The stage is set for Summerfest
Submitted by John Lullo
Preparations for the first Summerfest celebration since 2019 are going well at White Sulphur Springs Ranch in Clio. The old ranch house received new carpeting, and the stage that the entertainers will perform on has been re-stained and ready for its first use at a Summerfest event. Trees around the stage have been trimmed up so that the view of the Mohawk Valley is unobstructed. A dance floor, just in front of the stage, is in the process of being laid down and will be ready for the event on June 26.
As of this writing there is more than a month to go and 90 percent of the available tickets have already been sold. Patrons who want to ensure entry should go to the website at www.whitesulphpurspringsranch.com for tickets. A few are also left at the Briar Patch in Graeagle and The Shop in Blairsden. There will be no ticket sales at the door. Ticket prices are $65 for adults and $20 for kids 12 and under.
This year’s entertainment features David John and the Comstock Cowboys. They were a favorite at Summerfest 2017. They usually bring some of their own fans, in costume, from their home base, the old Bucket of Blood Saloon in Virginia City. The Cowboys are celebrating their twentieth year at that popular establishment in nearby Nevada.
As usual Summerfest 2022 is an outdoor event. Attendees should bring a lawn chair but no pets. Gates open at 3 p.m. and entertainment starts at 4 p.m.
The food is always something special…this year it’s chicken and ribs, beans, grilled vegetables, cowboy slaw, dessert and snacks. The famous Porta-Saloon will offer Sierra Nevada beer for sale and there is always a no host bar. Besides the beer, this year the bar is offering wine and margaritas. There are both live and silent auctions and this year the Vogt Silversmiths have donated an elegant silver buckle as the raffle prize. The Roberti brothers of Loyalton have agreed to conduct the live auction. The brothers have a reputation for putting the spark into local auction events in the Sierra Valley.
One of the most popular events of the day is the wine trunk giveaway. People buy keys for $10 apiece but only one fits the trunk that contains hundreds of dollars’ worth of fine wine donated by California vintners.
Summerfest 2022 at White Sulphur Springs Ranch is on track to be the finest ever.
The new stage at White Sulphur Springs Ranch offers performers and attendees an unobstructed view of the Mohawk Valley. Photo by Tim Buckhout
Local resident Toni Carl’s reaction after her key opened the wine trunk at Summerfest 2016. Photo by Linda Cooley