Grounds Entertainment

Look Around

The Fun Is Everywhere

Roaming the fairgrounds all five days of the Fair are our favorite acts including the Stilt Circus, Balloonacy, and Jeremiah the Juggler, alongside some new acts including the Drumheads, Hillia Hula Hoop Extraordinaire, and more.

In the Barnyard, share the Fair with your favorite barnyard friends. Don’t miss sheep shearing demonstrations, sheep dog trials, carriage rides, horses, dairy and pygmy goat competitions, along with award-winning rabbits, guinea pigs, pocket pets, and chickens in the Fur & Feathers tent. Check the daily schedule for times.

All-Alaskan Racing Pigs

Features rare, heritage breeds, that are the ultimate racing machines! At 12:30pm, 2:30pm, 4:30pm, & 6:30pm daily.

Marin Galactic Outpost

Meet and have your photos taken with your favorite characters from a galaxy far, far away. In the exhibit hall from noon to 7:00pm daily

Balloonacy

One of America's foremost balloon sculptors with over 108 different animals. At 12:30pm, 1:30pm, 2:30pm, 3:30pm & 4:30pm daily

Stilt Circus

Stilt Circus will be gliding through the Marin County fairgrounds with festive Stilt Artistry, finding both the young and young-at-heart. Our talented stilt artists will showcase unique costumes and characters each day of the fair.

The Drumheads

Turn up the boombox and get ready for The Drumheads. Entertaining fairgoers with top tunes, from today, tomorrow, and yesteryear, this quirky, high-energy duo will drum dance and entertain. At 2:30pm, 4:30pm, & 6:30pm, daily.

Hillia Hula Hoop Extraordinaire

The hula hoop show is packed with jaw dropping tricks, comedy, and audience participation. At 1:15pm, 4:00pm, 5:00pm, & 6:00pm daily

The Throw Zone with Jeremiah Johnston

Experience juggling in a new way! Through innovative talents and ninja like reflexes Jeremiah will keep you on your toes. At 3:00pm, 7:00pm, & 8:00pm daily.

Try It Truck

Don’t miss the Bay Area Discovery Museum’s engineering lab on wheels the Try it Truck, where parents/caregivers and children will Think, Make, Try® together as they work through ideas and build creative problem-solving skills using new tools and materials, in a playful multidisciplinary environment, combining science, art, engineering and design.

Ford Farms Petting Zoo

The animals are back and ready to welcome fairgoers of all ages.

The Butterfly Kingdom

Grab a feeding stick an explore this enclosure filled with over 200 hundred live butterflies of 6 different species! Learn about the butterfly life cycle and how to mend a broken wing. Open 11:00am to 8:00pm daily.

The Marin County Free Library’s Bookmobile and Learning Bus

Stocked with children’s books for every level of reader, adult books, books on CD, DVDs as well as a large Spanish collection for children and adults alike.

K9 Kings Flying Dog Show

Experience high-flying fun at the K9 Kings Flying Dog Show! Watch as canine athletes showcase their acrobatic routines with jaw-dropping stunts, tricks, and boundless energy. Featuring up to eight breeds, rescue dogs, and a large meet, greet & pet area. Don't miss this action-packed event - perfect for family-friendly entertainment that's sure to leave tails wagging! July 4, 5, and 6.

Quest For Power

An interactive adventure that will take you throughout the fairgrounds collecting virtual clues.

The Artist Circle

The Artist Circle tent and participate in creating a collective masterpiece that explores electricity using recycled and reused materials. Professional artists from will offer an exciting and inclusive space to create kinetic sculpture

DJ Gstudios

Marin native also known as, Gustavo. Live under the big screen on the lawn from 3:00pm to 4:30pm daily.

Rawhide Express

Come out and enjoy this magnificent train ride, (that's environmental friendly) as it takes you on a tour of Marin County fairgrounds. Ride is FREE. From 11am to 5:30pm daily.

Marin Master Gardeners

The UC Marin Master Gardeners are making a “splash” this year with the necessary information for you to “bee”come an Earth-friendly Gardener - and we can’t wait to share our knowledge with you at the Marin County Fair! Want to “bee”come a more Earth-friendly Gardener, but don’t know where to start? Drop by our tent to see how it’s done. Aside from the garden itself, enjoy free 30-minute talks on the “how-to’s” of Earth-friendly Gardening. Visit our resource desk for answers to your garden questions. Our theory is to start small. Every action that uses earth-friendly practices inches us toward a healthier environment...one garden at a time, one gardener at a time.

