Honoring the Best of Fair Oaks
Jan 22, 2025 10:37AM ● By Judy Andrews, photos by Michelle MassaroFAIR OAKS, CA (MPG) - The Best of Fair Oaks 2024 winners were announced at the ninth annual gala at North Ridge Country Club on Jan. 16. Hosted by the Fair Oaks Chamber of Commerce (FOCC), more than 250 guests turned out to have some fun and celebrate the nominees and winners.
Voting to determine first-, second- and third-place winners occurred online over five weeks in November and December. Close to 17,000 votes were received and tallied through bestoffairoaks.com, the most votes ever obtained in the program’s history. In total, 425 nominees competed in 86 different categories.
“The Best of Fair Oaks has become an anticipated premier event in our town, and I’m proud to be a part of its growth and success over the past nine years,” said Fair Oaks Chamber CEO/President Kimberley Pitillo. “It’s quite an honor to be nominated, and it has helped open doors for many of the nominated businesses and winners. Congratulations to everyone.”
The Best of Fair Oaks is sponsored by the American River Messenger, Fair Oaks Chamber of Commerce and VoterFly.
A portion of the event’s proceeds, including a dessert auction and silent auction, support the Chamber of Commerce’s Fair Oaks Youth Outreach Scholarship Program. Students from the program helped organize the event and awarded certificates to first-place winners throughout the evening.
The Fair Oaks Youth Outreach presenters included Noah Wright, Emma Ford, Abby Lingenfelter, Ella Strubli Nistor, Savanna Haro, Mihret Gregory, Phineas Bragado, Alice Mironyuk, Gray Mihalakos and technical support from Zac Lingenfelter.
Award Highlights
Some notable 2024 new and repeat winners included:
Best Bar/Brew Pub: Fair Oaks Brew Pub
Best Skin & Beauty: Skinned and Lashed by Jen (This was Jennifer Rodriquez’ fourth win in a row.)
Best Hair Salon: Rustique Salon
Best Burger, Best Taco: Brahma Bar & Grill
Best Church/House of Worship, Best Pre-school, Best School (K-8th): St. Mel Catholic Church
Best Design & Marketing Services: Chrysti Tovani for ilovefairoaks.com
Best Fast Food: Kiki’s Chicken Place
Best Gym/Fitness Center: Rollingwood YMCA
Best Photography: Dana Muse Photography
Best Restaurant: Divided Sky Tavern
Best Senior Care Solutions: Dot Boyd
Best Specialty Shop: Miller’s Ace Hardware
Best Veterinarian Services: Old Towne Animal Hospital
Best Wine Spot: Bodega Biondi.
The Fair Oaks Recreation and Park District received five first-place awards for Best Children’s Activities, Best Entertainment for Concerts in the Park, Best Event of the Year for Chicken Festival, Best Recreation and Favorite Park.
For the ninth year in a row, the Orangevale-Fair Oaks Food Bank won for Best Non-Profit.
Special Chamber Awards
Kimberley Pitillo presented special chamber awards to five deserving individuals and groups. These recipients were hand-picked for their outstanding contributions to the chamber and the community in 2024:
Business of the Year: Independent Plumbing Heating & Air
Business Person of the Year: Rachel Griffith, Windermere Signature Properties
Citizen of the Year: County Supervisor Rich Desmond
Special Recognition: Doug and Mary Proctor
Volunteer of the Year: The Lingenfelter Family.
Thank you to the following individuals and organizations for supporting the awards night:
American River Messenger, Jessica Rose Balloons, Fair Oaks Youth Outreach, I Love Fair Oaks (ilovefairoaks.com), Michelle Massaro Photography, and VoterFly.
Congratulations to all the nominees and winners.
For a complete list of winners, photos and access to the live event stream, visit bestoffairoaks.com or fairoakschamber.com.