Summer Concert Series at the StanCo Fair

By Middagh Goodwin

For several years, I had booked the Center Stage at the Stanislaus County Fair, providing an opportunity for local musicians to perform and for some to cross something off their bucket lists. In 2020, the fair was canceled due to the pandemic, and I had 50 hours of entertainment canceled. Last year, live entertainment returned to the Stanislaus County Fair, and this year, it’s in full force with a fantastic lineup on the main stage featuring Ginuwine, All American Rejects, and Blue Oyster Cult. Don’t worry, the Center Stage has some great local performers to keep you entertained while you eat that corndog and cotton candy. Kicking things off on opening night from 5:20 pm until 8:30 pm is Tongue & Groove. Their drummer, Dave Rogers, is well known for Drum Love, which is performing at libraries throughout the county in July. On Saturday, make sure to catch the synth stylings of Melynda Rodriguez at 5:20 and Gary Gervase & the Kickstart Blues Band playing some good rockin’ blues from 6:30 pm-8:30 pm. Heavy alt-rockers Aware take the stage on Sunday the 9th at 12:30 pm, along with the pop sounds of Us4Love from 3:50-6:10. I hear that MF Silverado will be bringing Elvis to the fair as part of their performance on the 10th, from 5:20-8:30 pm. Blues duo Chaz and Jess have a new album and will be sure to play some tracks off it on the 11th starting at 6:50 pm. Don’t miss the current Americana MAMA winner Sweet Mama Rachel & the Homemade Jam Band performing on the 12th between 5:20-8:30 pm. Closing out this year’s Stanislaus County Fair will be a full day of performers from VMI School of Rocks from 12:30-8:30 pm.

Music in the Plaza kicks off on the 14th for Frida Friday with the Wet Banditios, along with some great artists, crafters, and vendors selling along 10th Street. The 21st sees the Vibes bringing great music and good vibes to the Plaza. Closing out the month of July are Dave Dow & Friends performing blues, jazz, pop, Latin, and more. Music in the Plaza is a free event from 7-9 pm, so mark your calendars and make plans to come out and enjoy some great local entertainment.

Help me help you get the word out about your local events. Email events@ modestoview.com and we will put it on the calendar. Who knows? I might feature you on the pages of the ModestoView.

The Stanislaus County Fair concert series is back and better than ever! You will want to experience this year’s exciting lineup, which features a diverse range of talented performers. Mark your calendars and get ready to rock out with some of the hottest names in music:

July 7: Parmalee, an American country rock band known for their catchy tunes and energetic live shows. With their infectious blend of country and rock, Parmalee will surely get the crowd on their feet and sing along.

July 8: Ginuwine, an R&B singer-songwriter and dancer who has been wowing audiences for decades with his smooth vocals and impressive dance moves. With hit songs like “Pony” and “Differences,” Ginuwine will surely bring the house down.

July 9: El Dasa, a Mexican-American musician who blends traditional Mexican music with modern sounds to create a unique and captivating sound. With his infectious energy and charisma, El Dasa will get the crowd dancing and singing along.

July 10: Plain White Tees, an American rock band known for their catchy pop-rock anthems. With hit songs like “Hey There Delilah” and “1, 2, 3, 4,” Plain White Tees will surely bring the crowd to their feet.’’

July 11: Revisiting Creedence, a tribute band that pays homage to the legendary rock group Creedence Clearwater Revival. With their faithful renditions of classic songs like “Fortunate Son” and “Proud Mary,” Revisiting Creedence will surely transport the audience back in time.

July 12: Lit, an American rock band known for their high-energy live shows and catchy hooks. With hit songs like “My Own Worst Enemy” and “Miserable,” Lit will surely get the crowd rocking out.

July 13: All American Rejects, an American rock band known for their emotinged pop-punk anthems. With hit songs like “Gives You Hell” and “Dirty Little Secret,” All American Rejects will surely get the crowd singing along.

July 14: Blue Oyster Cult, a legendary American rock band known for their hard-hitting riffs and theatrical stage shows. With hit songs like “Don’t Fear the Reaper” and “Burnin’ for You,” Blue Oyster Cult will surely deliver a show-stopping performance.

July 15th: Ashley McBryde, a rising star in the country music scene known for her powerful vocals and heartfelt lyrics. With hits like “A Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega” and “One Night Standards,” Ashley McBryde will surely captivate the audience with her raw talent and authenticity.

July 16th: Los Nuevos Rebeldes, a popular Mexican band known for their unique blend of traditional and modern Mexican music. Los Nuevos Rebeldes will get the crowd dancing and singing along with their infectious rhythms and lively performances.

. Stay tuned for more information as the fair approaches! Don’t miss out on this exciting event that’s sure to be one of the highlights of the summer.

