Things to Do in Turlock

Visitors traveling through Challenger Learning Center's exhibits may feel they've fallen down Alice's rabbit hole. One moment, they're as tiny as a nanobot as they gaze at nanotechnology components developed for medicine, electronics, and space elevators. The next, they're giants who could bat the whole planet around with one well-aimed jump—that is, if the planet is the NASA projection globe across whose surface features of the sun, moon, and Earth flow in vivid color.

Other exhibits take visitors far out, with images snapped by the Hubble Space Telescope or deep inside, with the Body Plaza's skeletons, x-rays, and organ models. A wide slate of interactive programming engages youngsters' problem-solving and teamwork skills with activities such as simulated space missions, where they keep the astronauts entertained over the radios at mission control or assemble probes in the spacecraft while hurtling toward Mars.

The dazzling, art-deco exterior of The State Theatre sends moviegoers back in time to Hollywood’s heyday. The elegant 1934 theater eschews the big-budget productions and 3D infomercials of today’s movie industry and instead screens classic films and indie features. On opening nights, The State Theatre often hosts Skype Q&A sessions with the directors and other filmmakers.

In the ongoing battle against boredom, Kickin It stays true to its name by helping visitors boot the "There's-Nothing-to-Do" blues with an arsenal of entertainment options. Lining one wall, flat-screen TVs flash graphics from the latest PS3, Xbox, and Xbox Kinect video games, including 70" LED sets that magnify the heated competition of online play. Friendly competition continues at several billiards and air-hockey tables. Opposite the gaming wall, a row of booths invites allies and adversaries alike to strike an armistice over snacks, including pizza, nachos, and sodas, offering an oasis from the summer heat and the unpredictable downpours of suntan lotion that come with it.:m]]

Lucky Fest helps revelers safely usher in America's greenest holiday by gathering 25 custom-built pubs along a single stretch of 11th Street. Each makeshift mead hall has taken on a unique theme for St. Patrick's Day. Guests can visit Grace O'Malley's Fantastic Voyage to enjoy a drink at a 16th-century pirate-themed alehouse built on a converted clipper, then swing past MacGowen's Karaoke Bar to belt out a favorite tune or deliver a rousing pep talk backed by Pointer Sisters tracks. Funny bones are tickled by visiting comedians from around the country during a drop-in at Patty O'Flynn's Comedy Shop, while the Irish Bar Bar Shop's barber chairs welcome visitors to stop in for a quick trim before they head to The Docks to pose for a souvenir photo with the Sea Maiden of the Celtic Sea.

The Headwaters owners Dan and Ashlie Arbuckle strive to make aquatic exploration accessible by providing patrons with high-quality equipment, as well as moral support from their canine companion, Henna. The shop rents paddleboards and kayaks to paddlers intent on exploring the Mokelumne River, whose waters glitter less than 1 mile away, and also organizes guided trips, exhibitions, and private or small group classes for newbies. In addition, fishing kayak packages rent out rod holders, fish finders, and scripts for tall tales about "the one that got away."

Very few people alive today can remember a time when the Stanislaus County Fair wasn’t around. The 10-day summer festival began humbly in 1911 as the Melon Carnival, but expanded throughout the decades in length and notoriety, with California recognizing its Arch Gate as a State Point of Historical Interest in 1999.

The fair’s headlining acts complement entertainment on secondary stages, whose performances range from community square dancing shows to canine daredevil acts. Meanwhile in the carnival area, visitors shoot down sudden rollercoaster drops and spin in dizzying circles, as tots frolic on size-appropriate kiddie rides and plot ways to turn their classrooms into zero-gravity chambers. Broncos attempt to buck riders to the ground in the rodeo, whereas those who prefer mechanical steeds can check out monster-truck shows, motocross contests, and motorcycle daredevils.