Some silly events that become big public attractions are created on barstools – the Mooning of the Amtrak is one such example – and some are born of legends.
Such is the case with the Calaveras County Fair & Jumping Frog Jubilee. An aspiring novelist, Samuel Clemens, overheard a story about frog jumping competitions during the California gold rush. He turned that into a book, The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County and suddenly Samual Clemens became to be known as Mark Twain and an event was created for what is an annual event that attracts as many as 50,000 people the third weekend each May.
Now part of the Calaveras County Fair, the 2024 jubilee is May 16-19 and is just what it sounds like: an event built around jumping frogs. People place a frog on a lily pad and try to encourage it to jump the longest distance to win. Now if you think you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, you should try and get a frog to jump during a competition. That’s what’s so funny about it because people sing, leap, dance, whistle, stomp, yell, or blow to in hopes of getting their frog to jump.
Around this is a full festival with entertainment, food vendors and frog-related activities for all ages. Full details are on the event’s official website, The Jumping Frog Jubilee,
If you really want to take the full leap into frog jumping, check out the Jumping Frog Motel, Hop of Fame, Mr. Frog’s Wild Ride, Frog’s Tooth Winery, The Tipsy Frog.
Calaveras County is located in north eastern California, 140 miles from San Francisco.
Calaveras County Spring Wine Weekend
Watching frogs jump is not the only thing to do in Calaveras County. The last weekend of April (April 27-28 in 2024), the Calaveras Winegrape Alliance presents its annual Spring Wine Weekend.
It has 19 wineries, access to special tasting flights at 20 participating tasting rooms, live music and special events. People witness the spring bloom and early bud break in the vineyards while enjoying live music, tasting experiences,and a plethora of fun activities. Proceeds from this fundraising event support the Calaveras Winegrape Alliance.
If that’s not enough then later in the year, there is the “Taste of Calaveras” Wine and Food Experience at Ironstone Vineyard on July 27 and the Calaveras Grape Stomp and Harvest Festival – the oldest and largest grape stomp in California – on Oct. 5.