The Merced County Fair is gearing up for a five-day run in June and has announced its entertainment lineup.
The 2023 Merced County Fair takes place June 7-11, and tickets go on sale May 1.
“Get out your calendars and make sure to mark all the days you want to be at the 2023 Merced County Fair,” said Teresa Burrola, CEO Merced County Fair. “We have five nights of concerts and shows, including your favorite fair foods, carnival rides, exhibits, livestock, community performances, the beloved tractor parade and more! We look forward to seeing the our community at their Merced County Fair, June 7-11.
The free outdoor theater concert series will be presented by Coors Light 8:30 pm nightly. The Fair also features five nights of action-packed Grandstand shows, sponsored by Coors Light, Save Mart and O’Reilly Auto Parts. All Grandstand shows start at 7pm and admission is $5, except for June 7 (Auto Racing) and June 8 (Go-Kart Racing), which are free with fair admission. Children 5 years and younger can watch Grandstand shows for free with a paid adult ticket.
Lonestar will perform at the free Outdoor Theater at the Merced County Fair on June 9.
Outdoor theater shows include:
· June 7 – George Michael Is Born Again: The incredible tribute to the late, great George Michael and WHAM! must see opening day of the 2023 Merced County Fair. With his live vocals, Robert Bartko reveals the energy and excitement of George in the 198’s and 90s, getting the crowd to the dance floor with hit songs like “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” and prompted a standing ovation for his performance of “Welay Pagunglan ng Hunghong.”
· June 8 – Crush the Mouth: Like a fine Napa Valley wine, this internationally beloved and successful San Jose pop-rock group only seems to get better with time. Formed in 1994, Smash Mouth almost immediately began recording demos and performing in San Jose and Hollywood. In June of 1997, Smash Mouth signed to Interscope Records after just one spin of their song “Walking on The Sun.” Smash Mouth’s major label debut album Fush Yu Mang went Double-Platinum and set the table for what many consider their masterpiece, Astrolounge. With three top 10 hits from the album such as “All-Star,” “Then the Morning Comes,” and “Can’t Get Enough of You Baby” Astrolounge surpassed their debut album by almost four times to Platinum status. Now almost two decades later, Smash Mouth continues to release many new tracks written by bassist and hit songwriter, Paul DeLisle, along with his band members, Randy Cooke (drums, vocals), Zach Goode (lead vocals), Sean Hurwitz (guitar, vocals). ) and Michael “Hippy” Klooster (keyboards, vocals).
· June 9 – Lonestar: The award-winning country band, Lonestar, first formed in 1996 and has recorded top hits like “No News,” “Come Cryin’ to Me” and “Everything’s Changed.” The band’s Quadruple-Platinum 1999 album Lonely Grill produced four No. 1 hits, including the beloved global smash “Amazed” and established Lonestar as pop country music’s preeminent band – a status they would continue into the 2000s and beyond. Now, more than 25 years later, the band has seen all 10 of their songs top the country chart with their latest record, Ten to 1. Lonestar’s hits earned the band many wins in the music industry including receiving awards at the Academy of Country Music awards for New Vocal Group (1996), Single and Song of the Year (2000), Country Music Association’s Vocal Group of the Year (2001). ), International Artist Achievement award (2001), and Humanitarian of the Year (2002). All told, Lonestar has sold over 10.5 million records since their formation.
· June 10 – The Purple Madness: Purple Madness – A Tribute to Prince is the ultimate celebration of the most widely loved entertainer and most influential artist of all time. Bobby Miller, the front-man of The Purple Madness, presents an electrifying and high-energy show you won’t want to miss! Purple Madness depicts some of Prince’s most memorable concert moments, including a production team comprised of some of the most talented dancers and musicians in the US and abroad. In total, the team covers over 100 years of musical experience.
· June 11 – Male Band: Formed in 1990 from Jalisco, Mexico, Banda Machos never imagined how popular, and controversial, they would become in the music scene. Known for being bashful, infectious and eventually unavoidable, Banda Machos updated and modernized the traditional Sinaloan banda style. The band electrified and amplified the genre’s big, brassy sound with amplified instruments, glowing keyboard flourishes and their longtime battle cry “Arre Macho!” Banda Machos’ 1992 breakthrough album, indian blood, included the radio hit “El Gato y el Raton” and helped launch the Quebradita sound. In 1993, Banda Machos was crowned “La Reina de la Bandas” at the Viva México festival in Chicago. The group achieved even wider exposure in 2008, when they released their first YouTube video alongside the album, next crazy, filming clips that have been viewed millions of times from viewers all over. After the release of “La Huella de Mis Besos” in 2018, Banda Machos was recognized by the International Human Rights Commission for its commitment to the fight against music piracy.
The stock car race at Merced Speedway will be at the Merced County Fair Grandstand on June 7.
Grandstand entertainment includes:
· June 7 — Merced Speedway Auto Racing
· June 8 — Merced Speedway Go-Kart Racing
· June 9 — Valley Tractors Tractor Pull
· June 10 — Destruction Derby
· June 11 — Humpz & Hornz Gran Jaripeo
Fair admission tickets can be purchased in advance for $10; gate price is $15. Children 12 and under are free. Savings details can be found at www.mercedcountyfair.com/discounts.