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Heat could hurt fair attendance
• 10-day county fair starts Friday
David Murphy at fair
Country music star David Lee Murphy, known for his chart-topping hits and energetic performances, will be the first night headliner at the Stanislaus County Fair on Friday. - photo by Contributed to the Courier

Triple-digit temperatures are expected to coincide with the 10-day run of the Stanislaus County Fair which starts Friday and runs through July 14.

Something that might entice Fair goers this year is a new promotion: $5 per person admission if entering before 5 p.m. weekdays only.

“Were excited to introduce this special promotion to make the fair more affordable for families and individuals looking to create lasting memories,” said Kim Williams, CEO of Stanislaus County Fairgrounds. “This offer underscores our dedication to providing a fun and value-packed experience for all fairgoers.”

Exhibits will continue to come into the fairgrounds over the next several days, with the day before the fair’s opening the busiest day as food vendors set up their booths.

The 111th Stanislaus County Fair is set to open on Friday, July 5 for its 10 days and nights of arena events, entertainment, food, amusement rides and games and new and fan-favorite exhibits and attractions.

The 2024 Fair will feature 10 nights of free celebrity concerts included with Fair admission, a total of three stages of live entertainment, upwards of 30,000 local exhibits and over 1,750 animals.


David Lee Murphy

The fair has booked nightly acts for the free stage, starting with opening night featuring acclaimed country music star David Lee Murphy, known for his chart-topping hits and energetic performances, this night. Murphy is best recognized by his hit singles “Dust on The Bottle,” “Party Crowd” and “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” (a duet with Kenny Chesney). But he is also known as one of country music’s most prolific songwriters.

Rock band Fuel takes the stage on Saturday, July 6 to bring hits like “Hemorrhage (in My Hands)” and “Shimmer.”


Jesus Ojeda

Jesus Ojeda will bring in the Latino crowds on Sunday, July 7. Ojeda is the front man for Jesus Ojeda y Sus Parientes, the regional Mexican music group from Sinaloa, Mexico. The group’s sound is based is in norteño, banda, and corrido – particularly narcocorridos.


Commodores

The Commodores will perform on Monday, July 8. The Commodores are known for their chart-topping singles which include “Brick House,” “Easy” and “Nightshift.” The group has captivated audiences worldwide with their soulful melodies for five decades. After churning out hit after hit in the Motown days, the Commodores still hadn’t achieved Grammy recognition until 1986, without Lionel Richie, when the Commodores released “Night Shift.”

In 1968 the group was formed while all the members were in college at Tuskeegee Institute. After being discovered by Berry Gordy, the Commodores went on to sell over 60 million records for Motown with hits like “Machine Gun” and “Sail On.”

Since 2003, the pop and punk group All Time Low has notched five straight Top 10 entries on the Billboard Top 200, spanning the gold-certified Nothing Personal (2009), Dirty Work (2011), Future Hearts (2015), and Last Young Renegade (2017). 


Lonestar

Multi-platinum selling country band “Lonestar” will perform on Tuesday, July 9. On their forthcoming TEN to 1 record, band members Dean Sams, Michael Britt, Keech Rainwater and Drew Womack take a fresh look at all 10 of their chart-topping country songs. This streak started in 1996 with the band’s second single, the rock-edged “No News,” and continued with the following year’s “Come Cryin’ to Me” and “Everything’s Changed.” The band’s quadruple-platinum 1999 album Lonely Grill spawned four No. 1 hits (including the beloved global smash “Amazed”) and established Lonestar as music’s preeminent pop-country band — a status they’d maintain through the 2000s and beyond.


Scotty McCreery

Country music sensation Scotty McCreery will be headlining the Modelo Variety Free Stage on Thursday, July 11. McCreery rose to fame after winning the 10th season of American Idol in May 2011 and has since made history as both the first country artist and the youngest male artist of any genre to debut his first studio album, the Platinum-certified “Clear as Day,” at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard Top 200 Albums chart. With his latest album Rise and Fall, featuring his sixth No. 1 single “Cab in a Solo” and 12 additional tracks, McCreery explores classic themes of heartbreak, rowdy nights, nostalgia, faith, newfound joy, fatherhood, and enduring love, and through it all, felt comfortable being himself, resulting in a project full of electrified twang, rich baritone vocals and storytelling.

The 30-year-old has sold more than four million albums and achieved six No. 1 hits.


.38 Special

Southern fried rock band .38 Special will perform on Wednesday, July 10. The band was formed by singer-guitarists Donnie Van Zant and Don Barnes in Florida in 1974, and best  known for a string of hit songs, including “Hold On Loosely” and “Caught Up in You” among various other Top 40 hits in the 1980s and early 1990s. They include “Rockin’ into the Night,” ”You Keep Runnin’ Away,” “If I’d Been the One,” “Back Where You Belong,” “Teacher, Teacher,” “Like No Other Night,” “Second Chance” and “The Sound of Your Voice.”



Great White

Great White, which has sold over 10 million albums worldwide, will perform on Friday, July 12. Great White has six Top 100 Billboard hits, nine Top 200 Billboard albums, two platinum albums, and clocked the top of MTV four times. In its 40 years in the business, the band enlists Brett Carlisle to take over vocal duties and lead the charge on hit after hit. Their songs include “Once Bitten, Twice Shy,” “Rock Me,” “Mista Bone,” “Save Your Love,” “House of Broken Love,” and “Lady Red Light.”


All Time Low

All Time Low will perform in Turlock on Saturday, July 13.

“All Time Low has a unique ability to capture the pop-punk sensibilities with catchy hooks, creating a sound that sets them apart from their peers” said Jose Piña, spokesperson for the Stanislaus County Fair.

Since 2003, the pop and punk group has notched five straight Top 10 entries on the Billboard Top 200, spanning the gold-certified Nothing Personal (2009), Dirty Work (2011), Future Hearts (2015), and Last Young Renegade (2017). 

2019 saw All Time Low celebrating the anniversary of Nothing Personal, an album that’s influence remains prevalent with Rock Sound citing its impact on Fall Out Boy, 5 Seconds of Summer, and more.

After nearly two decades together, All Time Low rekindled the spark they first ignited in a Baltimore basement on their 2020 full-length studio album, Wake Up, Sunshine.


La Septima Banda

La Septima Banda will wow Latino audiences on Sunday, July 14 to close out the fair.

The Stanislaus County Fair runs July 5-14. Discounted Fair admission tickets, unlimited ride wristbands, and tickets are now available through July 4. Fair box office hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. All concerts are free with a paid general admission ticket.

Visit www.stancofair.com for information on the fair.

Scotty McCreery to perform
Country music sensation Scotty McCreery will be headlining the Stanislaus County Fair in Turlock on Thursday, July 11. - photo by Contributed to the Courier