Longtime Folsom resident Adam Frick where’s many hats in the community and this week, the co-founder of Folsom Times will be wearing perhaps his favorite hat of all. Many may not know it, but beneath the red, white and blue of Uncle Sam that is an emcee and key personalityof the Folsom Pro Rodeo is Frick and his love for the event came by means of an interesting journey.
From his quick-witted commentary as an emcee to his patriotic attire dressed as Uncle Sam, the well-known Folsom resident has brought plenty of color to the event for nearly two decades. As he enters the arena Wednesday night, it will mark his 18th year as the Folsom Pro Rodeo’s color guy, in more ways than one but he’s not one to let the attention go to his head.
“I have enjoyed being a part of this event for so many years and have never done it for notoriety. I enjoy making it fun for the fans but this is quite an honor.”
Today, and the Folsom Pro Rodeo go together like America and apple pie but it wasn’t always that way. Frick will be the first to admit that many years ago when he first moved from Minnesota to Folsom, he had very little interest in the rodeo.
“When I moved out here, I quickly adapted to the shorts and flip-flops lifestyle. The weather and warmer nights made that pretty easy to do,” said Frick, who was a former health club membership salesman turned club disc jockey when he first came to California in 1995 and moved to Folsom in 2001.
“People told me I really needed to check out the Folsom Pro Rodeo and how great it was but I really didn’t think about it much,” admitted Frick. “I didn’t even own a pair boots at the time, or any western wear for that matter, not even a hat.”
After hearing so many in the community talk about the event, Frick finally decided to check it out. For his first visit to the rodeo, he didn’t bother buying boots, jeans or a hat; he went just as he was most of the time, as he signed up to be a bartender at the event.
“Yes, that was me, I was the guy at the rodeo in shorts and flip flops,” he mused. “People probably remember me because I think I was the only one. But needless to say, I saw how cool of an event this was.”
Despite the awkward attire, after that one visit, Frick was hooked and ready to go again. As he began to get involved with the Folsom Chamber of Commerce, he soon became involved with the event as an emcee and eventually, his well-known role of Uncle Sam in the arena center.
“So instead of being the guy with the least amount of clothes at the rodeo, I am now the one flanked in multiple layers in triple-digit heat. It’s kind of ironic, isn’t it,” said Frick. “It took me a while to start dressing more rodeo-appropriate. I bought myself a pair of leather shoes that looked like boots and faked people out for a few years.”
Shortly after his first rodeo, Frick noticed the one thing lacking at the event was that the Chamber of Commerce didn’t have a dedicated professional to represent Folsom at the event. He went to the chamber and shared his background and offered his services for the future. He was given a few things to help start with and then asked to emcee the opening ceremonies and mutton busting. Shortly after earning his role, Frick added his patriotic flare to the package.
“I said to myself, this event is so patriotic, what it really needs is an Uncle Sam,” he said. “I had bought a costume for our neighborhood parade in Briggs Ranch and decided to start wearing it to the rodeo and they really dug it and I have been wearing it ever since.”
In 2021, the story took a new turn when Uncle Sam got engaged to Captain Marvel at the Folsom Pro Rodeo. At the time, Frick and his girlfriend, Megan Demmel, had both been dressing up for the rodeo and other events in the city. He continued as Uncle Sam while she dressed as Captain Marvel to complete the patriotic duo.
Wanting to propose, Frick got together with local jeweler Adrian Blanco and Taryn Grows, who worked at the Folsom chamber, and the trio secretly planned the proposal in the arena.
Demmel was led to believe they were assisting with a fan’s proposal; Frick went as far as arranging for actors to portray the couple-to-be to throw her off until the moment arrived when she realized she was the lucky girl before a capacity crowd cheering for them.
“It was not easy to pull off without her suspecting something,” said Frick. “Adrian and Tayrn really helped with all of it and it didn’t go without his hiccups along the way. I am still amazed Megan didn’t find out beforehand.”
After an engagement period that was celebrated with much of the community, the two officially tied the knot last year with a wedding ceremony right in the heart of the city. At the historic railroad turntable in Historic Folsom by Scott’s Seafood and Willamette Wineworks.
As someone who first came to Folsom and was reluctant to originally go to the rodeo, Frick has words of advice for those who have never been.
“If you are hesitant to attend the rodeo, I encourage you to check it out just like I did,” said Frick. “It is Folsom’s biggest event; it is non-stop entertainment and it’s great for the whole family. It is an experience. I assure you; you’ll be back for more.”
Since making Folsom his home, Frick has become very involved and engaged with the community and other nearby communities. He is known for his innovation and software development as well as the development of the former Ulink Network, he is the face behind Folsom TV and other well known entitities, including Folsom Living, Town Coupon and and the Folsom.Biz business directory and software development of Symmetry for Health to name a few.
In 2023 he joined forces with longtime local journalist and resident Bill Sullivan to launch Folsomtimes.com in an effort to keep local community news at the forefront and make sure residents stay informed. The site has since grown to become a top resources for local online news.
Prior to joining forces with Frick, Sullivan was well aware of his involvement in the community and the Folsom Pro Rodeo. He also was very aware of Frick’s love of entertaining others, emceeing community events and dressing up in character, all in the spirit of community.
“On any given day I try to prepare myself for what he just might show up dressed as, it could be Uncle Sam one day, it may be Halloween star Michael Myers another and at Christmas, he’s been known to be an elf and even the many in red,” said Sullivan. “It’s all about community for him and making people smile, which is a big part of how our business has grown to be successful as being a part of your community, and, being kinda cool is all very important.”
Even during the Folsom Pro Rodeo, Frick changes his look. Each evening kicks off in his multi-layered Uncle Sam costume. Then, he goes to his “rodeo phone booth,” so to speak, to change into official western attire to host and emcee the Rodeo’s Mutton Bustin’ program. It’s an aspect of the rodeo Frick loves to be part of, often celebrating with the youngsters as they have their moment in the rodeo spotlight.
The Folsom Pro Rodeo begins July 3 and continues through July 5 this year, followed by the first ever Sacramento Sheriff’s Rodeo on July 6. Tickets are selling fast for this year’s event, with a week remaining until the event, July 3 and July 5 have been officially sold out, according to the Folsom Chamber of Commerce. To get in on all of the patriotic fun from the sky diving arrival of the American flag to the mutton busting, the bull riding and everything in between visit www.folsomprorodeo.com to get your tickets before they are gone.
