TURLOCK, Calif. — More than a hundred years of tradition come to the forefront for one of the gems of Stanislaus County, the Stanislaus County Fair.
The Stanislaus County Fair hosts big-name headliners like Clay Walker, TLC, and 98 Degrees while at the same time remaining a place that’s down to earth, with lineups and exhibits that cater to the area’s interests and celebrates the people behind them.
“That’s what makes us different and stand out,” said Adrenna Alkhas, spokesperson for the Stanislaus County Fair.
“We have this community feel because every year we get these types of exhibitors that exhibit and we’ve had women that exhibit their quilts – 90-year-old women who have been doing it for 50 or more years - exhibiting at our fair.”
It’s that home-like feel and those big name draws that have brought more than 200,000 people to the Stanislaus County Fair almost every year.
When and where is it?
The Stanislaus County Fair runs from July 12 to July 21.
Fairgrounds open up at 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and, on Saturday and Sunday, they’ll open the doors at noon. Closing hours for the fair and carnival may vary, but, generally, they are advertised to close at midnight.
The front gate of the fairgrounds is located at 900 North Broadway in Turlock, Calif.
How much is it?
Once the fair starts, a ticket will range from $12 to $7.
- $12 for adults
- $7 for children
- $7 for seniors
Discounts for tickets will be available until July 11, which will provide a $2 discount.
There’s $8 fee for parking at the fair.
Unlimited ride wristbands run from $30 from Monday through Friday and $35 Saturday through Sunday. Pre-sale wristbands can be bought for $28. For more information, click HERE.
Parking will cost $8 per vehicle. There are two parking lots for guests to use:
- West Lot: Located on Soderquist Road (between Fulkerth Road and Canal Drive), west of the Hilmar Cheese Company entrance to the Fair.
- North Lot: Located on Fulkerth Road, just west of Golden State Boulevard. From this lot, you access the fair through the Mocse Credit Union entrance.
What’s new at the Stanislaus fair?
“A few years ago, we used to have the rain forest, and this year what we wanted to do is something different, where we’re actually bringing in live tigers. It’s a whole Walk in the Wild exhibit,” Alkhas said.
Live tigers and bobcats won’t be only new additions to the fairs line-up this year, because the aquarium will also be coming to the fair with live stingrays.
Other acts you’ll see around the fair are former American Idol contestant and Modesto native Ryan Hammond singing the national anthem for the destruction derby, “American Funniest Cowgirl” Karen Quest, and the Street Drum Corps.
Butler Amusement Carnival - Joining classic carnival rides like the Ferris Wheel will be "Shake Up," "Wacky Shack Funhouse," "Jump Around," and "Scrambler."
Walk in the Wild Exhibit – Walk in the Wild is the replacement for Dinomania at the fair. The new exhibit will set up a jungle atmosphere with tigers, bobcats, and other exotic animals from all over the world.
Wizard of Oz Marionette Show – The puppet show brings in the memorable songs of the “Wizard of Oz”. It’s a bit of puppet theater in a style that’s rare for the modern scene, according to Stanislaus County Fair. The show brings back classic characters like Dorothy, Toto, Scarecrow, Tin-Man, and the Cowardly Lion.
Live Stingray Exhibit – It’s a live hands-on experience with marine life. The live Stingray Exhibit will let guests feed and even touch the stingrays while learning more about them.
Chopped Gone Floral and more – “Chopped Gone Floral” is part of a celebration of small engines, plant science, and plant marketing at the fair. This re-imagining of the popular Food Network gameshow challenges guests in a 45-minute floral arrangement contest for a prize of $200. Keeping to the floriculture theme, guests can also compete in a small engine competition or engage with seed bombs, fair garden doors, and succulent plants.
For more information on the floriculture activities, click HERE.
Music headliners: Concerts from Clay Walker, TLC, and 98 Degrees take place on the Coors Light Variety free stage and are open seating. For more information on the full list of concerts, click HERE.
Getting to the fair
Free bus rides will be given on Turlock Transit buses throughout July, including the entire 10-day run of the Stanislaus County Fair.
There’ll be a dropoff at the Roger K. Fall Transit Center at Hawkeye and Golden State Boulevard and shuttle from there to the fair’s main entrance on Broadway.
Shuttles go until 11:30 p.m. and also run during fair hours on Sundays. Turlock Transit will also be running until 12 a.m. to make sure guests can get home.