PACIFIC ANIMAL PRODUCTIONS/WINE COMPETITION/CISCO JIM

Pacific Animal Productions

Brand new to the Ball Park at this year’s Santa Cruz County Fair is Pacific Animal Productions. For more than 30 years, Pacific Animal Productions has been dedicated to conserving wildlife and endangered species while educating people about the animals with whom we share this planet.

How cool is Pacific Animal Productions? May we present one of the stars of the show, “Paco”! He may be a Sloth, but he’s an incredibly interesting absolutely adorable Sloth. Paco is just one of the surprises you’ll find at any of the Pacific Animal Production performances held daily in the Ball Park. Check the schedule for show times. A fter a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Regional Amateur Wine Competition is back.

Amateur wine makers are given the special opportunity to pour for a panel of expert judges. The cream of the crop receives awards and ribbons. The contest also gives winemakers the chance to swap stories about their expertise and share wine making tips. This unique department within the Santa Cruz County Fair helps grow and enhance the wine industry in the area.

Here’s an interesting aside: The “Best of Show” honor is known as the R.A. Pedulla Award and is named after the founder of the department and annual wine competition. Rudy Pedulla was one of the first hobby wine makers in Watsonville and was making wines here starting in the late sixties. Originally from Rochester, NY, Pedulla found himself teaching at Watsonville High and made enough time to share his passion by starting the competition in 1979.

Also on display, beautiful and educational photos showing wine makers at work- picking, crushing, de-stemming, pressing, fermenting and bottling wine.

Anyone interested in the art of wine making can visit www.sccfairwine.org.

Already a wine maker? Check out https://groups.io/g/mbawm to join a new group email list to exchange ideas and topical information.

Cisco Jim

He strolls, he sings, he tells stories and teaches about life in an earlier time here in the west. He’s Cisco Jim, a retired educator who is still educating from atop a horse. You’ll find him roving the grounds daily at the 2022 Santa Cruz County Fair.