We first visited this fair last year and loved it so much that we returned just this past weekend…read more The standout feature of this location is definitely the setting, there are so many beautiful, tall trees providing large amounts of shade, making it easy to escape the summer heat.My son had a blast. He thoroughly enjoyed playing the fair games and loved the live bird show near the entrance, where he got to see a vulture and a majestic eagle up close.The fair was definitely busy, but the fast pass ride wristbands came in handy to bypass the long lines. He kept asking to try the mechanical bull ride, and he did absolutely great! He held on tightly and didn't even fall off toward the end; he just asked for it to stop when he was done. I also hopped on a couple of other rides with him, and we had a lot of fun together.It is a fantastic, family-friendly event. We saw that they host a holiday fair here during Thanksgiving weekend, and we are already thinking about coming back for it!

Nevada County fair 2026 is happening right now. Today 8/16 is the last day of this four day…read moreextravaganza. Small town, county fair feels. Overall I had a good time, but gear up for the long lines for the food booths and carnival rides. You may end up spending more time in line than enjoying the fair. That'll make anyone grumpy. I waffled between rating a 3 to 4. Next year, the dates of the fair will be a month earlier and over two weekends versus one. The weather would be hotter in July but it's cooler there a bit than at lower elevation and the fairgrounds have tall pines, ponderosa, and oaks providing shade. I got here on Saturday early afternoon and left around 9:30pm. About 6 pm, that is when the attendance seems to significantly more than double. Got extremely crowded. The food and ride lines got longer as well. The lighting on the fairgrounds is limited and after dark it gets difficult to see the ground. Be careful of the uneven ground in the picnic and grassy areas. Alcohol is sold throughout the day and not limited to certain areas. You and your drink are allowed to be mobile throughout the fairgrounds. Parking is $10, we paid cash so not sure if they took other forms of payment. Oh and remember to recall where you parked. This is important especially if you parked in the far fields and intend to venture out to the car after dark. There are no lights out there and minimal to no landmarks. The terrain is a natural field with bumps and holes and all. They have a free shuttle from Tinsloy Transit Center (in Grass Valley ) to the main gate running every 30minutes from 9:30 am to 11pm. Treat Street is an area filled with non profit organizations food booths. Below are some of my favorites. But the lines are loooong! ~ Job daughters (Masonic organization) - corn dogs! These corn dogs are the most popular fair food, thus having a long line. They are legendary. Frankfurter dipped in a cornmeal batter and deep fried. $6 ~ Rough & Ready- baked potatoes! Big, fat plumb baking potato. ~ Nevada City Little League-roasted corn on the cob! $5 ~ Nevada City United Methodist Church- bratwurst and sauerkraut dogs! Flat grilled brats. Yum! - Nevada City United Way- nachos! Yes please. - Penn Valley Lions - caramel popcorn! Fresh made. - Watt Park Firefighters- - soft serve ice cream. - Nevada City Elks- - charbroiled hamburgers . Root beer floats.

We were invited to a birthday party at the Placer Nature Center. This was the first time we've…read moreever been or even heard of it. It was super easy to find. Parking was easy. The party was such a great idea. Something different. And it was a beautiful day to be outdoors. We were able to look around different rooms filled with all different things from water animals, local animals, even dinosaurs!!!! Then we went on a nature walk with scavenger hunt. Everyone was engaged and having fun! Then the kids got to check out the pond....and catch tadpoles! So fun. My daughter had such a good time, she didn't want to leave.

My youngest son had a field trip here and it was just perfect. We were bussed in and split into…read moreserval groups, each group had a different activity but in the end was able to do them all. We had a nature walk, guess who, got to check out butterflies and all the stages they go through. All staff was so informative and kept the small aged kiddos engaged!

