Dinosaur time at Sonoma County Fair

There’s more to a county fair than just corn dogs, funnel cakes, the Ferris wheel and midway games. That’s especially true of the Sonoma County Fair this year. Opening July 28 in Santa Rosa, the annual salute to hometown fun, and our local rural roots, harks back not just decades, but eons, to the age of the dinosaurs. The official theme is “The Fair Before Time,” and one of the attractions planned is the construction of a 35-ton dinosaur sand sculpture. If you’re looking for folksy entertainment, you can’t top a performance by Oink the singing pig and the Pork Chop Revue. The fair runs through Aug. 9 at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, 1350 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa. Discount tickets and carnival coupons are available through July 27. For a full schedule: 545-4200, sonomacountyfair.com.