There’s only two days left in the 2023 run of the Stanislaus County Fair, and the final weekend is sure to heat up — both literally and in entertainment and arena action.

While temperatures have hovered near the century mark over the past few days, an excessive heat warning from the National Weather Service predicts temps above 100 for both Saturday and Sunday, with Sunday reaching almost 110.

Turlock Grange member Xavion Mason has been keeping a keen eye on his hog during the hot days at the Fair.

“I have been making sure he has fresh water, taking him to the wash racks throughout the day to wet him down and spraying him with water while he’s in his pen,” Mason said.

Turlock FFA member DJ Curtice has also been watching over his goat Lynyrd during the hot days. He said the goat barns at the Fair tend to stay cool since they are not only shaded, but fans filter in fresh air.

“Goats are very resilient animals; they’re pretty tough and handle this heat pretty well,” said Curtice.

Friday night saw bronc and bull riding, roping and steer wrestling action in the Food Maxx Arena as part of an official rodeo sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.

Coming up at the Fair:

SATURDAY

—                  The Jaripeo Hispanic Rodeo will be in the Food Maxx Arena at 6:30 p.m. The event will include dancing horses, escaramuza, bull riding and live Banda music. Tickets can be purchased at stancofair.com or at the Fair’s box office, 900 N. Broadway, Turlock.

—                  GRAMMY, CMA and ACM award winner Ashley McBryde will take the stage at the Modelo Variety Stage at 8:30 p.m. The Grand Ole Opry member’s 2018 major label debut “Girl Going Nowhere” (Warner Music Nashville) charmed The New York Times, NPR, Rolling Stone, Paste, The Washington Post and more, all en route to landing a GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Album. McBryde closed out 2019 with ACM New Female Artist, CMT Breakout Artist, a New Artist of the Year win at the 53rd Annual CMA Awards and two nominations for the 2020 GRAMMYs for Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance for “Girl Goin’ Nowhere.”

Her follow-up, “Never Will,” was tagged by Rolling Stone as one of the most anticipated of the year alongside NPR, who also ranked her Top 10 RIAA Platinum-Certified single “One Night Standards” as one of the best songs of 2019. The album earned McBryde a 2021 GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Album, making “Never Will” the only album nominated for Country Album of the Year by the ACMs, CMAs and the Recording Academy in the same award season. Her GRAMMY-winning duet with Carly Pearce, “Never Wanted To Be That Girl,” went all the way to No. 1 and earned McBryde and Pearce the ACM and CMA award for Musical Event of the Year. McBryde was also honored with the 2022 CMA International Artist Achievement Award for the most significant creative growth, development, and promotion of the country music industry outside of the United States.

SUNDAY

—                  Local dirt bike racers will compete in the Food Maxx Arena at 6:30 p.m. Sunday in the AMP Racing Motocross event. Riders of all ages, including women and children, will compete on bikes from 50cc to +40 quads, Rhinos and dirt bikes. Tickets are $12 each.

—                  Los Nuevos Rebeldes will have fairgoers dancing on their feet all night when they hit the Modelo Variety Free Stage at 8:30 p.m. Los Nuevos Rebeldes is a Mexican group. It was formed in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico, in 1999. It gained success with its songs, such as "El Calender," "Quizás," "Masacre en el Cajoncito," "EM Grande" and "El Niño."

The group owes its name, on the one hand, to a relative who belonged to Los Rebeldes del Norte and, on the other, to the original sound that it has had since its inception, which has led them to win multiple gold and platinum records. Los Nuevos Rebeldes began their career in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico, in 1999, made up of Eduardo Nájera (founder and drummer); Javier Inzunza (accordion); Jesús Medina Osorio (voice and low sixth); Isaac Navarez (vocals and bass); and Luis Hernández (voice and bass sixth). Los Nuevos Rebeldes interpret their songs in the norteña genre, with fusions of regional.

For more information about the Stanislaus County Fair, visit stancofair.com or follow the Fair on Facebook at facebook.com/stancofair, Twitter and Instagram @stancofair.

— Candy Padilla contributed to this report.