The Gold Country Stage will be providing free fare days, September 24 – 26, on all routes, including a bus stop at the Nevada County Fairgrounds for the Draft Horse Classic. The special bus stop on Route 3 will be available inside Gate 1 at the main ticket entrance. Call 477-0103, extension 0, for schedules or pick-up points, or visit GoldCountryStage.com.
The Star of the Classic’s Poster
The star of this year’s Draft Horse Classic poster. Photo by Adrian Hyman.
Light in the Trees
A beautiful photo of the light shining through the trees at the Nevada County Fairgrounds. Photo by Joe Edgar.
Dog Show: August 29 & 30
This weekend at the Fairgrounds – it’s the Gold Country Kennel Club Dog Show. The fun takes place on Saturday and Sunday from 8 am to 5 pm each day. More than 1,200 dogs have been entered this year! Additionally, the Nevada City police dog will be doing a demonstration each day around noon. Admission is free and parking is $5.
Movies Under the Pines: September 3
We are so excited that Movies Under the Pines will present Labyrinth on Thursday, September 3 at the Nevada County Fairgrounds. This event is perfect for the entire family! Food Bank of Nevada County will be selling food, and the Foundation will be serving beverages. Bring the family and enjoy an evening under the trees at the Fairgrounds. Tickets are on sale at NevadaCityFilmFestival.com.
Fair Winners!
The 2015 Nevada County Fair had more than 7,000 exhibit entries. Wow! What a talented community! Below is a list of livestock and still exhibit winners by category.
Congratulations to all! We’ll see you at next year’s Fair – August 10 – 14.
A Boy and His Horse
A boy and his horse. This is Fairgrounds CEO, Rea Callender, and his horse, many years ago. Rea’s excited about the upcoming Draft Horse Classic, happening September 24 – 27. If you love horses, you’ll love the Draft Horse Classic.
Nevada County Fair: August 12 – 16
It’s Nevada County Fair time – and we’re excited about the 2015 Fair and its theme of “Catch the Fair Bug!” This year’s Nevada County Fair, August 12 – 16, is held under the shade of the tall pine trees in Grass Valley and is the perfect opportunity to listen to musical entertainment, eat delicious food, enjoy carnival rides and games, visit barns full of animals, and see thousands of exhibits – all in a community-friendly environment.
There’s so much to see and do at this year’s Fair. We’ve got the Bug Zone (with cock roach races and bug tastings), an extreme rodeo, the 22-foot Spider Zone, and the Newlywed Game on the Pine Tree Stage. Don’t forget a visit to Ag-Sperience, the Hay Bucking contest, a zip line across The Green, nightly karaoke, and several livestock competitions.
Long-time crowd pleasing events will soar into the Fair’s arena Wednesday through Sunday evening. There’s the Flying U Extreme Rodeo happening on Wednesday and Thursday evening; Friday and Saturday night features Tuff Trucks and Monster Trucks; and Sunday night features the popular Destruction Derby. All arena events begin at 7 pm.
Enjoy ongoing, musical entertainment at one of the outdoor stages. This year features a variety of music – pop rock, country rock, traditional country, Chicago-style blues, jazz, traditional and contemporary bluegrass, rockabilly dance, and rock and roll. Barbershop quartets, hula dancers, and Michael Mezmer’s TranceNosis Comedy Hypnosis Show will be featured on the various stages.
For more fun, enter one of the special contests held daily in the Special Events tent. There’s a Cell Phone Photo Scavenger Hunt, an Instagram contest, a Duct Tape Art Challenge, a Live Art Battle, Create a Litter Bug contest, a Scrapbook Page Layout Contest, “Minute to Win It” fun, a Just Dance Contest, Build A Bug Snack, and nightly karaoke. No pre-registration required – just show up and have fun. Details for contests are available on the Fair’s website.
A visit to the Fair wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Treat Street. It is here that you’ll find an array of delicious foods and drinks – pasties, tacos, corn on the cob, beer, tempura zucchini, baked potatoes, nachos, hamburgers, corn dogs, caramel corn, and more – all while supporting local, non-profit organizations.
For the best deals, purchase your tickets before the Fair begins. Tickets are on sale now and advanced sale discounts are available through August 11 at 5 pm. To purchase tickets, visit NevadaCountyFair.com, stop by the Fair Office, or call the Fair Office.
Join us at this year’s Nevada County Fair, August 12 – 16, and find out why we’ve been voted as the “Best Community Event” for 13 years in a row. The Nevada County Fairgrounds is located at 11228 McCourtney Road in Grass Valley.
