2014 Marin County Fair to Feature Joan Jett, Huey Lewis and The News & More, 7/2-6

The 2014 Marin County Fair, themed The Happiest Fair On Earth, will be the place to be over July 4th weekend with more family fun than ever before! The fair, which attracts more than 120,000 attendees over its five day run, takes place at the Marin County Fairgrounds in San Rafael, Wednesday, July 2 through Sunday, July 6. Hours are 11am to 11pm daily with headline concerts each day featuring some of Marin County's beloved locals - Huey Lewis and the News, Night Ranger, and Elvin Bishop (full schedule below.) The Fair is a one-price gate. Admission includes concerts, exhibits, entertainment, nightly fireworks and 28 free carnival rides! Adults are $17, Senior Citizens 65 and older, $15, Children 4-12 $15, and Children under 4, Free.

Tickets are available online beginning Monday, June 2 on the fair's Facebook page, via the Fair website, on your mobile device, at www.marinfair.org. Tickets may also be purchased in person at the Marin Center Box Office (10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael) 11 a.m. to 5 p.m, from June 2 to July 1 Monday through Friday. Call 415.473.6800 for more information or visit the website at http://www.marinfair.org/.

Headline acts for 2014
All concerts are included in the price of admission.

Wednesday, July 2, 7:30 pm

HUEY LEWIS AND THE NEWS - Marin County's own Huey Lewis opens the 2014 Marin County Fair! Starting at Uncle Charlie's in Corte Madera and rocking audiences worldwide for over three decades, these Grammy Award-winners have written and performed numerous Top Ten Hits including The Power of Love, which was nominated for an Academy Award and soared to #1 on Billboard's singles chart.

Thursday, July 3, 3 pm

ORPHEUS

Folk rock band Orpheus concert features their 1968 hit single "Can't Find The Time" and favorites from their four influential and classic albums of the late 60's and early 70's. Orpheus emerged from the creative whirlwind of the 60's and their seamless vocal harmonies are of timeless appeal. They have performed on bills with Cream, Janis Joplin, Led Zeppelin, and The Who, among others.

Thursday, July 3, 7:30 pm

THE WAILERS

On the 30th anniversary of its release The Wailers will perform the iconic album Legend in its entirety. Named by Time Magazine as the "Best Album of the 20th Century" and #46 on Rolling Stone Magazine's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, Legend is also the best-selling reggae album of all-time, with over 30 million copies sold worldwide.

Friday, July 4, 3 pm

LA SANTA CECILIA

Widely embraced by critics and an ever-growing legion of fans as musical ambassadors of Los Angeles' young bicultural population La Santa Cecilia, named for the patron saint of musicians, recently saw their album "Treinta Dias" win this year's Grammy Award for "Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album" and named one of the best releases of 2013 by NPR, iTunes and more!

Friday, July 4, 7:30 pm

MARCHFOURTH MARCHING BAND

Aside from their marching band themed costumes, and multi member drum and brass corps, M4 is far from a "marching band" in any traditional sense. Their show takes you on a journey from the swamps of Louisiana to the gypsy camps of eastern Europe and through the deepest grooves of American funk, rock, and jazz while boiling it all together in cinematic fashion with high-stepping stilt-acrobatics and dazzling dancers.

Saturday, July 5, 3 pm

BEAUSOLEIL AVEC MICHAEL DOUCET

Steeped in the bayou tradition, BeauSoleil specializes in the Zydeco of the Louisiana Bayou carrying the Creole torch nationwide. One of the most well-known bands playing in the Cajun and Creole tradition; they mix their swamp style with Tex-Mex, Country, Blues, and Rock switching elegantly between genre and language.

Saturday, July 5, 7:30 pm

NIGHT RANGER

Starting in Mill Valley in 1980, classic rock stars Night Ranger gained popularity with a series of albums and singles and are best known for the power balladSister Christian (with MTV video filmed at San Rafael High School), When You Close Your Eyes and (You Can Still) Rock in America. Their new album High Road will be released this June!

Sunday, July 6, 3 pm

ELVIN BISHOP

A founding member of the groundbreaking Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Marin County's Elvin Bishop tasted pop success with his 1976 smash hit Fooled Around and Fell In Love. Bishop's long and varied career includes everything from down gutbucket blues played in smoky South Side Chicago taverns, to raucous roadhouse R&B, to rollicking good time rock & roll.

