Donate a Can of Food; Receive $1 Off Admission on Sunday of Faire

The Nevada County Fairgrounds and Grass Valley Elks are teaming up for a canned food drive to help feed those in need in Nevada County.

Bring a can of food (or two or three) to the Country Christmas Faire on Sunday, November 29, and the Fairgrounds will give you a coupon for $1 off general admission to the Christmas Faire on that day (one coupon per person). Volunteers from Grass Valley Elks will collect the cans at the food collection bins at the Fairgrounds from 10 am – 4 pm at Gates 1, 3 and 5, which is also where you’ll receive your coupon.  All food donated is collected by the Grass Valley Elks and used in their Christmas baskets that they hand out in December.

The Country Christmas Faire is happening Thanksgiving weekend, November 27, 28 and 29 at the Nevada County Fairgrounds. Hours are 10 am – 5 pm on Friday and Saturday, and 10 am – 4 pm on Sunday. Cost is $4, and free to children under 12.  Parking is free.

Categories: Country Christmas Faire.

Country Christmas Faire: November 27, 28 and 29

Mark your calendar for the 31st annual Country Christmas Faire at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley on November 27, 28 and 29. Rated as one of the top handcrafted shows in Northern California, the Country Christmas Faire features unique gifts and crafts from top artisans from across the state, as well as from Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and New York.

Exhibit buildings will be filled during the Thanksgiving weekend, giving shoppers a chance to start their holiday shopping with quality hand-made holiday items, ornaments, jewelry, wooden crafts, soaps and lotions, hand-woven baskets, stained glass, candles, beadwork, and dozens of other unique gifts.

Visitors to the Faire will enjoy strolling live entertainment, festival foods, the magical Gingerbread House exhibit, errand elves, and a community bon-fire. Wagon rides around the Fairgrounds will be offered; and Victorian singers, the bell ringing RiverBells, and the Sierra Symphony quartet will perform throughout the event.

Santa will be available each day until an hour before the event closes, so bring your camera to capture that special photo with Santa. Free babysitting will be offered by Girl Scouts of the Northern Mines Service Unit, so parents can drop off their children while they enjoy holiday shopping.  Errand Elves from Clear Creek School will be available to assist shoppers throughout the event.

On Sunday of the Faire, the Nevada County Fairgrounds will partner with Grass Valley Elks for a canned food drive. Bring a can of food on Sunday, November 29, from 10 am to 4 pm, and receive $1 off Sunday’s admission price (one coupon per person).  All food donated is collected by the Grass Valley Elks and used in their Christmas baskets that they hand out in December.

The Country Christmas Faire begins Friday, November 27, and runs through Sunday,

November 29. Admission is $4 for adults, and children 12 and under are free. Parking is free. The hours are 10 am – 5 pm on Friday and Saturday, and 10 am – 4 pm on Sunday.

Categories: Country Christmas Faire.

Dan Castles: Guest Speaker at Foundation’s Speaker Series for Youth

“Stop comparing yourself to others,” said Dan Castles, CEO of Telestream, to local high school students on Thursday night. “There will always be somebody richer, smarter, prettier, and taller, than you. Figure out your uniqueness – and embrace it.”

Last night, Castles addressed more than 25 FFA and 4H students from Bear River, Nevada Union and Placer high schools, and served as the second speaker in the Nevada County Fairgrounds Foundation’s ongoing Speaker Series.

The series, hosted by the Fairgrounds Foundation and sponsored by Sandy Ballou and California Outdoor Properties, brings business education – through access to business leaders and real-life leadership experiences – to local high school students.

“I was so impressed with Dan’s ability to connect directly with these students and pass on advice that can be applied today and throughout their lives,” said Rea Callender, CEO of the Nevada County Fairgrounds. “It was an honor to welcome him to the speaker series.”

Dan is the co-founder of Telestream, and has more than 25 years of TV industry executive experience. Under his leadership, Telestream has become the recognized worldwide leader in enterprise-class video transcoding and workflow solutions. He was named President of Grass Valley Group (then a division of Tektronix) in 1994, following a sixteen year career at Portland-based Tektronix, where he served as Controller and then as Vice President of the Television Division.

