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Fair Education
October 8, 9, 14, 15, & 16
The Big Fresno Fair, in conjunction with the Fresno County Office of Education, is planning our 18th FANTASTIC Fair Education Program. It has always been the mission of the Fair to educate, celebrate and have fun! During the past 17 years, more than 245,000 local students and their teachers have been educated about our agriculturally rich valley through Fair Education. The Fair Education Program allows kindergarten through eighth grade students to visit the Fair FREE of charge in an educational setting.
What is Fair Education?
Fair Education is a program that allows students to visit The Big Fresno Fair free of charge in an educational effort to expose Fresno County children to the unique agricultural heritage and Fair tradition that is so unique to the Central Valley.
What can my class expect on a Fair Education Day?
During a Fair Education Day, classes will arrive at the Fair and have the opportunity to see the exhibits in the Fairground buildings between 9:00 am and 12:00 pm including: Ag Ventureland, Fine Arts & Photography, Floriculture, Home Arts, Gem & Mineral, Junior Exhibits, Agriculture and Kids' Town. Teachers who take their classes through at least five buildings will be given one free return ticket per student, so that students can bring their parents back to the Fairgrounds to show them what they have learned.
What about lunch?
We encourage teachers to bring bag lunches for their students. All lunches must be labeled with the name of the class, teacher and school. Upon arrival at the Fairgrounds, properly labeled bag lunches will be transported to the Pavilion area and at noon, all classrooms can meet in the Pavilion, pick up their lunches and enjoy entertainment during lunch before they leave.
Registration
What is the deadline for registration?
Registration Deadline is September 25th, 2009 at 5:00pm. Late Registration will NOT be accepted.
What if I have additional students added to my class after I have registered?
If you have more students in you classroom than you specified on the registration form, don't worry! When you arrive at the Fair on the day of your visit, go directly to the Teacher Check-In Table in the Butler Parking Lot under the red tent and let a volunteer know the number of students you have with you. If the additional students require additional chaperones, the necessary tickets will be given to you at that time.
What if I want to participate with other classes from my school, should we register together?
Our registration system does not register buses or schools, only individual classes. Classes may arrive in as many groups as are convenient for the teacher and school, but we require one registration form per class to register you.
Curriculum
Is there curriculum available to prepare my classroom for the Fair?
The Big Fresno Fair provides curriculum filled with Fair related activities that can be used before and after your classrooms visit to the Fair. Big Fresno Fair Curriculum
Chaperones:
How many chaperones can I bring with my class?
The breakdown of chaperones is as follows:
| Preschool:(Ages 3 and Older) | 1 chaperone to every 2 students |
| K-3: | 1 chaperone to every 4 students |
| 4-8: | 1 chaperone to every 6 students |
| Special Needs: | 1 chaperone to 1 student if necessary, otherwise the ratio would be the same as the same grade mainstream class. |
*Teachers do not have a chapersone ticket, they will recieve a clearly marked Teacher Ticket.
What if I have more chaperones than allowed for my grade level?
Any chaperones above the allowed amount will be charged a discounted rate of $5.00 in the parking lot and at the gate before entering the grounds.
Arrivals
What time can I arrive with my class?
The parking lot opens at 8:00 a.m., the Fairground gates open at 8:30 a.m. and the buildings open at 9:00 a.m. Fair Education classes may enter the Fairgrounds between 8:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.
Where should I park?
The Butler Parking Lot at Butler and Chance Avenues offers FREE PARKING to all Fair Education participants from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
What should I do if I have special needs or students with disabilities?
Be sure to indicate on your registration form that you have students with special needs. This will insure that you are able to enter through the Chance Ave Gate, where students will be able to be dropped off in the street closure and may be picked up there after 12:00 p.m. Please advise us of any special requirements you need in advance.
Read & Ride Program
We are very excited to present such a program as this to schools and students of the Fresno community. This promotional program has been implemented in several communities and has proven to be quite a huge success. In addition to providing free rides to students, it also gives them an opportunity to take pride in their own educational goals. Students who participate in this program and complete the suggested requirements or the requirements set by their instructor will receive three (3) free ride coupons to be used at the 2009 Big Fresno Fair. Click here for more information.
The Big Fresno Fair-Fair Education Office
1121 S. Chance Ave.
Fresno, CA 93702-3707
(559) 650-3227
(559) 650-3226 fax
Please don't hesitate to call with any questions or concerns!