KING CITY, CA – The Salinas Valley Fair held their annual Salinas Valley Fair Kick-Off on Saturday, April 20th. The night started with a great turnout of about 625 attendees, bidding in the silent auction, and a delicious dinner by the King City Young Farmers. Once dinner was served, speeches were given by Lauren Hamilton, CEO, Frank Lopez, Fair Board President, Miss Salinas Valley Fair, and Miss King City Stampede. All welcomed fairgoers to the 80th Salinas Valley Fair, May 16-19, 2024, staff was thanked for all their hard work year-round, and they highlighted the Maddie & Tae concert on Saturday, May 18th. The live auction started at 8:00pm – hands were up and bids were high! The Fair had 33 live auction items, and 16 were sold before the power went out. The power outage affected a good portion of King City. The Salinas Valley Fair Board, Kick-Off Committee, and volunteers did everything they could to have the night go on. Unfortunately, due to safety concerns, the Salinas Valley Fair Kick-Off ended before the live auction was over and the band got to hit the stage – leaving the Fair with 15 auction items still up for grabs. After several discussions with the Salinas Valley Fair Kick-Off Committee and the Salinas Valley Fair Board, the decision has been made to take the remaining Fair Kick-Off items online. Fair Supporters can find the link for the 15 auction items up for grabs on the Salinas Valley Fair website. Items range from getaways to fishing trips to one-of-a-kind meal options! Options are provided to start the bid or buy now, and proxy bidding is setup allowing bidders the convenience of entering their max bid versus needing to keep an eye on their item. Those interested should visit www.salinasvalleyfair.com/p/fair/kickoff. Items can be viewed now with bids opening Monday, April 29th at 8:00am. Activities for the Fair will continue Thursday, May 16th at 11:00am and through Sunday, May 19th at 10:00pm. In addition to Maddie & Tae, the Salinas Valley Fair will provide four days of family-friendly entertainment across the Fairgrounds, music on the Steinbeck Stage, as well as the Junior Livestock Auction – to be held Saturday, May 18th at 8:00am. Fair food favorites, 21+ beverages, and dancing in the Long Branch Saloon are available daily. The Salinas Valley Fair Board and CEO invite everyone from the communities of San Luis Obispo County up through San Benito County and beyond to bid on auction items and make their way to King City, CA for a great Salinas Valley Fair themed “Golden Hills & Fair Time Thrills.” All questions regarding the Fair Kick-Off Online Auction, the 80th Salinas Valley Fair, or the Maddie & Tae concert can be directed to the SVF Office by phone at 831-385-3243 or by email at svf@salinasvalleyfair.com.