Watch a quick video from ESPN – a shoutout to the Calaveras County Fair & Jumping Frog Jubilee – https://fb.watch/qNSwyckJ34/
Step into a true California tradition at one of the state’s longest continuously running fairs, delighting visitors since 1893. Whether you’re a first-time traveler or a returning fan, the Calaveras County Fair & Jumping Frog Jubilee offers an unforgettable mix of classic carnival rides, live entertainment, local flavors, and community spirit. Set in the heart of California, it’s the perfect destination to experience authentic fairground charm, family-friendly fun, and a vibrant celebration of heritage. Plan your visit and discover why generations of guests keep coming back year after year.
Get Your Tickets Early
Tickets can be purchased online at www.frogtown.org. Avoid the long lines and get adult, senior, and kids one day or 4 day tickets along with your carnival ride wristbands. Parking is additional – cash at the gate – but what’s great is that 100% of the funds raised from parking goes to sponsor the local, all-volunteer AMA Youth Sports Program.
Junior Frog Jump and Parade
Kick off your visit to the one-and-only Calaveras County Fair & Jumping Frog Jubilee with family-friendly events and local tradition. The celebration begins with the Jr. Frog Jump at Utica Park 10:00 AM the Saturday before the Fair starts, where kids through 8th grade can compete for a spot in the finals. Then on the following Thursday, people line historic Highway 49 to watch the lively Youth Parade in downtown Angels Camp. Enjoy special Thursday deals at the fair, including free admission for kids 12 and under and discounted tickets for adults, making it the perfect time for tourists to experience this iconic California event.
Jump a Frog
Frog jumping is a must-see, family-friendly attraction at the Calaveras County Fair & Jumping Frog Jubilee, taking place all four days and offering nonstop fun for kids and parents alike. Anyone searching for things to do with children in California will love the excitement, especially on the final day when the International Frog Jump Finals begin at 3:00 PM. It’s a unique, kid-approved experience that combines outdoor entertainment, local tradition, and unforgettable fair memories.
Want to be a frog jockey? Bring your own frog from a nearby pond or stream or rent one for $5 at the fair. Concerned about the frogs? Don’t be because these world-class athletes are pampered in the on-site Frog Spa, a temperature-controlled area where they’re cared for and fed their favorite froggy treats. Only the best for these champions! And once the competition ends, the frogs are safely returned to their natural habitat, making this unique California tradition both fun and responsible.
Click here to see a list of rules of how YOU can become a Calaveras Frog Jockey!
The Jumping
Think you can train a frog? Think again. Frog jumping is all about creativity, not control. Frog jockeys clap, sing, stomp, and cheer to inspire their frog to leap, but once it’s on the lily pad, no touching allowed! The real challenge? Getting your frog to jump straight, because the total distance is measured in a straight line over three jumps so even one big circle scores a big, huge ZERO!
Catch a sneak peak at Secrets to the Frog Jump
The Winning
Champion Frog Jump winners take home more than bragging rights – they earn a cash prize, a commemorative trophy, and a permanent place in history with a personalized brass plaque along the famous Frog Hop of Fame in downtown Angels Camp. Each plaque is engraved with the winner’s name, their frog’s name, the year, and the official jump distance.
Break the long-standing world record set by Lee Guidici and his frog Rosie the Ribiter at 21 feet, 5¾ inches, and you’ll claim the global title, earn international recognition, and score an impressive $20,000 cash prize along with your place in frog-jumping legend. Can your frog’s jump stand for the next 40 years?
All The Extras That Make Calaveras Unique
Get the full schedule to see all there is to do during this fabulously fun and family friendly fair!
Concerts and Contests
Thursday, Friday, & Saturday: Frog Jumping qualifying
Sunday @ 3:00 PM: Frog Jump Finals
Thursday: Saddle Queen and Miss Calaveras competitions
Friday Night: Live concert featuring well-known musicians and crowd-favorite performers
Saturday Night: Sanctioned CCPRA Rodeo
Sunday Night: Demolition Derby (the most popular night of the Fair)!
Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee – History
So how the heck did one little town in the Gold Rush come to have an International event that draws 30,000 to 50,000 visitors from all over the world? Why it all started with Mark Twain of course. Read on to learn more, or even better, visit the Angels Camp Museum just 3 miles from the Fairgrounds to see the new interactive Frog Jump History Exhibit.
The first Calaveras County Fair took place in Copperopolis in 1893 making it one of the longest continually running fairs in all of California. However, it wasn’t until the early 1930’s that the International Frog Jumping Jubilee merged with the Calaveras County Fair. But to learn that story, we’ll have to travel back in time to the mid-1800s, during the height of the Gold Rush.
You see, during the Gold Rush there wasn’t much to do in the way of familiar entertainment for the 49ers, so some of the more rowdy men would get drunk, and find anything and everything to bet on. One of the things that they sometimes bet on was who could capture a frog that would jump farther than anyone else’s frog. Fast forward to Mark Twain’s time in the area in the 1860s, during the tail end of the Gold Rush.
Twenty-nine years old, and still known as Samuel Clemens at the time, Mark Twain was deeply in debt (having been fired from one too many newspaper jobs), and was fleeing the Civil War in the South, staying with a friend in a cabin in Tuttletown while hoping to change his luck with pocket gold mine adventures. It was here in the Motherlode, completely immersed in the story telling culture of the gold rush, that Sam found his true calling: fiction writing. No, Samuel Clemens didn’t find gold, but he did strike it rich in Angels Camp, CA, when he overheard a local bartender absolutely butchering what could have been a hilarious story about one of these informal frog jumping competitions. Samuel Clemens thought to himself, if I can recreate this story, exactly as that man told it, I am going to be famous, and the rest is history.
The story, first published in book format in 1867, later became known as The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County. This tale from the Gold Rush launched Twain’s career not only across America, but all around the world, putting Mark Twain and little old Angels Camp and Calaveras County on the international map.
After that publication, it wasn’t until the celebration of the first ever road paving in Angels Camp, CA in 1928 that local residents, many of whom had personal connections to Mr. Twain, felt inspired to celebrate this seminal moment with its first, annual, international frog jumping contest to mark the auspicious occasion. This first frog jumping contest was such a hit, that two years later, the County Fair and frog jump were merged into one event and first held at their permanent home at the Calaveras County Fairgrounds in Angels Camp, CA. With a long and storied history, you too can become part of the living legend that continues to this day with an average attendance of 30,000 to 50,000 visitors throughout the four day weekend.
Extend your stay!
If you would like to make a long weekend of this historic and fun-filled festival, check out all the different lodging options in Calaveras. From camping right on the Fairground property to short term vacation rental homes, Calaveras has every option available. If you’d like help planning your trip, please feel free to give us a call at the Calaveras Visitors Center at 209-736-0049. We “hop” to see you soon!
