S.J. County Fair brings fun rides, entertainment

The San Joaquin County Fair has its roots as a celebration of all things agricultural.

It’s grown into a festival that brings fun entertainment, rides and carnival games to the county each year. Although the fair was not held from 2013 to 2015, it returned last year, drawing in 50,000 fairgoers with live music, fair food, games and more.

AgFest took on many of the fair’s agricultural duties while it was on hiatus, providing a venue for county youths to show off their livestock husbandry, vegetable growing and traditional handicraft skills.

The youth livestock show and auction remains independent, but the county fair has picked back up exhibits of textile crafts like knitting and quilting, fine art, floriculture and photography.

It also brings in a carnival, courtesy of Brass Ring Amusements. Rides include fair favorites such as the carousel, century wheel, super slide and drop zone, along with rides more friendly for young children, a boat ride, haunted and funhouses, and more. There will also be the usual fair games.

But the big draw is the entertainment.

Local favorites Jeramy Norris and the Dangerous Mood will take the stage on Wednesday, June 14 with their unique blues style. Bay Area blues band Tommy Castro and the Painkillers will join them.

Life in the Fast Lane, an Eagles cover band, will offer up rock hits on Thursday, while Sacramento group the Wiz Kid will cover top 40 hits from past and present.

On Friday, fairgoers will be able to hear country artists Buck Ford and James Otto perform.

On Saturday, catch Skynnyn Lynnyrd, Styx cover band Blue Collar Men, and country rockers Bobby Zoppi and the Corduroys.

Metalachi, the world’s first and only metal mariachi band, will serve up Sunday’s soundtrack.

Offstage entertainment includes A Walk on the Wild Side, which introduces humans to rescued exotic animals, Barnyard Adventure, car races, food demonstrations, a hypnotist, pedal tractors, clown and magic shows, and more.