1993
To commemorate the Gravenstein Apple Fair’s 50th, happening on August 12 & 13 at wonderful Ragle Ranch Park in Sebastopol, we’re taking a nostalgic tour of the decades leading up to this year’s Golden Jubilee celebration. We’ve covered the groovy ‘70s and the go-go ‘80s, now it’s time fasten your seatbelts as the Wayback Machine takes us to 1993.
Tech Innovation
There was one kinda notable tech innovation in April 1993: a service that provided access to the internet, called the World Wide Web, became available to the public.
1993 in Pop Culture
Nope, still no music or any other kind of media streaming so people listened to their favorite radio stations and still watched a lot of network television. They even went to the movies.
#1 Song
The #1 song of 1993 was Whitney Houston’s rendition of Dolly Parton’s power ballad “I Will Always Love You,” which Whitney sang in the movie “The Bodyguard.” Remember when Kevin Costner, as the bodyguard, swept Whitney Houston’s pop star character up and away from danger – 1993’s ultimate romantic image – with the song playing in the background?
#1 TV Show
The #1 tv show was, wait for it… 60 Minutes?! Yes, today’s creaky television newsmagazine with its iconic ticking stopwatch was THE place for powerful “gotcha” journalism and deep dives into the stories of the day back in 1993. The second most popular show was Home Improvement with Tim “the Toolman” Taylor.
#1 Movie
The #1 movie in 1993 was Jurassic Park, followed by The Fugitive – two blockbusters that were best seen in a theater.
Bestselling Vehicles
The bestselling vehicle in the US in 1993? The Ford F-150 full size pickup truck with 544,000 vehicles sold. The bestselling car? The Ford Taurus with 360,000 cars sold, edging out the Honda Accord. Both the Taurus and the Accord saw double digit decreases in sales in 1993.
Gas mileage for an F-150? ~18 miles per gallon. The price of gas in 1993? $1.11 per gallon.
Sonoma County in 1993
Farm Trails, the Gravenstein Apple Fair’s parent organization, was twenty years old in 1993 as was the Fair. In September of 1993, the first fall weekend, the Farm Trails tour was offered with 25 members participating at ten host farms. Thus, another beloved tradition, one that further connected the public to agriculture and the land, was born.
Sonoma County population: 402,387
Sonoma County apple acreage: 5,047, up slightly from 1992. Net production of all crops in Sonoma County was down in 1993 vs. 1992 due to a very wet spring which impacted the bloom period, particularly for apples and grapes.
50 Years of “Farmers Forever”
Much like it was in 1993, the Gravenstein Apple Fair is still the “sweetest little Fair in Sonoma County,” serving up farm to table food, luscious libations, incredible musical acts, Life on the Farm demonstrations and adorable farm animals. Come join the fun on August 12-13, 2023, at Ragle Ranch Park in Sebastopol.
Scroll down to see MORE fun pictures from the ’90s!
