The Sonoma-Marin Fair is open!

“A fair is a veritable smorgasbord,” exclaimed a certain ever-hungry rodent in the classic animated film “Charlotte’s Web.” Templeton the Rat is right, of course, but in fairness, the country fair is much more than that, more than just a smorgasbord of delicious treats. An American tradition, the fair has always been a marvelous place of wonder and expectation, of fun and food and rides and games of skill, but also a place of testing and proving, of (just barely) missing and even winning.

In “Charlotte’s Web,” of course - both the movie and the book on which it was based - the fair is where the fate of Wilbur the pig is finally decided, and where Charlotte the spider creates her two final web-related masterpieces. It’s where the humans of the story all seek the adventures and pleasures that best fit their tastes, and where Fern takes a tentative step towards adulthood under the tantalizing lights of the carnival. In the book, author E.B. White writes, ‘’The children danced off toward the wonderful music and the wonderful adventure and the wonderful excitement, into the wonderful midway where there would be no parents … and they could do as they pleased.’’

All of this “Charlotte’s Web” talk is a fancy and colorful way of reminding our readers that rural American fairs are, and always have been, truly special places in the minds and hearts (and stomachs) of those lucky enough to experience them. This weekend, Petaluma once again experiences its own Sonoma-Marin Fair, crammed (to borrow the poetic repetition established by Mr. White) with wonderful food and wonderful shows and wonderful animals and wonderful exhibits and wonderful rides and wonderful friends and wonderful surprises. If you haven’t attended in a while, or are looking forward to attending for your first time, it’s important to remember that there is a lot to do and see and hear and taste at a fair, once you’ve stepped through the gates, and our eccentric and unique little fair is no exception.

To help you prepare yourself, here are a few suggestions and pointers and important bits of information – along with short descriptions of just a few of the many delights that await fairgoers this summer in Petaluma.

And in the words of Templeton the rat, “The goose was right, this fair is a paradise! Bye-bye, my “humble” Wilbur. Fare thee well, Charlotte, you old schemer! This will be a night to remember!”

BUTTERFLY EXPERIENCE

New to the Fair this year is the Butterfly Experience, an enclosed garden containing over 1,000 beautiful native butterflies. Located inside the Shopping Pavilion – and presented by Butterfly Adventures – the attraction offers guests an opportunity to play with and feed butterflies of many different species.

To a butterfly, of course, a human is just a great big, walking talking place to land, so be prepared to get close and personal with the winged beauties. Guests are invited to photograph one another covered in and otherwise interacting with the butterflies.

CLO’S IMAGINATION STATION

Located near the entrance of the Livestock Area, Clo’s Imagination Station is a family-friendly one-stop-shop for hands-on crafts, activities, competitions and contests, including the twice-daily Funnel Cake Eating Contest, in which participants prove who can consume a fresh, warm funnel cake the fastest. Sponsored by Clover Sonoma Farms, the Imagination Station will include a paper rocket building activity, and on Heroes Day (Friday) kids can make their own personalized superhero capes.

MINDWORKS

Another new attraction this year is Mindworks, located in the Beverly C. Wilson Building. Designed as a playground for the brain, the attraction will offer visitors a chance to play large puzzles and games (including giant-sized “Operation,” “Scrabble” and “Battleship” games, plus a variety of entertaining challenges requiring different levels of critical thinking.

COMEDY HYPNOTIST

CHRIS MABREY

Dubbed the Master of Comedy Hypnosis, Chris Mabrey’s act is an outrageous demonstration of the power of the unconscious mind (and no, actual practicing hypnotherapists will NOT make you cluck like chicken when you seek their help with smoking or arachnophobia). Performing from Coast to Coast, Mabrey is as much a stand-up comedian as he is a master of hypnotism, and his show – running daily on the Kiwanis Stage – is aimed at delighting, amusing and inspiring audiences as music as it’s designed to make everyone laugh till their sides hurt. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.; Saturday 8:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.; Sunday 6:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.

SHEEPDOG TRIALS

If you’ve seen “Babe” (“That’ll do pig, that’ll do”) but have never seen an actual sheepdog trial in person, here’s your chance. On Sunday, June 24, champion sheepdogs will be demonstrating how to herd, fetch, outrun, pen and lift, all technical sheepdog terms.

