Stanislaus County Fair proud of its diverse offerings

Fresh off its stint on national television, the Stanislaus County Fair is set begin its 10-day run of family-friendly fun, food and other festivities again.

The annual exposition in Turlock kicks off July 10 and features a full slate of agricultural exhibits, livestock shows, children’s activities, midway attractions, arena spectacles, live music, national headliners and much more. Last year, the fair’s food was featured on a Cooking Channel and Food Network Canada series called “Carnival Eats.”

Fair Marketing and Communications Director Adrenna Alkhas said this year, as every year, the goal is to give a wide variety of options to the public. That includes booking a diverse slate of well-known entertainers to perform on the Bud Light Variety Free Stage each evening.

“We really look for a mix of things, to cater to our guests and our community. We’ve got Hispanic performers, a comedy show, country, rock ’n’ roll. It’s for different generations, too, young and old,” Alkhas said.

Kicking off the free shows will be country rapper Colt Ford, July 10. He will be followed by red-haired comedian Carrot Top on July 11, Spanish-language boy band 3BallMTY on July 12, classic rocker Eddie Money on July 13, country superstar Martina McBride on July 14, soft rockers America on July 15, Poison frontman Bret Michaels on July 16, country crooner Jerrod Niemann on July 17 and blues rock outfit Grand Funk Railroad on July 18. Regional Mexican favorites Banda Machos will return to close out the fair July 19.

There also will be live local music and entertainment on the MillerCoors Center Stage and performances by the popular hypnotist Suzy Haner on the Community Stage each day.

New this year will be two science-themed exhibits. The first, Mind Works, replaces the Wizard’s Challenge attraction that has been at the fair the past two years. The interactive, walk-through display will have science-related games, puzzles, challenges and other features. The second will be the Butterfly Discovery Center. The new exhibit will feature a feeding program, Flutter Garden, Exploratorium gallery and more, with information about the insects for all ages. The exhibit will replace the model train display that has been at the fair for several years.

“We look at how can we educate our community and our children because the fair is about educating the public,” Alkhas said. “These are components we try to bring into the fair every year. It’s a family affair, so when people are there with their kids, we want to bring them to places they can learn and touch and see and feel.”

Also new this year is a mobile app, which replaces the old, simpler one. The free download is available for iOS and Android devices and includes an enhanced list of features: schedules, maps, live streams, coupons and more.

The always popular FoodMaxx Arena events return this year with rodeo, super pulls, monster trucks, motocross and two nights of destruction derby. All of the arena events require tickets, except for the first night of CCPRA Rodeo on July 11, which is included in the price of admission.

This year’s food vendors include most of those featured last year, including all of the delicacies shown on “Carnival Eats.” A crew from the show spent three days filming at the Turlock fairground, and the episode debuted on U.S. TV last August. The episode will repeat on the Cooking Channel at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, July 5.

Alkhas said the fair’s inclusion in the nationally televised show generated a lot of interest and has people excited to try this year’s selections – from deep-fried ice cream sandwiches to lobster fries and 18-inch monster corn dogs. New this year will be the popular freeze-dried ice cream Dippin’ Dots and the alcoholic frozen treats called Buzz Bars.

Last year, some 239,000 people attended the fair, up by more than 10,000 visitors from the previous year. This year’s expo will include more than 30,000 local exhibits and 1,750 animals. As in years past, there will be themed giveaways and specials each night for the first guests to arrive. The fair’s Park ’n’ Ride program also offers free shuttles from California State University, Stanislaus, and Pitman High School to the fair daily.

“We’re trying to make memories happen for people. Been here for 104 years, and that’s our goal every year,” Alkhas said. “We want our guests to make great memories they can share with their kids. And then their kids and their kids will come back.”

This story was originally published July 1, 2015 at 4:12 PM with the headline "Stanislaus County Fair proud of its diverse offerings."