Petaluma fairgrounds remaking its image

Barely a day goes by without an event of some kind happening at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma.

But that isn't what popped to mind when people thought of "the fair," its directors realized.

Enter a new name and new image: The Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds & Event Center.

"You say the word &‘fair' and for so many people, they think of the five-day event," said Pat Conklin, the fair chief executive . "For us, it means all that we do. It conjures up who we are and what we do."

To capture what truly happens at the 60-acre fairgrounds in the heart of Petaluma, the board revamped the name and logo, ushering in a new way of thinking to incorporate its many events and encourage potential new customers to reconsider "the fair" for their activities.

Just last weekend there was a private birthday party, a quincea?ra, a tow-truck competition and a swap meet and car show put on by the Early Ford V-8 Club of America.

On weekdays, three schools hold classes on the fairgrounds. Music, book and art festivals are held, along with motorcycle shows, chili cookoffs, auctions, Christmas tree disposal and more.

Then there are the larger community events including the Rotary's Easter egg hunt, seasonal car races, the July Fourth fireworks show and the annual weeklong summer agricultural fair and carnival.

The fairgrounds also serve as a commuter parking area, police and fire department training grounds and emergency staging sites for catastrophes such as earthquakes or fires.

In all, the Sonoma-Marin Fair generated about $10.6 million in spending for the local economy in 2009, according to the state agency that oversees state fairs. That includes income created by about 170 jobs, supporting businesses and event attendees. An estimated $52,000 in business taxes were collected.

An economic development strategy report adopted by the city last year encouraged leveraging the potential uses of the fairgrounds to attract events to Petaluma and increase tourism. The report suggested using the fairgrounds for more visitor-oriented purposes, such as lodging, culinary tourism, wine and agri-tourism and conventions and to support local distribution of locally grown food products.

"It's an idea we've been kicking around," said Nicole Marzo, board president. "It reflects the reality that we are a year-round event center. It's one of the messages we want to put out there so that people think of us as a place to be in Petaluma."

Along with the new name, the board adopted a logo that Marzo said integrates the fairgrounds' activities. It features fireworks as the backdrop, a ferris wheel looming above a hall and rolling hills in the foreground signifying the importance of agriculture.

"It's a reminder to people, other customers, that it is a fairgrounds and events center," said fair board member Brian Sobel. "It's definitely a branding and marketing discussion. It isn't this sleepy 60 acres in the middle of town."