Dan, who was involved in FFA growing up, and is a supporter of the Nevada County Fair’s auctions, told the kids that “if I were to ask my young self which program influenced me the most – I would say FFA. Through FFA, I gained confidence and public speaking skills.”

In sharing stories with students and encouraging them, Dan said, “Earn people’s respect for what you do, not your title. Work hard and smart, give your best, be humble, be a team player and always ask what you can do to help.”

The Fairgrounds Foundation’s speaker series, which began in October, features six speakers and will run through April.  Students have an opportunity to hear about the speaker’s career path, how they achieved their goals, insight regarding their area of expertise, and plenty of opportunities for questions. The first guest speaker was Jack Parnell, former United States Deputy Secretary of Agriculture. Upcoming speakers include John Paye, former NFL player for the San Francisco 49ers.

About the Nevada County Fairgrounds Foundation: The Nevada County Fairgrounds Foundation’s mission is to support and improve the community’s Fairgrounds, and to support youth in agriculture. For more information about the Fairgrounds Foundation, or to become a member, visit here.

Photo with Dan Castles

Categories: Announcements and Nevada County Fairgrounds Foundation.

Country Christmas Faire Winners

Congratulations to the following winners of a Country Christmas Fair admission ticket: Wendelina Stout, Ameya Scanion, Brittney Berns, Sarah Marie, Aaroon Lewis, David Porter, Sherry Myers, Christene Favetti, Teresa Undercoffer Walker, Kaathlyn Connor, and Kathy Stewart. Send us a private message on Facebook, and we’ll give you details on collecting your ticket. See you at the Country Christmas Faire.

Categories: Announcements.

Create a Gingerbread House and Win!

Now is the time for holiday bakers to think about the creation of a magical Gingerbread House to enter into the 13th annual Gingerbread House Competition at the Country Christmas Faire, held November 27, 28, and 29 at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley. Houses, bungalows, cottages, and castles fashioned from spicy gingerbread will be displayed for holiday shoppers to enjoy during the Thanksgiving weekend festivities.

Competitors may enter any of the many categories, including children, teens, adults, special needs, families, and groups.  There’s even a category for children under 8 years of age who want to enter a house made by a kit. All those who enter a Gingerbread House exhibit will receive two free passes to the Country Christmas Faire.

Ribbons are given to all winners, and the Best of Show winner will receive $100. A special gift basket from Tess’ Kitchen Store will also be awarded to the Best of Show winner and the People’s Choice Award winner.

Entry forms must be received at the Fairgrounds between now and Friday, November 20 by 4 pm. The actual gingerbread house entry must be delivered to the Fairgrounds on Tuesday, November 24 between the hours of 11 am – 6 pm at Ponderosa Hall.  The cost is $2 to enter, and all Gingerbread House exhibitors will receive two free passes to the Country Christmas Faire.

Entry forms and a complete list of rules can be picked up at the Fairgrounds office on McCourtney Road, or downloaded from here.

The Country Christmas Faire features talented artisans who fill the Fairgrounds exhibit buildings with quality hand-made crafts and unique gifts, so you can get all your holiday shopping done in one location. Visitors to the Faire will enjoy strolling live entertainment, festival foods, wagon rides, and a community bon-fire. Santa Claus will be on hand to greet children, so bring your camera to get that special photo. Santa will be available each day until an hour before closing time.

Free babysitting will be offered by Girl Scouts of the Northern Mines Service Unit so parents can drop off their children while they enjoy holiday shopping. Errand Elves from Clear Creek School will be available to assist shoppers throughout the event.

The 31st annual Country Christmas Faire begins Friday, November 27, and runs through Sunday, November 29.  The hours are 10 am – 5 pm on Friday and Saturday; and 10 am – 4 pm on Sunday. Admission is $4 for adults, and free to children 12 and under. Parking is free. On Sunday, if you bring a can of food, you’ll receive $1 off admission. All food donated is collected by the Grass Valley Elks and used in their Christmas baskets that they hand out in December.

Categories: Announcements and Country Christmas Faire.

Country Christmas Faire ad on Gold Country Stage

Look what begins running this week on the back of Gold Country Stage! It’s the Country Christmas Faire, happening Thanksgiving weekend at the Nevada County Fairgrounds. This is definitely one of our favorite holiday events.

Back of bus (2015)

Categories: Announcements and Country Christmas Faire.