Arena Events at the Fair
This year’s Nevada County Fair features a full line up of excitement and loud, crazy fun in the arena each night. Wednesday and Thursday night features the Flying U Extreme Rodeo, Friday and Saturday night features Tuff Trucks and Monsters Trucks, and Sunday night is the return of Rotary’s Destruction Derby.
The Flying U Extreme Rodeo, produced by Cotton Rosser and Flying U Rodeo, returns to the arena on Wednesday and Thursday night with cowboys, bull riding, wild horse races, motorcycle riding, and a parachutist. Mutton Bustin, where young cowboys and cowgirls get the chance to hop on a trusty sheep and head for the thrill of their young lives, is scheduled during the event on both nights. If you have children interested in participating in Mutton Bustin, please visit the Fair Office. New this year, on both nights, will be a Coin Dig. Sponsored by A to Z Supply, the Coin Dig, features 100 gold coins buried in the arena, and children 10 years and younger in the audience will be invited down to the arena to dig for the coins. The cost to attend the Flying U Extreme Rodeo is $6.
On Thursday and Friday night, it’s Tuff Trucks and Monster Trucks, produced by S. Miller Paving, Inc. Loud trucks, racing, and car jumping make up for this fun evening. Ticket price also includes a Meet and Greet from 5:30 – 6:30 on both nights, so you can go visit the arena floor and meet the drivers. The cost to attend the Tuff Truck and Monster Truck show is $12 for adults, and $8 for kids 12 and under.
On Sunday, it’s the crowd-favorite Destruction Derby. The popular Derby is locally produced by five of Nevada County’s Rotary Clubs – The Rotary Club of Nevada City, Rotary Club of Nevada County South, 49er Breakfast Rotary of Nevada City, Penn Valley Rotary, and Rotary Club of Grass Valley. Watch as drivers put their cars to the ultimate test and crash, smash, and ram other vehicles while trying to keep their own vehicle running! It’s demolition at its best. Tickets are $15 for adults and $8 for kids 12 and under.
All arena events start at 7 pm. For tickets to the Fair’s arena events, visit here.
Daily Contests at the Fair
At this year’s Nevada County Fair, August 12 – 16, there are exciting contests and activities happening each day of the Fair! Here are just a few of the fun contests planned for this year’s Fair.
New this year is the LIVE Art Battle on Saturday from 2:30 – 3:30 pm. Artists of all ages will have 20 minutes to create a painting, and then the audience will vote for their favorite. All supplies provided.
With the “Catch the Fair Bug!” theme, we have lots of fun “bug” contests – Building A Bug Snack, where Fair-goers can create an edible bug out of yummy food on Wednesday at noon; Make and Take Bug Crafts on Wednesday at 2 pm; Create a Litter Bug from recycled items on Thursday at 3 pm; and Make a Bug Puppet on Friday at 2 pm.
If you love creating with Duct Tape, don’t miss the Duct Tape Art Challenge. Kids and adults will have 30 minutes to create an item or thing. Some tape will be available for use; however, if your project requires specific colors/patterns or supplies, please provide. Happening on Friday; kids contest at 3 pm; adults 3:45 pm.
How about a scavenger hunt using your cell phone? Find a partner and join the fun at the Cell Phone Photo Scavenger Hunt on Wednesday at 3 pm. At check- in, contestant teams will receive a scavenger hunt list, and teams will have 45 minutes to find and photograph with their cell phone as many of the items on the list that they can.
Bel Capelli Salon is sponsoring Locks of Love on Saturday from noon – 2 pm. Donate your hair to help provide a hairpiece to financially disadvantaged children suffering from long-term medical hair loss. Bel Capelli Salon stylists will be available to assist with the hair donation process, as well as to cut and style your hair for free.
Love Instagram and love taking photos? Take a picture or two with your phone for the Instagram Contest while visiting the Nevada County Fair, and submit it to Instagram using #fairbugpics. There will be daily winners!
We’ve also got Squash Mobile Races, “Minute to Win It” fun, a Scrapbook Page Layout Contest, and a Just Dance Contest. Don’t forget karaoke, happening Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday from 8 – 11 pm, and Sunday from 8 – 10 pm.
There are no entry forms for most events – just show up 15 minutes early at the Special Events Tent and get ready to play. Lots of fun and great prizes!
For additional details and a complete list of special contests happening at the Special Events Tent, as well as a list of all the daily activities, visit our website at NevadaCountyFair.com or call 273-6217.