Visitors can expect to see:

“Splashless” demonstration Xerioscape garden – beautiful options for low and no water plants
Display of lawn alternatives – see and feel native grasses and groundcovers that are easy to grow and beneficial to the earth
California natives and other “low splash” plants that welcome pollinators
Invite pollinators to your edible garden. See our integrated display to entice bees and butterflies to visit your fruits and veggies.
Earth-friendly container gardening – ideas and tips for your patio, porch, or balcony
Visit our resource desk for answers to your Earth-friendly Gardening questions
Learn from an excellent line-up of speakers presenting a broad range of topics.

Wednesday, July 3
Children are invited to try their luck at spinning the Earth-friendly Garden trivia wheel to learn which critters live underground to build healthy soil and help plants thrive. Don’t miss the scavenger hunt to find some garden helpers in our exhibit gardens!

Thursday, July 4, 11:30 am

Growing Edibles in Containers

Speaker: UC Marin Master Gardener Raoul Stepakoff

Learn the advantages and disadvantages of using grow bags and other containers for edibles such as cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, and peppers. Participants learn the soil, water, and care needs to provide a bounty of fresh, delicious herbs, fruits, and vegetables in their own container garden.

Thursday, July 4, 1:30 pm

Herbs for All Seasons

Speaker: award-winning UC Marin Master Gardener Anne-Marie Walker

The word is out…herbs are in! Learn how to grow your own herbs. Anne-Marie Walker will talk about the cultivation, propagation, harvest, preservation, and uses of herbs as well as seasons in which they grow, the pollinators they attract, and how to develop your herb garden sustainably including water use. Make an herb seed tape to take home and plant. Select herb cuttings to take home and plant as well. Take home herb tea bags for comforting and refreshing herb teas.

Friday, July 5, 11:30 am

Twenty Great Plants for Marin Gardens

Speakers: UC Marin Master Gardeners Geri Cooper and Arlene Banks

Are you new to gardening, or considering making some changes to your garden this fall? Come learn about 20 plants that do exceptionally well in Marin gardens. One of these perennials and shrubs is sure to appeal to you. We will discuss growth habits, cultural requirements, and drought tolerance for each plant.

Friday, July 5, 1:30 pm

Backyard Composting

Speaker: UC Marin Master Gardener Joan Irwin

Composting, the mystery of gardening! Join us and learn how to compost using dry and moist plant material, incorporating your kitchen and table scraps, to create nutrient-rich organic matter. Compost will improve your soil and plants, while at the same time reducing the waste in our landfills.

Saturday, July 6, 11:30 am

Between the Sheets (sheet mulching)

Speaker: UC Marin Master Gardener Diane Gasson

You too can easily transform your lawn or patch of weeds into a beautiful garden while potentially saving money and creating a wildlife habitat. Just take some cardboard/newspaper, compost/mulch, a bit of time, and you are on your way!

Saturday, July 6, 1:30 pm

Irrigation

Speaker: UC Marin Master Gardener Ron Filson

Watering your plants doesn’t need to be confusing or intimidating. This talk will strive to clear up any misconceptions and misunderstandings around irrigation and provide easy to implement strategies for all aspects of home gardens.

Sunday, July 7, 11:30 am

Backyard Birds and Bird Habitat

Speaker: UC Marin Master Gardener Bob Mauceli

Over 500 species of birds have been seen in Marin County and you can see some of them just by looking out the window into your backyard. In this presentation you will learn about some of the most frequently seen of these backyard birds and how to make them easier to see by building a simple, sustainable, bird-friendly habitat.

Sunday, July 7, 1:30 pm

Edible Flowers

Speakers: UC Marin Master Gardeners Jenine Stilson and Keri Pons

Have you ever wondered if you can eat your flowers? In some cases, you can! Many of these edible beauties are easy to grow over the course of a season. Join us as we discuss which flowers or parts of flowers are safe to eat and, also, some that you should avoid. We will cover ornamentals, herbs, flowers of fruits, vegetables, and even weeds, and give you creative ideas on how to use edible flowers.

Pedal Pullers

Kid-powered thunder. Whether you like your tractors green or blue, or something else, Pedal Pullers has the iron for you. Pullers have pulled over 400 lbs. of the full length of the track. Starting at 75 lbs. for four-year olds, the weight increases for older kids, and increases even more for each round. If you pull the full distance, 25 feet, you come back for the next round and pull even more. For ages 4-11.