The trials begin at 1 p.m.

THE BARNS

Whether it’s sheep, horses, cows, ponies, ducks, rabbits, geese or (with props to the aforementioned Wilbur) pigs, the Fair’s famous agricultural area has a number of barns where you’ll be able to see (and in some cases, interact with) an array of barnyard animals. Each day brings a different line-up of livestock shows, in which local animal raisers compete for ribbons and cash prizes.

Take the self-guided Livestock Walk through the barns to see the stars of the show up close and personal.

Saturday, June 23, will be Farmer’s Day at the Fair, with a series of events designed to let local farmers show their skills and have some fun. You will, for example, be witness to such things as team penning demonstrations, the Calf and Pig Scramble, hay bucking, the annual Marin vs. Sonoma Tug-a-War, the Boot and Show Scramble, something called “Mutton Bustin’, and the wild cow milking competition.

WORLD’S UGLIEST DOG CONTEST

One of the things that sets the Sonoma-Marin Fair apart from other fairs of its kind is the annual World’s Ugliest Dog Contest. This year, the delightfully celebratory competition will be held on Saturday, June 23 at the Kiwanis Stage, with a pre-show “Pet Fest” starting at 2 p.m., and the contest itself – like a beauty pageant only hairier, scruffier, toothier and stranger – taking place at 6 p.m. The annual event has been going on for nearly 30 years, and has inspired songs, documentaries, T-shirts, and a small army of devoted fans.

MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT

This year’s headliners are an eclectic lineup of musical artists, to be sure. Kicking things off Wednesday night, June 20, at 8 p.m., is the Oakland based musical group En Vogue, who had a string of hits in the 1990s, including the chart-topping “Hold On.” Thursday night, June 21, 8 p.m., the fair will have an extra touch of country with an appearance by Clay Walker, best known for his singles “Live Until I Die” and “What’s It to You?” Walker has been consistently touring and recording since the early 90s. On Friday, it’ll be the 80’s-era Southern rock pioneers 38. Special (“Hold on Loosely,” “Caught Up in You”), and on Saturday, June 23, it’s the San Jose rockers known as Smash Mouth (“Walking on the Sun,” “All Star,” and “Daydream Believer”), bringing their infectious pop-rock sound to Petaluma.

(Do be prepared from some new faces on stage, since (with the exception of Walker), all of these acts have undergone a few personnel changes since recording the hits that first made them famous.)

Then, on Sunday, it’s the 2018 version of the popular day-long Festiva Latina, running from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The event features a number of musical acts, beginning with Ukiah’s Grupo Creativos de Tierra Caliente (3 p.m.), followed by Banda La Congora (4 p.m.), Henchicheros Band (5 p.m.) and L.A.’s Grupo Los Sagiterios.

All the above mentioned shows are free with Fair admission. Attendees should know there will be plenty of seats in the bleachers, and a large open space in front of the stage, where blankets are allowed, but no lawn chairs. In addition to the headliners mentioned above, the Fair will also feature a variety of bands and performances on the Kiwanis Stage throughout the day, including local favorites Stax City (Wednesday, 5 p.m.), Miss Moonshine (Thursday, 5 p.m.), Highway Poets (Friday, 5 p.m.), King Street Giants (formerly known as the Dixie Giants), at 5 p.m. on Saturday.

HOURS OF OPERATION

The Sonoma-Marin Fair runs Wednesday, June 20 through Sunday, June 24. Gates open at noon, and close at 11 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, and at midnight on Friday and Saturday. No new entries to the fair will be permitted after 10 p.m.

TICKETS

The price of tickets includes most carnival rides and all concerts. Admission for adults (13-years-old and up) is $18, kids under 12-years-old and seniors (65-years-old and up) are $12. There is a $5 fee to park in the fairgrounds parking lot.

There are a few “Discount Days,” beginning with the first day of the fair, dubbed Kids Day, in which everyone entering before 5 p.m. gets the children’s rate of $12. Thursday is “Seniors Day,” when all adults 65-years-old and up will be admitted for $6, all day long.

And Friday is “Heroes Day,” when all law enforcement and fire department personnel, along with all active or reserve military, will be admitted for $12 all day long.