Ah, the cowboy way—close to nature, a little rugged, and a lot of fun, right? Visitors to the Santa Barbara County Fair this year will get a taste of that life at Cowboy Bootcamp, free to fairgoers with paid admission.
Cowboy Bootcamp is part of the Great American Petting Zoo’s themed Ag-Venturelands. This attraction includes 10 tents where little cowpokes can explore a cowboy dress up area to get them geared up in the right duds, a steer roping area where they can try their skill with a lasso, a corn box where they can jump in and play in the corn, and a life-size cow milking station and horse saddling station.
Kids can also try their hand at gold panning and find real gold pieces, which they can exchange for candy. Cowboy craft and face painting, a general store, pedal tractors, a horseshoe pit, and a cowboy campout area round out the fun. Each tent is also painted with a painted backdrop lending more insight into the history of the featured activity.
“It’s a good place for parents to bring their kids, sit on a hay bale, and watch them participate, because it’s not just a place they stand in line, get on a ride, and move on,” said Pamela Jaeger, president of the Great American Petting Zoo. “They can stay and play for hours if they want.”
This is the first year Santa Barbara County fairgoers will have the chance to experience the Cowboy Bootcamp. But Great American Petting Zoo will also have the familiar pony rides and other activities—yes, a petting zoo—that fair visitors have come to know.
Also new this year is a cooking show; “Everything that Matters in the Kitchen,” with Great American Petting Zoo founder Dianne Linderman, combines entertainment and healthy cooking tips. Using local and fresh ingredients, Linderman also offers copies of recipes being prepared to give away to the public from her stage—a 1940s Ford from which she’ll whip up dishes from three to five recipes each day.
“It’s just a beautiful car,” Jaeger said. “Our cooking show attracts car enthusiasts as well as cooking enthusiasts.”
Arts Editor Shelly Cone thinks cowboys are cute, especially the pint-sized ones. Contact her at scone@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jul 5-12, 2012.