Sunday, July 6, 7:30 pm

JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS

Joan Jett is a legend in the rock 'n' roll world and an inspiration for female rockers everywhere. With her band, the Blackhearts, Jett became a hit machine in the 1980s, pumping out rock anthems like I Love Rock 'n' Roll, I Hate Myself for Loving You and Crimson and Clover. Her latest album Unvarnished,released in 2014, features the hit single Any Weather. Jett is one of only two women to make Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time.

The Happiest Fair on Earth theme will be carried throughout the fair in special shows, concerts, exhibits and attractions over the July 4th weekend. World class headline entertainment each day, many new competitive exhibits, award-winning arts and crafts, short international film and video festival, lush and bountiful gardens, a barnyard with new and friendly farm animals, 28 FREE carnival rides, and the spectacular nightly fireworks over the Fairgrounds lake, are all included in the price of admission.

The Chinese Circus of Beijing will dazzle with sensational balancing acts, martial arts, acrobatics, tumbling and circus acts! This elite group of acrobats will delight audiences of all ages when they perform daily in the 800-seat Marin Veteran's Memorial Auditorium, 1 pm, 3 pm and 5 pm.

2014 FAIR HIGHLIGHTS:

• NEW! Game On! makes its Bay Area debut with 36 fun and interactive games and activities in three zones: Classic Games, Puzzles & Plexers, and the Construction Zone!
• NEW! Scooter's Circus Adventure featuring more than twenty marionettes and hand puppets, is a charming original musical comedy centered around Scooter, a little circus monkey who just can't decide what he wants to be.
• NEW! Contests including Build a Ferris Wheel; Sock Puppets, Decorate a Plate; Decorate a T-shirt; Beach Ball Art; Family Handprint Art; For the Birds!; The Happiest Fair on Earth Baby Stroller decorating and parade!
• Chinese Circus of Beijing - all-new show of the very best of acrobatics - sensational balancing acts, martial arts, acrobatics, tumbling and circus acts - fun for the entire family!
• Fireworks - Spectacular shows every night of the Fair and considered one of the Bay Area's best fireworks' shows!
• Clover Stornetta Family Farm - farm animals, Hambone Express Pig Races, Fur & Feathers Tent, Great American Petting Zoo, Marin Agricultural Land Trust and more
• Carnival Rides - 28 FREE carnival rides from Butler Amusements, including the grand 10-story Giant Ferris Wheel.
• Over 12,000 Exhibits - Fine Arts & Crafts, Art Chairs, Cartoons, Photography, Bonsai, Home Arts, Baked Goods, Junior Arts, Gardens and Flowers
• Ben & Jerry's Solar Stage - Annual hip hop and breakdance contest, fiddle contest, Dancing Stars, Singing Stars and "Star Search" Performing Arts Competitions

· International Film & Video Festival - Short Film and Video festival features categories for Narrative, Documentary, Animated, Experimental, and Children/Family films and videos.

• Family attractions including Puppets and Players Little Theatre, Golden Gate Garrison - 501st Legion, Something Ridiculous, Rawhide Express Train and Jeremy the Juggler.

"The 2014 Marin County Fair will offer family fun for all ages - with great concerts and exhibits - contests, healthy foods, 28 free carnival rides, nightly fireworks, shopping, farm animals, and gardens," says Jim Farley, director of the Department of Cultural and Visitor Services. "This year we are very excited to welcome several bands with Marin County roots for our concert series including Huey Lewis and the News, Elvin Bishop and Night Ranger. A ticket to the Marin County Fair represents a wonderful value, especially when you look at the breadth and quality of the attractions and entertainment we offer. All in all, we will celebrate the creativity and imagination of Marin County," added Farley.

The Marin County Fair continues to exemplify the highest of standards for county fairs, demonstrated by its top recognition at the recent Western Fairs Association (WFA) Annual Achievement Awards program. The 2013 Marin County Fair, themed Schools Rule!, captured a remarkable 31 individual achievement awards, including 18 first places.

Bicycle valet parking is available at the Main Gate, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Fair guests can ride Golden Gate Transit and Marin Transit to stops at the Marin County Civic Center campus. Car and Motorcycle parking is $7. Ice chests, coolers, pets, cans or glass bottles are not permitted. The Marin County Fair is a Smoke-Free Fair.

Community Partners of the 2014 Marin County Fair include:

Play Fair Marin, Embassy Suites Hotel & Conference Center, Marin Independent Journal, Marin Clean Energy, WestAmerica Bank, Ben & Jerry's, Ford Motor Company, Four Points by Sheraton, Clover Stornetta Farms, Conservation Corps North Bay, Redwood Credit Union and Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District.

For more information go to www.marinfair.org or find us on Facebook