Angels Camp, CA — Calaveras Rodeo Queen Contestants have been announced. There are four Calaveras Rodeo Queens competing for 2026 Calaveras, Payton Kelling-Ballard, Scarlett Pinkston, Winter Adkins and Katharina Schell.

Kelling-Ballard is a 17 year old junior attending Calaveras High. After high school, she plans on attending Chico State and becoming an Ag Lobbyist. Pinkston attends Calaveras High School and is a junior, she plans to attend nursing school. Adkins, is also a junior from Calaveras High School looking to become an EMT after high school and a business to sponsor her. Schell, an exchange student from Calaveras High School from Martinsried, Germany, plans on entering the field of marketing and business and looks forward to the rest of her time in America. She is grateful to her parents for sponsoring and supporting her and also her host parents, the Somaty family.

The 2026 Rodeo Queen Competition will be held Thursday, May 14 at 4 PM at the Ranch House and the winner will be announced at 7:30 PM the same day on the Main Stage at the Calaveras Fair.

The California Cowboys Professional Rodeo Association Rodeo is held in the Historic Frogtown Arena on Saturday, May 16, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. Rodeo is included with paid fair admission and presented in partnership with Rockin M Rodeo Company. The rodeo will also feature a special appearance by the California Cowgirls Drill Team. 

The Whiskerino Dinner Dance with silent and live auctions is April 11 at 5 PM. Tickets are $35 and more details are in the event listing here.

The 2026 Fair is dedicated to the Renaldo “Aldie” and Paula Broglio Family, whose deep roots in Calaveras County and long-standing commitment to the Fair reflect generations of service to the community.

Paula Pecchenino Broglio grew up in Angels Camp and spent much of her childhood at the Calaveras County Fairgrounds. Her mother, Anne Pecchenino, worked at the fair running the switchboard, while her father, Alvin Pecchenino, was appointed to the Calaveras County Fair Board of Directors in 1953 by Governor Earl Warren. Alvin was also active in the Angels Camp Boosters Club and the Whiskerino.

Paula recalls the excitement of fair week and that father often cooked meals for the cowboys at the Gun Club before they departed after the rodeo. Aldie Broglio’s father, Renaldo was active in the Gun Club and the Whiskerino. Following high school, Aldie became a 4-H leader teaching electrical classes. Paula served as co-community club leader for the Angelus Ranus 4-H Club. Aldie has served on the Junior Livestock Committee since 1980, helping guide generations of youth exhibitors. Carolee Kane organized the Junior Livestock Buyers Breakfast and asked Paula to help. Eventually with a group of dedicated woman Paula facilitated the event for more than 30 years. Today their niece Catharine and her husband Cory organize the buyer’s breakfast.

For more than 30 years they have opened their ranch to young people who did not have facilities to raise livestock projects. During that time, they have helped more than 100 kids raise animals and participate in the fair. Aldie and Paula raised four children and now have fourteen grandchildren. Their children showed steers and swine at the fair, and today their grandchildren continue the tradition by showing steers, swine, and rabbits. Aldie’s sister, Shannon Kawcak, served for several years as Small Animal Supervisor and was instrumental in establishing the market poultry and rabbit programs as part of the Junior Livestock Auction.

Today, the family continues to serve the community in many ways. Their son Alvin is active in city government. Their son John coaches a junior trap team, and his wife serves on the Breaking Boundaries Committee. Their son Edwin’s wife, Natalie, directs the Miss Calaveras Agriculture Pageant, and their daughter Annie gathers the siblings together to purchase animals at the Junior Livestock Auction. Alvin, John, Edwin, and Annie continue the family tradition of service, always ready to lend a helping hand wherever it’s needed.

The dedication ceremony honoring the Renaldo “Aldie” and Paula Broglio Family will take place on the Main Stage at the Calaveras County Fairgrounds on Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.

Fair Entertainment will include AmaZE, founded in 2022, brings local Calaveras singers Ann, Em, and Zie to perform hits from the 1930s, ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s—with a modern remix or two for good measure. From Broadway ballads to big band boogie, AmaZE blends a passion for vintage music and fashion into a show designed for modern audiences. “AmaZE is exactly the kind of talent we love to showcase—homegrown, incredibly talented, and guaranteed to get the crowd moving,” said Laurie Giannini, Marketing Director for the Calaveras County Fair. “What I love best is how much thought and detail goes into their costumes—it really elevates the entire performance experience. We’re excited to welcome them back to Frogtown and share their energy with fairgoers of all ages.”

In addition to daily stage shows, attendees can look forward to finding Coventry & Kaluza on the grounds with hula hooping and hands-on music-making for all ages. Kaluza added, “We can’t wait to engage with a new audience. Our goal is to inspire and entertain, making this a memorable event for all.”

The Calaveras County Fair & Jumping Frog Jubilee will also have a Destruction Derby on Sunday, May 17, at 5:30 p.m. as part of the final day of the fair. Fair organizers state “The derby promises to deliver edge-of-your-seat action as drivers compete for victory in a crowd-favorite showdown of skill and endurance.”

The 2026 Calaveras County Fair & Jumping Frog Jubilee will take place from May 14–17, 2026, in Angels Camp. Celebrating the long-standing tradition inspired by Mark Twain’s famous short story with frog jumping contests, there will also be carnival rides, agricultural exhibits, food, and entertainment, for tickets visit Frogtown.org.

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