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Home | Dino-Mania at the 2009 Sonoma County Fair

Dino-Mania at the 2009 Sonoma County Fair

Sonoma County Fair 2009In case you missed or just didn't get enough of the Marin County Fair, you'll be happy to know that the 2009 Sonoma County Fair starts today at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa, and runs through Sunday, August 9. It's worth checking out if you've never been: it's bigger and a lot different than Marin's smaller, more intimate fair, and has more of an agricultural focus, which is natural for a more rural county like Sonoma. The Sonoma County Fair also features a famous annual flower show, which is usually really worth seeing.

This year's theme is "The Fair Before Time", so there are plenty of dinosaur-themed attractions on hand, including three-dozen life-size dinosaur replicas sited througout the fair and Dinosaur Island, where aspiring paleontologists can dig for dinosaur skeletons, build volcanoes, and paint on a mural. Dinosaur identification, imitation, and look-alike contests will be held, and the flower show this year has been dubbed "The Garden that Time Forgot"! The Fair also holds a daily parade, which this year features two special guests: a 10-foot-tall Tyrannosaurus Rex and a 20-foot-long Stegosaurus.

Of course you'll also find plenty of other things to see and do, including the usual county fair offerings of concerts, livestock displays, carnival rides food, as well as horse racing, rodeos, a even a demolition derby.

2009 Sonoma County Fair hours are 11 am to 10 pm daily (gates close at 9 pm); the carnival area is open on Friday and Saturday until 11 pm. Admission is $9 for ages 13 and up, $3 for children 7–12, and free for children 6 and under and seniors 60+. The fair will also be free for all on Tuesdays. (Some fair attractions, such as the rodeos and horse racing, are subject to additional ticket fees.) Parking is $6 or $8, depending on the lot.

The Sonoma County Fairgrounds are located off Bennett Valley Road in Santa Rosa. To get there from Marin, take 101 north to Santa Rosa, then take the Highway 12 exit and head east; exit Highway 12 at the downtown Santa Rosa exit, which will put you on Bennett Valley Road. After the stoplight, you'll see fairgrounds ahead of you to your right.

For more information on the Sonoma County Fair, including a full schedule of events and a list of all attractions, call (707) 545-4200 or visit www.sonomacountyfair.com.