Fairs and Festivals in Grass Valley and Nevada City
GRASS VALLEY
Historic Grass Valley is brimming with fall and holiday activities:
Safe Trick or Treat for Preschoolers
Thurs., October 31, pre-school aged children tour Mill St., closed to traffic, and receive candy from merchants.
Holiday Open House
Sat., November 9, a downtown Grass Valley holiday shopping event with store specials, food, music and more.
Thanksgiving Weekend
November 29-December 1, the Country Christmas Faire at the Nevada County Fairgrounds features unique gifts and crafts from top artisans from across the state.
Visitors to the Faire will enjoy strolling musicians and carolers, festival foods, wagon rides, the magical gingerbread house exhibit and Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus. For more information, call 273-6217 or visit NevadaCountyFair.com.
Santa’s Workshop
Each Fri., Sat. and Sun. from November 29-December 24, enjoy free gift wrapping for your downtown purchases and have your picture taken with Santa Claus.
Cornish Christmas
Every Friday night, 6-9 p.m., November 29-December 20. (A Beale Air Force Base Appreciation Night on December 6).
Celebrate the 46th year of Cornish Christmas in historic downtown Grass Valley. Recapture the spirit of Christmas past with vendors dressed in Cornish attire, food, music and roasted chestnuts.
Tofanelli’s food booth will sell Philly cheesesteak sandwiches (a choice of prime rib or Portobella mushrooms), hot cocoa and hot spiced apple cider. Stop at Carolines Coffee Roasters for a Peppermint Mochas, topped with a candy cane and homemade whipped cream, or an Eggnog Latte.
Mill and West Main Streets are closed to traffic and filled with the sights and sounds of Christmas. Free parking.
Santa Lucia Celebration
Sun., December 8, 1 p.m., the 26th annual Santa Lucia celebration is at Foothill Flowers, 102 W. Main St., GV. For more information, call Foothill Flowers at 273- 2296.
Latkes Cooking Demo
Mon., December 2, 4 p.m., Tess’ Kitchen Store in Grass Valley will demonstrate how to make Latkes, a popular treat during the Eight-Day Festival of Lights. “Latkes are pretty great,” as food author Michael Pollan has observed.
For more information, visit HistoricGrassValley.com
NEVADA CITY
Charming Nevada City offers a cornucopia of activities:
Halloween
Thurs., October 31, 5-6 p.m. Nevada City will host its First Annual Halloween Parade. “A creepy hearse will lead dancers, fire, floats, bands and other souls down Broad St. to kick off Halloween Night,” parade organizers promise. Miners Foundry will hold its annual Fright Night on Halloween night. Party-goers enjoy a full-bar, food and imaginative costumes.
Thanksgiving Weekend
It is a perfect weekend to experience living history in Nevada City, shop for holiday gifts, and enjoy craft fairs, festivals and other events.
Fri. and Sat., November 29- December 1, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sun., noon-4 p.m., Craft Faire & Sandwiche Shoppe at the United Methodist Church, 433 Broad St. The Methodist Church was shown in the popular Hallmark Channel movie The Christmas Card, filmed in and around Nevada City. Visit the Nevada City Chamber of Commerce at 132 Main St. for a movie map and a DVD of the movie. (More details are here).
Fri.-Sun., November 29-December 1, the Artisans Festival at Miners Foundry Cultural Center, 325 Spring St. For more than 35 years, Thanksgiving weekend in Nevada City has featured a major art event attracting thousands of visitors. Since 1993, this event has been Artisans Festival at Miners Foundry, hosting a small but select group of artists and craftspeople.
Winter Craft Fair
Sun., December 15, 10 a.m.- 6 p.m, the Nevada City Winter Craft Fair at Miners Foundry. It features designer clothing, handbags, jewelry, knit items, children’s items, ceramics, art and prints and more.
Victorian Christmas
Wed., December 4, 11 and 18. 5-9 p.m. and Sun., December 15 and 22. 1:30-6 p.m.
The annual family tradition features holiday activities for all ages: live entertainment, savory yuletide treats and libations and Father Christmas.
“It’s a magical setting of hilly streets outlined with twinkling white lights and authentic gas lamps, wandering minstrels and carolers dressed in Victorian attire, and a myriad of visitors sharing holiday share,” the Chamber says.
For more information, visit NevadaCityChamber.com
(Photos: Thomas Thompson)