Sac History Happenings: Frog Jumping Jubilee hops again

Sac History Happenings

News and developments in Sacramento and California history

May 15, 2012

Frog Jumping Jubilee hops again

Sacramentans got a taste of amphibian fun at the recent 38th Annual Capitol Jumping Frog Contest, won by Jumping by Intoxicated, who leaped 12'5" at the urging of Anya Lawler with the office of Assembly Member Norma Torres.

But the main competition happens this weekend at the Calaveras County Fair & Jumping Frog Jubilee. This four-day extravaganza is a full-blown agricultural fair featuring craft, food and livestock exhibits, entertainment, rodeo and carnival, in addition to frog jumping.

The practice of prodding frogs for sport goes back decades and is inspired by "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County," a 1865 short story that brought early fame to Sam Clemens, aka Mark Twain. Clemens visited Angels Camp during his sojourn in California and Nevada as described in the semi-autobiographical Roughing It.

What: Calaveras County Fair & Frog Jumping Jubilee
Where: 101 Frogtown Rd., Angels Camp
When: May 17-20 (schedules)
Cost: Adults $10; children, 6-12, $6; family pass, $25. Purchase discounted tickets online.
For more info: website

PHOTO CREDIT: A fiberglass frog painted by a local artist commemorates the Mark Twain short story "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County." This and other frog statues planted around town help celebrate the town's heritage and draw attention to the annual Jumping Frog Jubilee. 2008 Sacramento Bee photograph by Janet Fullwood

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California and Sacramento have a long, rich, vibrant history. And our region is blessed with an abundance of historical resources maintained by museums, libraries, archives and societies. This blog aims to alert readers to the latest developments in local/state historical education and research.

Send tips concerning upcoming exhibits, tours, lectures and meetings, as well as new books, magazine articles and online collections to the blog's contributors.

The Contributors:

Michael Dolgushkin

Michael Dolgushkin is Manuscript Librarian at the California State Library History Section. He is co-author of San Francisco's California Street Cable Cars and is a frequent contributor to the California State Library Foundation Bulletin. Contact him at mdolgushkin@library.ca.gov.

Amanda Graham is a Certified Archivist working in the Sacramento Room of the Sacramento Public Library. She earned a BS in History from Southern Oregon University and a MS in Information Studies with an emphasis in archives from The University of Texas at Austin. Contact her at agraham@saclibrary.org.

Pete Basofin is Director of Editorial Research at The Sacramento Bee. He previously worked at The St. Petersburg Times and Columbia (Mo.) Daily Tribune. Contact him at pbasofin@sacbee.com.

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