2022 Mother Lode Fair gets underway in Sonora
Gates opened to the 2022 Mother Lode Fair Thursday afternoon, and organizers say it’s a for-sure-fun thing for families through Sunday at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds in Sonora.
Billed as the “hottest little fair around,” this year’s attendees will be able to enjoy milder temperatures than in recent weeks — with highs predicted in the low-to-upper-80s and lows in the 50s throughout the weekend.
General admission to the fair is $10 per person, $8 for people 62 and older, $5 for children ages 6 to 12, and free for kids 5 and younger. Veterans get in free Friday with valid ID. Arena events cost $10 per person in addition to fair admission.
Tuolumne County Transit is expected to have free trolley service between The Junction Shopping Center and Mother Lode Fairgrounds every 30 minutes, 5 to 10:30 p.m. Friday; 3 to 11 p.m. Saturday; and 3 to 9 p.m. Sunday.
Fat-focused fair food has been part of Mother Lode Fair’s traditions since the first Mother Lode Fair was staged at Mother Lode Fairgrounds in 1938. Deepfried grilled cheese, deep-fried cheese-on-a-stick, and deepfried cheese curds are expected to be featured by the vendor Maddy Moo’s, among the rides and other attractions on the midway during this year’s fair.
Fat Franky’s from Palmdale will have funnel cakes with toppings including powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, whipped cream, strawberries, cinnamon apple, Bavarian cream, banana cream, blueberry cream, and banana split. Will Bill’s Corn will have roasted corn, corn-ina-cup, Wild Bill’s signature corn, and may have elote corn, also known as Mexican street corn.
The vendor Giant Cone is expected to offer up soft serve cones, frozen bananas, shakes and churros. Hot Doggin will serve up gourmet hot dogs and fries. K&P Kickin’ Kettle Corn will have pork rinds and lemonade in addition to bags of fresh-popped salted kettle corn
and caramel kettle corn. Kona Ice and Fun 4 A Day will both have shaved ice snow cones and treats.
Several local bands, including Skull Country, Pretty Kitty and The Real Justm! will perform, along with regional acts including Thunder Rolls: a Tribute to Garth Brooks, and Diamond Dez. More live music is on the bill from performers including One of These Nights, Zach Olmos, North Fork, Gotcha Covered and Drivin’ Nails, magic by Magician Louie Foxx, strolling music by Violin on Fire and children’s entertainment by Flo the Clown.
Carnival rides on the midway at the 2022 Mother Lode Fair will include the Freak Out, the Sizzler Zipper, the Silver Streak, the Rock Star, the Gravitron, the Mardi Gras, and the Eagle 16 Ferris Wheel.
Paul Maurer Shows is returning to bring the rides again at this year’s Mother Lode Fair. The Freak Out ride is billed by a Floridabased fair-and-carnival contractor as “a thrill ride in every sense of the word.”
Riders must be at least 4 feet tall to ride, and no taller than 6 feet 6 inches.
“Passengers are secured by over-the-shoulder harnesses as they dangle in expectation,” according to Reithoffer Shows Inc. “Once the ride begins, the seats slowly rotate as the entire boom begins to swing horizontally. Passengers swing over the midway watching from the front of the ride.”
The Freak Out is 70 feet tall and its speed is “Crazy!” according to Reithoffer Shows Inc.
Carnival vouchers good for one day of unlimited rides are $40 each and available to purchase at the carnival information booth. Single tickets will be $1 each, and sheets of 24 tickets will cost $20 each.
A combined Junior and Small Livestock Auction will feature animals raised by young 4-H — Head, Heart, Hands, and Health — members, Future Farmers of America members, and independent ag students. The auction is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. Saturday in the livestock barn.
Snarling, roaring trucks and tractors are scheduled to be featured Saturday night and Sunday night, with monster trucks at center stage Sunday night, in the grandstands arena at this year’s Mother Lode Fair.
Truck and tractor pulls, staged and organized by L&L Productions, are scheduled at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Friday night is for diesel trucks and diesel tractors only, with competition classes including 8000 Stock Diesel; 8000 Work Stock Diesel; 8000 Limited Pro-stock Diesel; 8000 Pro-stock Diesel; 9300 Super Farms; 10,000-pound Unlimited; and Exhibition Diesel Trucks and Tractors.
Saturday is for gas-fueled and alcohol-fueled vehicles only. Classes for Saturday’s competitions include Local Stock; Country Modified; 5500 and 6500 Street
Modified; 6200-pound Pro Modified; 4500, 5500, and 6000 Super Stock; 5800 and 7200-pound Modified Tractors; and Exhibition Gas Vehicles.
The Monster Truck Show will be presented by WGAS Motorsports, also billed as “The Extreme Sports Professionals,” and sponsored by Chicken Ranch Casino. It’s scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Sunday. Tickets for each event in the arena are priced at $10 apiece, in addition to the price of admission to the fair.
Registration for competitors is scheduled 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day. Scales close at 5:30 p.m. The $40 entry fee is for one driver and one other person. Additional pit passes can be purchased for $25 each. Drinking alcohol in the pits is absolutely, strictly prohibited. Call (209) 595-3129 for more information.
The Mother Lode Fairgrounds are at 220 Southgate Drive in Sonora.