This year’s Santa Clara County Fair is shorter than the past two years — one weekend instead of two — but there’s a lot packed into its five-day run at the Tully Road fairgrounds, including a Saturday night concert by Los Lobos and Friends.
Salene Duarte, the new executive director of the Fairgrounds Management Corp., will cut the ribbon Wednesday afternoon, following a 3:30 p.m. opening ceremony that will include plenty of nods to the fairgrounds’ history.
Santa Clara County Fair manager Salene Duarte stands behind one of the fair mascots from the mid-80’s, Thursday, July 18, 2024, in San Jose, Calif. (Karl Mondon/ Bay Area News Group) Karl Mondon/ Bay Area News Group
Race-car driver Mike Sargent and historian Dennis Mattish will be there for those who have fond memories of the roaring engines that tore through the old San Jose Speedway. If you still have a fondness for the great concerts held at the Fair during its heyday, Bill Guardino — who has an unparalleled collection of rock music memorabilia — will give a preview of his planned Aug. 2 presentation.
And there’ll be a good contingent of veterans, including retired Lt. Col. John Swensson, who oversees the Overseas Study Program at De Anza College; retired Col. Raymond Watts, who is president of the Silicon Valley Chapter of the Military Officers Association; and Clyde Horn, a Vietnam War combat veteran whose photographs will be on display at the Pavilion Hall during the fair’s July 30-Aug. 3 run. Active duty military and veterans get in free with ID Thursday through Sunday.
People ride the merry–go–round at the Santa Clara County Fair in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
But Saturday should be the big day for the Fair, with four-time Grammy winners Los Lobos and Friends performing at 7 p.m. at the Pavilion Stage following a 6 p.m. parade with floats, music and dancers.
Of course, all the usual fair trappings — carnival rides, funnel cakes, roaming performers and livestock displays — are returning. There’s also an aquatic thrill show in the mix, a motorcycle stunt show featuring twin brothers Sawyer and Shannon Schmidtman, and a live-paining art battle organized by San Jose’s 1Culture gallery.
You can get the full lineup, as well, as purchase discounted tickets in advance at www.thefair.org.
A BID FOR READERS: The Campbell Library renovations are moving along, though there isn’t a grand reopening date yet. But the Friends of the Campbell Library are still doing its part to keep support for the library strong — including in a very modern way.
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The nonprofit has a sale going on through Aug. 4 on eBay’s charity auction site, with a few dozen eclectic items up for bid, including issues of Life magazine from the 1960s, leather-bound books, a collection of 23 Berenstain Bears books and a boxed edition of H.P. Lovecraft’s complete works. Check it out at charity.ebay.com and search for “Friends of the Campbell Library.”
If you’re more of an old-fashioned type, though, you may just want to mark your calendar for Aug. 9 when the next Love Our Library used book sale will be held. It will take place outdoors on the patio of the Campbell Express Library — located at room E46 at the Campbell Community Center complex on Campbell Avenue and Winchester Boulevard. In addition to books, there’ll be puzzles, games, CDs and DVDs for sale from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
BBQ FOR A CAUSE: There’s still time to reserve a spot at Ladies of Charity’s annual BBQ to support Sacred Heart Nativity Schools in San Jose. It’s set for 5 p.m. Aug. 10 at the Redwood Grove at Saratoga Springs in Saratoga, with a menu that includes homemade appetizers, a barbecue buffet dinner, dessert and hosted beer and wine.
And you can work off some of that meal by raising your arms for auctioneer Frank Sunseri during the live auction or practicing your two-step during the line dancing. Tickets are $130 a person, but reservations are requested by Aug. 1. Go to www.ladiesofcharitysanjose.org for more information.
