Friday, Jul. 18, 2008

Fairgrounds finds, from dinosaurs to rock 'n' roll

Get ready for everything from the prehistoric to the preteen at the Stanislaus County Fair.

The county's annual agricultural expo and family festival showcases the best in the county and some of the brightest in the nation during its 10-day run starting July 25.

The lineup for the free headliner shows includes country, alternative, classic rock, Christian music, pop, Motown and mariachi.

The performers are opening-night headliner and country superstar Clay Walker, as well as alt-rockers Bowling for Soup, country band Sawyer Brown, Christian acts Building 429 and Matthew West, country quartet Little Big Town, classic rockers The Doobie Brothers, tween pop star Raven-Symoné, surf rockers The Beach Boys, Motown hitmakers The Temptations and Spanish-language stars Mariachi Vargas. All concerts are included in the price of admission at the Budweiser Variety Free Stage.

"We are always looking to make the concert lineup so we have something to offer everyone," fair spokeswoman Pennie Rorex said. "We had the opportunity to even expand that in a broader way and offer some for a younger audience with Raven."

Added to the rest of the fair's traditional offerings of livestock exhibits, carnival rides, demolition derbies and food booths is the new Jurassic Journey exhibit. The daily attraction in the Sky Trek Kids Zone will feature more than 400 dinosaurs and prehistoric fossil replicas. Kids also will be able to dig for "fossils" each night thanks to the California State University, Stanislaus, Paleontology Club.

Jurassic Journey includes replicas of a T-Rex, velociraptor and saber-tooth tiger. The largest replica, the stegosaurus, is 21 feet long by 12 feet high.

"Our goal is always to produce a family-oriented fair," Rorex said. "Kids and dinosaurs go together like peas and carrots."

The exhibit is part of the fair's two-part theme this year: "Nuts Are Dino-Mite." The area's nut industry takes center stage with an exhibit and daily gifts for the first 1,000 guests through the gates. Free samples from the Almond Board of California will be handed out daily to all fairgoers.

Also new this year is the Humpz and Hornz Bullriding event and a 75th-anniversary appearance of the Budweiser Clydesdales in the FoodMaxx Arena. The events join the arena's already popular slate of Tuff Trucks, truck and tractor pulls, destruction derbies, CCPRA rodeo, motocross and more.

To help families afford the annual extravaganza during difficult economic times, the fair has more daily discounts available through area retailers. Coupons can be used eight of the fair's 10 days and range from $2 to $4 off per person. Locations include Taco Bell, Costco, Raley's and Save Mart in Stanislaus County. Other discounts include $2-off opening night with a canned good (donations go to United Samaritans) and coupons on 7Up bottles from county retailers.

Those ages 65 or older are admitted free, and children 12 and under are free all day July 31, the day of the Raven-Symoné show.

"We know that we need to not only have a fantastic fair but an affordable fair. We wanted to make the coupons and promotions readily available," Rorex said. "Every year, we think, 'Oh, how can we top last year's?' Then every year, this great group of people comes together and then we say, 'It's our favorite ever.' "