46th annual Ramona Country Fair underway
Ramona Chamber of Commerce will present the 46th annual Ramona Country Fair at the Ramona Outdoor Community Center from today (Thursday) through Sunday.. Admission is free. Parking is $5 per carload.
Fair hours are: 5 to 11 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, Aug. 25 and 26; noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 28.
Billed as a real old-fashioned country fair, the event will feature amusement rides, a midway of carnival games, prizes, food, a stage for live music and entertainment, crafts, shopping and contests for crafters and cooks vying for blue ribbons. The fair also will feature more than 100 vendors, including local businesses and home crafters.
An expanded food court will offer an assortment of craft and domestic beers and frozen margaritas. Also on display will be the latest Dodge Ram trucks from Poway Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram, as well as selected motorcycles from a custom motorcycle competition to be held on Sunday morning.
A variety of crowd-pleasing, hometown contests are planned, including pie-eating contest, frozen T-shirt contest, best mustache contest and awards for best jams, jellies, honey, salsa, jerky and pickles. Winners also will be selected for art and photography and the “Man About Town” competition, which is a contest based on who can collect the highest number of votes and donations during the past two months.
“The Ramona Country Fair is an old-fashioned country fair that shows how Ramona has that home-sweet-home feeling and the best that small towns still have to offer in a big-city world,” said Sally Westbrook, Ramona chamber board member and chairman of the Ramona Country Fair. “We are guaranteeing family fun for children of every age. It’s the best four days of summer.”
Among the scheduled activities: opening ceremonies and DJ music on Thursday night, Aug. 25; live concert with bands “Two The Moon” and “Give Me Back My Wig” on Friday, Aug. 26; a wild west show with real cowboys at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. and nighttime country western music concert with several bands, including “Steelehorse Country” on Saturday, Aug. 27; a bluegrass music festival with seven bands on Sunday, Aug. 28. All music performances and contests will be held at the fair’s Barona Casino Pavilion, named after the event sponsor.
Proceeds from the fair will benefit the Ramona community, including Chamber scholarships to Ramona students and support to other local events that promote Ramona as a destination. The Ramona Outdoor Community Center is at 421 Aqua Lane.Fair sponsors include Barona Resort & Casino, Poway Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram, Kamps Propane, Ramona Disposal Services, Diamond Resorts International, Dunkin’ Donuts, and Country Wine and Spirits of Ramona.
For more information, call 760-789-1311, or visit www.RamonaChamber.com and www.facebook.com/RamonaCountryFair.
Thursday, Aug. 25, 5 to 11 p.m.
▪ Opening ceremony, rides, disc jockey music
Friday, Aug. 26, 5 to 11 p.m.
▪ 5 p.m., Art and Photography contest winners announced
▪ 6 to 8 p.m., country western band “Two The Moon”
▪ 8:30 to 11 p.m., jazz and blues band “Give Me Back My Wig”
Saturday, Aug. 27, noon to 11 p.m.
▪ 9 a.m. entries due for “Home Sweet Home” cooking contest (jams, jellies, honey, salsa, jerky, pickles)
▪ 10 a.m., Judging begins for “Home Sweet Home” contest and awards presented
▪ 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., Wild West Show featuring “Hole in the Wall Gang”
▪ 2:30 p.m., Best Mustache Contest
▪ 3 p.m., Frozen T-Shirt Contest
▪ 5:30 p.m., Ramona Martial Arts Demonstration
▪ 6 to 8 p.m., country western band “West Coast Bandits”
▪ 8:30 to 11 p.m., country western band “Steelehorse Country”
Sunday, Aug. 28, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
▪ 9 a.m., Custom Motorcycle Show
▪ 11:45 a.m., Awards for motorcycle competition announced
▪ Noon to 7 p.m., Bluegrass Festival, live music featuring:
— Noon-1 p.m., Bluegrass Brethren
—1-2 p.m., Ash Street Ramblers
— 2-3 p.m., Windy Ridge
— 3-4 p.m., Mojave Soul
— 4-5 p.m., Shirthouse
— 5-6 p.m., Prairie Sky
— 6-7 p.m., Box Canyon