North Fork Loggers Jamboree
The Mid-Sierra Loggers Jamboree is an annual lumberjack sports festival held in North Fork, California. Established in 1959, it showcases traditional logging skills and serves as a community fundraiser tied to the town’s Recreation Center. The 65th edition was staged July 5-6, 2025 at the North Fork Recreation Center.
History
Local loggers and volunteers launched the Jamboree in 1959; longtime residents recall early parades down Main Street and competitions on the grounds that later became the Recreation Center. In the late 1950s–early 1960s, the event and a related North Fork Festival were organized to support the newly formed North Fork Boosters Club and to help fund the Recreation Center. The Jamboree has continued on the weekend following the U.S. Independence Day weekend for over sixty years.Format and activities
Competition spans two days: an Amateur/Pro-Am program on Saturday and a Professional program on Sunday. Pro-Am teams pair one experienced competitor with one amateur; most events are timed, with points determining winners. Sunday features the professional contests for the All-Around title. The weekend program typically includes a Main Street parade, the Wood Chopper’s Ball, and a Lions Club pancake breakfast, alongside food and craft vendors.Events and competitions
The Jamboree showcases traditional logging skills, including:- Axe throw — contestants throw a double-bit axe at a wood round; a shaken beer can in the bullseye famously bursts on a perfect hit.
- Choker setting — sprinting an obstacle course to rig a cable around a log.
- Hand bucking (double-buck) — two-person crosscut sawing through an 18-inch log.
- Stock power saw — precision cuts with an unmodified chainsaw, including a “pierce” to a marked line.
- Springboard chop, hand chopping, tree felling, log birling, speed axe, Jack & Jill, and hot saw.