M-F 5 pm-12 am Sat-Sun 12 pm-12 am Music starts at 8:30 pm each night. For more information www.stancofair.com

Local Children’s Author: Amy Phillips

Grips Kid’s Attention with a Unique Character

By Brandilyn Mitchell

Children’s books with a rhyming cadence always caught my attention and have been a foundation in primary classrooms for years. My favorite thing about teaching the younger children is teaching them to read. Rhyming is a very important part of learning how to read, so I intentionally wrote books that rhymed.

MV: What is your favorite breed of cat?

AP: I do not necessarily have a favorite breed of cat, but of the ones I’ve owned in my lifetime, the tabby cat is one I am fond of. Sphynx cats also have a special place in my heart! (Wink, wink!)

MV: Do you have any more stories you feel compelled to share with children that we may hope to read soon?

AP: I am working on a third book in the Harry series. I hope to have it come out by the end of the year.

Amy will be back at the Ripon Farmers Market on July 13th and August 10th from 6pm - 8pm. Come out for story time, and snag the special market sale of both books for $15, and she will gladly autograph them for your Little!

Lastly, if you have a child from age 1 day to 5 years old, please sign them up for the Imagination Library. Sponsored & created by Dolly Parton, this non-profit gives each child one book every month until they are five years old. Great books like, “The Little Engine That Could”, “The Rabbit Listened” and “There’s a Monster In Your Book”. It is free to sign up, and the requirement is not based on anything other than your child’s age. Sign up at imaginationlibrary.com. Follow Amy on her Insta (“author_ amyphillips”) or Facebook (“Author Amy Phillips”) to keep up with book signings, story time readings and more!

The Ripon Farmers Market is *the market* to bring your kids to. Not only because of the huge grassy area for them to play tag, ball, gymnastics or what have you-but the story time area, the Montessori kitchen, the fairy garden-they’re all exciting things for your kids to do while you eat your wares from shopping.

During one of the recent story times, Amy Phillips was the guest author. She has been an educator for over 17 years and has taught preschool, kindergarten, first and second grade. Currently, she is a high school assistant principal for an online charter school. It was while working with this age group, that she saw the importance in teaching young children about how to be kind and not biased or prejudiced, and started writing children’s books.

Amy read her books, “Harry the Hairless Cat” and “Harry’s Clean Up Day” to over a dozen children, eager to hear about this strange “naked cat”. The stories are silly but with good life lessons hidden in the rhymes. Lessons like accepting others who may be different, building self-esteem, and helping our friends and community. With so many cat breeds represented, I am sure your child will connect with these books. I guarantee they’ve seen most of them and will recognize them and say things like “That’s just like Auntie’s cat Oreo!” or “She looks like Pappa’s cat Molly!”. Reading to your kids is so important-not just for the educational aspect of letter recognition, learning sight words or phonics, but the VERY important aspect of connecting with your child. Giving them that oneon-one time every night to bond with you and build lasting memories is irreplaceable and priceless. I highly suggest adding these sweet books to your collection and making them a part of your bedtime story library. You can buy her books on Amazon. Or if you’re local to Ripon you can find them at Sheboba’s Tea and Austin’s Coffee.

ModestoView: Hi Amy! Thanks for taking time out to talk to ModestoView about your books. Please tell us about your beloved character Harry!

Amy Phillips: Harry is an indoor cat that discovers there is a big exciting world outside to explore. Once outside, he meets other cats and realizes that he’s different. It doesn’t take him long to realize that he is being judged by how he looks and that by being himself, a kind and helpful cat, that other cats will see he’s not so different from them. Harry teaches others how to be kind to others in the first book and then how to be kind to our earth in the second one.

MV: Did you always want to be a children’s author, or did something pull at you as an adult to get these stories out?

AP: Yes, I have always wanted to be a children’s book author, but I never had a compelling story to tell until now. Harry came to me when I was visiting a friend who had just gotten a Sphynx cat. Being a cat lover myself, I was interested in meeting this very unique cat! At the same time, I was also not very eager to pet it or actually engage with it because of how it looked and how I perceived it to feel-not soft and fluffy! I realized soon after that I had a bias toward these cats and I didn’t even give them a chance! I kept my distance and sadly, was not very friendly to Mike, the Sphynx cat. It didn’t take me long to see how this translated to our current state of our world, where bias and prejudice are at the forefront of many of our problems today. That is how Harry’s story came to be!

MV: Your rhyming scheme is awesome, as a result it’s really fun to read these stories. We have such an enjoyable time reading your books, and my daughter has learned new words. Was that something you were aiming for, or was it happenstance as you wrote them?

AP: I have written rhyming poems at various times in my life. It’s come easily for me.