Guide to the Santa Cruz County Exhibit at Los Angeles County Fair Collection(1950s-1960s) – History

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In the 1950-early 1960s Santa Cruz County was featured with exhibits at the Los Angeles County Fair at Pomona. These exhibits were often highly elaborate, combining the efforts and talents of many industries such as agricultural and floriculture industries to create a display that showcased all the best products the County of Santa Cruz had to offer, such as begonias from Capitola, mushrooms from Soquel and apples from Pajaro. In 1956, the Santa Cruz County exhibit included was particularly stunning, an according to Warren Skip Littlefield whom was chairman of the advertising committee, an estimated 1,200,000 were expected to view the Santa Cruz County exhibit which was in one of the prime-spot tents at the Fair. The 1956 exhibit included a spectacular ten foot waterfall with three tiers, 5000 begonia blossoms from Antonelli Bros. Nursery in Capitola, slopes with one-hundred ferns, and two huge 4000 pound redwoods burl slabs. The exhibit showcased items such as apples, strawberries, apple cider, celery, artichokes and more (Source: “County Exhibit Ready for Opening at the Los Angles County Fair”; S.C. Sentinel, 9/10/1956, p.4). Some photos of this exhibit appear in the SC County Fair at LA County Fair Collection at the Santa Cruz MAH.