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Sonora, CA — Mother Lode Roundup week events are in full force.
One of three candidates will be crowned the 2026 Roundup Queen later today. The contestants are 17-year-old Hannah Fletcher of Oakdale, 22-year-old Kaelee Gates of Copperopolis, and 23-year-old Taryl Townsend of Boulevard. Click here to view the full bios in the myMotherLode.com Mother Lode Roundup section.
The Queen Coronation will start at 4 pm at the Black Oak Casino Resort, and the Calcutta fundraiser at the same location at 6 pm. Both are free to attend.
Sheriff’s Posse member Tim Olpurt adds, “For the Calcutta, we basically have 10 teams that compete in the Calf Scramble each day (of the rodeo), so a total of 20 teams that you can bid on. If you are lucky enough to buy one of those teams, you can win a substantial amount of money if they end up winning the calf scramble.”
The Thursday events always draw a lot of interest and help to build excitement ahead of the weekend.
Wednesday evening was the popular Band Review at Sonora High School’s Dunlavy Field. The bands that will perform in Saturday’s parade took part in the annual preview concert. The bands often move quickly during the parade, so the review allows family and supporters to hear the full performances.
Click on the photo box to see several images from Wednesday’s band review.
