Fair. This year the Fair crated a new, dynamic exhibit highlighting a special non-profit organization dedicated to building up women veterans. Grown from existing partnerships with local trade unions, the Fair welcomed Operation WEBS (Women Empowered Build Strong) to build a custom tiny mobile home live at the Fair. The home was built to benefit displaced and homeless woman veterans residing in the Central Coast of California.

Result – Throughout the Fair, staff, Board members, Career Fair union participants, and fairgoers were excited to watch the building of the tiny mobile home from wheels to roof. It was truly a collaborative effort. As a first-time partnership and exhibit, the Operation WEBS tiny-home build was a very successful exhibit, one that the California Mid-State Fair staff hopes to continue to build on for future Fairs.

The County of Marin Department of Cultural Services and the Marin Cultural Association celebrated the 80th anniversary of Marin City with two unique art exhibits and a special theater performance that celebrated the Black narrative and experience of people in Marin City, a small community in southern Marin. This program was a partnership with the nonprofit, Performing Stars of Marin and the County of Marin. Marin City 80 was a Countywide celebration of the eight generations of Black families in Marin City, and the establishment of the Marin City Historical and Preservation Society. Six hundred school children from local schools participated in docent led tours viewing the exhibit and watching the performance.

Result – Following the success of the exhibit and performance, Performing Stars of Marin, is establishing the Marin City Historical & Preservation Society (MCHPS). MCHPS to preserve artifacts, audio recordings, digital files, and various keepsakes from residents of Marin City, and serve as a community history center and museum.

Farmworkers are the backbone of our food supply chain, as they are responsible for planting, raising, harvesting, and packing our fruits and vegetables and the production of dairy and meat – meaning all the food you eat daily is connected to a farmworker! When the C0VID-19 pandemic paused our lives in 2020, we saw firsthand how farmworkers kept our grocery stores stocked with the help of others in the food supply chain. The San Mateo County Fair staff wanted to let farmworkers know that their hard work is seen and appreciated. "Farmworker Heroes Appreciation Day" was created. It included a Farmworkers Heroes Exhibit, (open every day of the Fair).The gallery showcased portraits and stories of current farmworkers working in the fields. It aimed to educate and honor current farmworkers who still face challenging job conditions. Another section of the gallery was dedicated to the history of previous efforts by labor leaders who fought for better working conditions. An interactive mural project honoring Filipino farm workers was created during the Fair. Kids of all ages were encouraged to assist artist Carlos Gonzalez to paint the mural. There was also a special screening of the film about Cesar Chavez, live musical performances and special ceremonies honoring local farmworkers.

The Farmworker Heroes Exhibit was created in collaboration with the Cesar Chavez Foundation and ALAS (Ayudando Latinos A Solar).

Result – The multi-faceted Farmworkers Appreciation Day programming was a great agricultural educational experience for San Mateo County fairgoers and a tremendous way to honor the farmworker community.