Check out Grass Valley, Music in the Mountains, and the Nevada County Fairgrounds mentioned in the Sacramento Press article about the Best Small-Town-Esque 4th of July Celebrations.
Summer Reading Program
The Nevada County Fair is partnering with the Nevada County libraries for its Summer Reading Program. Through this program, children will be reading books and creating a project that will be on display at the Fair. Additionally, children who complete the program will receive two free carnival rides at this year’s Fair. Visit the Nevada County library’s website for details. Happy reading!
July 3 and 4 Activities
June 28, 2015
Looking for something to do on the July 4th weekend? Check out these fun events happening right in our own backyard!
Music in the Mountains Happening on July 3, Music in the Mountains will end their popular SummerFest Concert Series with an outdoor concert, Happy Birthday USA! It’s music beneath the tall pine trees. Simply beautiful! Visit www.musicinthemountains.org for tickets and additional information.
Fourth of July Celebration Parade: This year’s parade takes place in historic downtown Grass Valley. The parade begins at 11 am, and will include approximately 75 entries. The festive parade travels down Main and Mill streets in Grass Valley. This year’s Grand Marshals will be Sandy Woods (former CEO of the Nevada County Fairgrounds) and John Hart (photographer of The Union Newspaper).
Fireworks: Following the parade, there will be a celebration under the pines at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley. Live music, entertainment, food and refreshments are offered. Fairgrounds gates open at 3 pm, entertainment begins at 4 pm, and the fireworks spectacular blasts off at 9:30 pm. The Nevada County Fourth of July celebration is co-sponsored by Nevada City Chamber of Commerce, the Grass Valley Downtown Association, and the Greater Grass Valley Chamber of Commerce. Admission rates: Adults $10/advance or $15/gate; children 12 and under are free; and military are free with ID. Tickets are available at Nevada City Chamber of Commerce, at the Greater Grass Valley Chamber of Commerce, and the GV Downtown Association. For more information, visit here.
What a fun few days!
Draft Horse Classic Tickets on Sale Now
Majestic Draft Horse performances, breath-taking competitions, and seeing a Draft Horse “up-close” are all part of the festivities at the 29th annual Draft Horse Classic and Harvest Fair, September 24 – 27, at the beautiful Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley. Featuring six performances by the beautiful Draft Horses, this event has become the premier Draft Horse show in the western United States. The Classic spotlights a variety of horses, teams, and performances; featuring everything from farm wagons, carriages, and driving competitions to dancing horses and racing mules. The stars of the show are the horses, and with more than 120 horses stabled on the grounds, the Classic offers a unique chance to observe them in a multitude of settings.
Tickets to this event are on-sale now. Once again, we’re offering discounted pricing on adult admission tickets for evening performances, as well as on morning performances and children’s tickets. Tickets can be purchased by calling (530-273-6217), faxing (530-273-1146), or visiting the Fair Office on McCourtney Road. Tickets can also be purchased on-line. There is a small transaction fee if you order your tickets on-line. Ticket order forms are available here. Choose from six performances!
Although there is a charge for the Draft Horse performances in the arena, admission to the Fairgrounds is free so all can enjoy the many activities of the Harvest Fair happening during the four days of the Classic. Visit the grounds to enjoy western music, Harvest Fair agricultural competitions and hundreds of community exhibits, a clogging jamboree, horse shoeing demonstrations, Treat Street goodies, and Art at the Classic. Plus, you don’t want to miss the opportunity to visit the barns and meet the famous Draft Horses up-close. We even offer guided barn tours!
The Nevada County Fairgrounds is located on McCourtney Road in Grass Valley, just 50 miles northeast of Sacramento.
Young Flower Arrangers
Look at these awesome flower arrangements made by these talented kiddos at Wednesday’s flower arranging class (hosted by the Chicago Park Garden Club) at the Nevada County Fairgrounds. So fun – and we see some future youth floriculture entries at this year’s Fair. Interested in entering an exhibit in the Fair? The deadline to turn in the paperwork is July 24. It’s easy and it’s fun!
Facebook Contest
Are you going to enter an exhibit in this year’s Fair? If so, what? Considering entering an exhibit this year for the first time? Or, do you just love to look at the buildings full of exhibits at the Fair? Post a comment over on our FB page, and we’ll randomly choose a few winners for a free admission ticket to the Fair.
Music in the Mountains SummerFest Begins
Music in the Mountains SummerFest at the Nevada County Fairgrounds begins this week. There’s The Glory of Russian Ballet, An Evening with Randy Newman, Cirque de la Symphonie – just to name a few. SummerFest culminates on July 3, with “Happy Birthday, USA.” What fun! For tickets and information, visit Music in the Mountains website.
Enter An Exhibit in the Fair
The Nevada County Fair’s Competition Handbook, which includes all the information you need to enter exhibits in this year’s Fair, is now available. If you can make it, bake it, grow it or show it, there is a category for you – and it can be found in the Competition Handbook!
Why not showcase a talent, a project, a cooking skill, or a special collection. Try baking cookies, entering a prized photo, creating a produce character, making the Ugliest Decorated Cake, writing a poem, or entering the Pet Look-A-Like photo contest. This year, we have some fun, new categories, including a Spelling Bee, tiny terrariums, creating the best BBQ sauce, an Instagram Contest, Recycled Fan art, an ugly lamp contest, or a painted rock category.
There are also lots of special contests like the Squash Mobile Races, Daily Special Food Contests, and the Newlywed Game. With hundreds of categories available for children and adults – the Competition Handbook has something for everyone.
Copies of the free handbook are available at the Fairgrounds’ Office, Chamber of Commerce offices, post offices, county libraries, Raley’s, SPD, Ben Franklin, Foothill Mercantile, and other local businesses, as well as on-line.
It’s easy to enter! Look through the book, pick your favorite categories, and follow the simple steps for completing the entry forms. You can even enter on-line. This year, there won’t be any entry fees for most categories (yes, it’s free!), you can enter on-line or at the Fair office, and there will be some great prizes! The deadline for submitting paper entry forms and on-line entries is July 24 at 4 pm.
This year’s Competition Handbook also contains information about discounted Fair tickets available now through August 11, discount days at the Fair, and nightly arena events.
The 2015 “Catch the Fair Bug!” Nevada County Fair is August 12 – 16.
Why not showcase a talent, a project, a cooking skill, or a special collection.
If you can make it, bake it, grow it or show it, there is a category for you.
This Weekend: Bluegrass Festival at the Fairgrounds
This week, it’s the Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival at the Nevada County Fairgrounds. For tickets and information, visit here. Photos by George Martin.
Enter an Exhibit: Painted Rocks
Here’s another fun new exhibit category this year for kids – painted rocks! So fun, and so easy. We’ve posted some ideas on Pinterest. The deadline to turn in paperwork to enter an exhibit in the Fair is July 24. Have fun creating!
