Big Plans For May
In the spirit of the “Rope. Ride. Ribbit” a contest has been created to promote the Mother Lode Round Up, the Amgen Tour Sonora and the Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee. The promotion is called “One Big Week – One Big Contest”.
Amgen Tour of California (ATOC) Sonora Marketing Director, Darrell Slocum states that Tourism is a critical component of our Mother Lode economy, and notes that “we still have to be discovered.”
Slocum is organizing the contest and believes it will entice the Amgen Tour attendees to plan a return visit and tell all their friends to visit the area. Slocum states “Our goal is to convince as many Amgen Tour attendees as possible to extend their stay in our area and take advantage of a vacation opportunity unlike any other by attending the Mother Lode Round Up the weekend before the ATOC and the Frog Jump in the days after.”
This year is the 55th Mother Lode Round Up. The Queen Pageant is May 6, the Band Review is May 9th, and Calcutta is May 10th. According to General Chairman, Jim Earll, “The Round-up continues to be one of the finest spring rodeos and celebrations in California.” Over 350 pro rodeo cowboys and cowgirls participate as part of the PRCA Heartland Rodeo Series. The Saturday May 12th parade has grown to 5 Sections of over 200 entries. Over 50,000 visitors are drawn every year to the Round-up weekend.
The Amgen Tour is the largest bicycle race in North America. The fourth leg of the eight day 750 mile Amgen race will start in Sonora. Amgen officials expect upwards of 10,000 onlookers to be present at many of the starting points. On April 29th you can register to bike the route in the “Gran Fondo” or on the same day be with your kids for the Tricycle Race “Bike, Trike and Ride”.
Not to be forgotten, the Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee, starts May 17th with livestock showings and then a children’s parade in downtown Angels Camp and ends with a Destruction Derby on Sunday evening. The frog jump competition takes place over several days. Frog handlers must follow the rules and treat their frogs with care, while they try to break the current world record jump set at over 21 feet in 1986 by Rosie the Ribeter. The Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee expects more than 35,000 attendees, more about it here.
The Grand Prize of the Rope, Ride, Ribbet promotion features VIP tickets to the three main events combined with a two day rafting package on the Tuolumne River donated by OARS of Angels Camp. Additional prizes will be awarded in themed packages donated by dozens of companies.
According to Slocum, “The packages are not limited to just Tuolumne and Calaveras County attractions. Businesses in Amador and Mariposa County also see the value of gaining the attention of out of area cycling enthusiasts.”
Details about the contest are available at http://www.atocsonora.com/atoc-contest.
