Dixon May Fair Starts Today With a 'Soft Opening'

By Brianna Boyd

Special to Dixon Patch

After months of anticipation, the Dixon May Fair kicks off its 137th annual run this week, and the beloved event is sure to offer something for all ages and families to enjoy.

Butler Amusement will open its carnival rides and games Wednesday for a “soft” opening that will coincide with the Snoop Dogg and One Block Radius concert in the fair’s arena that night. Gates will be open from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. All other components of the fair – from the various showcases and livestock shows to the Kids’ Zone and musical entertainment – will open Thursday morning. The Dixon May Fair will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday through Mother’s Day Sunday.

While the carnival rides and games will open at 2 p.m. Thursday, there will still be plenty of activities available in the morning and early afternoon hours. The sheep show will begin at 9 a.m. in the livestock area, and the poultry show will follow at 10 a.m.

There will be activities in the Kids’ Zone from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., with children of all ages enjoying pig races, tractor pulls, the Strider Adventure Zone and more.

Meanwhile, the Dixon May Fair’s Royalty Court will be crowned at 7 p.m. Thursday on the Leber Garden Stage, and the English Beat and the Romantics will entertain the crowd in the arena at 7 p.m. The gates open at 6 p.m.

The fun continues on Friday, with the beef show beginning bright and early at 9 a.m. The dairy cattle show will be at 11 a.m., and all carnival rides and games will open at noon. The afternoon hours will include a dairy goat show at 2 p.m., the annual hog calling contest at 2:30 p.m., a cavy show at 4 p.m., and the Pee Wee Showmanship at 6 p.m.

There are also many activities scheduled in the Kids’ Zone from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., ranging from the Solano Steamroller Smackdown and arts and crafts activities to pig races and tractor pull. Country stars Kellie Pickler and Phil Vassar will co-headline a concert at 7 p.m. in the May Fair’s arena that night. Gates will open at 6 p.m.

Saturday’s festivities will kick off with an all-day llama show beginning at 8 a.m. Thousands are expected to visit the fair after watching the 137th annual Dixon May Fair Parade make its way from the downtown core to the fairgrounds.

The parade will begin at 10 a.m., and the fair’s carnival will open at 11 a.m. The Junior Livestock Auction will start at 11:30 a.m., and parade awards will be given out at 1:30 p.m. The Kids’ Zone will be hopping from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., with the “I Built a Bridge” competition, the VEX Robotics competition, the Diaper Derby, steam roller printing, and much more going on all day.

Larry the Cable Guy and special guest Reno Collier will keep the crowd laughing in a comedy show in the arena at 7 p.m. Gates open at 6 p.m.

On Mother’s Day Sunday, the final day of the fair, the first 2,000 mothers through the gate will receive roses. Activities planned throughout the day include a llama show at 8 a.m., small animal show at 9 a.m., large animal supreme showmanship at 11 a.m., and the youth awards supreme showmanship at 2 p.m. The carnival will open at 11 a.m.

The Kids’ Zone will once again be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and will include arts and crafts, pig races, tractor pulls, and the Strider Adventure Zone. The Demolition Derby, a Mother’s Day tradition for many families, will be at 6 p.m. in the arena. Gates open at 5 p.m.

In addition to the entertainment planned in the May Fair’s arena, musical acts from Solano County, Sacramento County, Yolo County and beyond will entertain visitors on three different stages. Dixon resident Fermin Rubio coordinated the music schedule for the Leber Garden Stage, the Plaza Stage and the Pic Nic Stage, and has ensured everyone will be able to hear some form of music at all times.

And Angie Balderas and her company, Adelante Media, worked with May Fair staff to organize all the entertainment for Sunday’s Hispanic Day.

Admission in to the Dixon May Fair is $12 for adults, $8 for seniors over the age of 65 and all military personnel, and $7 for children between the ages of five and 12. All children under the age of four can enter the fair for free.

All-day ride wristbands and booklets of 30 ride tickets will be available all days of the fair. The wristbands are $29 each and booklets are $30.

As has been the tradition for years, the Dixon May Fair will celebrate children with Kids Day on Friday. All children 12 and under will be able to enter the fair for free, however, ride tickets and wristbands must still be purchased.

For more information on the 137th annual Dixon May Fair, visit www.dixonmayfair.com