Local veterans were honored at the San Benito County Fair on Saturday as they were presented with handmade quilts by the  Pinnacle Quilters of San Benito County.

The Board of the 33rd District Agricultural Association partnered with the quilters on the Quilts of Honor program, which provided patriotic quilts to 31 veterans during a ceremony held in the Junior Livestock Arena. The presentation occurred just prior to the start of the auction that morning and concluded with the singing of the national anthem.

Mandy Schneider is involved with the Pinnacle Quilters and Fair’s quilting exhibits, previously said, “Military service veterans have put their lives on the line for our freedom, and we wanted to do something to say thank you. The members of our club have been working diligently to hand-craft these quilts, which will be presented to them during the ceremony.  We hope to see this become an annual event for the fair.”

Saturday was Military Appreciation Day at the fair, which provided free admission to all active and former military members.

Sunday is Community Day at the fair, as the four-day run of the event wraps up. Check back with BenitoLink for more stories and photos from the annual event, along with results from the various contests and competitions.