The Father's Day Bluegrass Festival offers some great bluegrass music during the day; but don't…read moreexpect to get any sleep in the campground at night. FDBF is organized by the California Bluegrass Association (CBA) and has been held yearly since 1976. The 2024 version was a multi-day event (Thur-Sun) with music on three stages. But 90% of the action was on the main stage, which faced a large meadow dotted with mature firs. There were also the usual booths for jewelry, art, clothing, and band swag. There were a limited number of food & drink trucks as well. (Nothing looked very interesting, so I didn't sample.) For most, to attend the festival for more than a day is to also go camping, whether from your car or in your RV. (Hookups available on a limited basis). It's a very convenient way to have a "home base" and come-and-go as you please. Unfortunately there are no quiet hours observed; and several scattered groups of musicians jam in the campground all night; every night. Yes Really. My friends attended for three days this year, and they joked it was time to wake up when the music stopped (usually about 6 am). Not knowing this, I had joined my pals for one day/night and got less than 4 hours of sleep as a result (Earplugs didn't help me much). Hey, I'm all for the campfire jamming culture - but only up to a point. I just didn't get it. (I'm not sure how the musicians pulled it off, but it seemed to be a big point of pride for them). The festival itself - during my one day - was great fun. (at least 4 stars there). Friendly people; chill atmosphere; camaraderie; good music. (A few local bands plus some more famous, traveling bands for the headliners). I also loved that they had workshops and mini-camps for youth who were learning to play. In short, it seemed to me the festival was organized by musicians...for musicians (and future musicians). And the needs of the general public were, well...secondary. Even though I enjoy camping, if I were I to attend this event again someday, I would need to find a hotel in Grass Valley, thus losing some convenience points, while also raising the price tag significantly.

Grass Valley, Ca. I think I would like this festival if not…read morefor a few things that could be remedied. I think the line up was excellent for a small festival and Doyle Lawson just killed it. We arrived late due to Sacramento traffic. There were exactly three sets remaining. We still had to pay like $60 each to see 3 acts, two of which were headliners. Are the promoters so rigid and inflexible they cannot reduce entry fee even slightly after a certain time? Was Doyle worth it? Maybe, he is getting closer to retirement so we need to hear him when we can. We arrived hungry. I passed on the hamburger/hot dog stand, those Lyons club or what ever organizations that do those always use the cheapest products. And it looked and smelled bad. The vegetarian stand had edible looking fare but I don't care much for tofu or other such curds. I ended up purchasing a chicken teriyaki skewer from an Asian themed place, I believe it was about six bucks or more, didn't look too bad. I will try to describe this product as honestly and descriptive as I can. I was hungry, I actually swallowed up to three bites! It was not a chicken breast on a stick at all, it was a concoction composed of green chicken scraps, chicken skin and fat, and a rubber chicken. The promoters need to rid themselves of this disgrace immediately and seek out even one vendor that can provide good food to appreciative guests. We ended up sharing "gourmet nachos" which were ok but avoid the "nacho cheese". They got cold half way through the pile and were no longer palatable. Taste wise they were acceptable for awhile. Good: The ice cream. Really good: Cold bottled water at a stand near the stage for only a dollar. More bad: The dog locked in the car in the parking lot. One window rolled down slightly but the temperature was in the 90's at 7:00. The dog was panting and not happy. Sad to see. Fortunately the sun had set and the air was getting a little cooler.

- Not disability friendly, if you require any sort of aid walking, skip it. Cane users are going…read moreto find it grueling, literally cannot use it with a walker or wheelchair. It's terraced, and the "ramps" are very steep, and laid with rocky sand, hard to walk in, and even harder to navigate with an aid. But in over half of the terraces, stairs are your only option. If you have asthma or a heart condition it's probably not a great option either. - The friendliest "workers" there were at the check in desk. everyone else looked sour, judgmental and 100% like they were being forced to interact with unwashed masses. - 95% guests were over the age of 65 - and acted like you would expect. - As a person with a degree in ornamental horticulture, ag business, and art - you would think this place was right up my alley. But as a botanical garden it was a flop for me. Nothing was labeled, cheap filler plants everywhere (pansies and yarrow). You'd think with it being a "tulip" garden that they'd be proud to point out rare and beautiful types, and emphasize the history. But the garden is simply a place to oooh over the pretty and feel superior that they've got the money to spend to make everything aesthetic. My ag business degree pointed out that 15$-20$ tickets, crowded with elderly people with money, expensive building materials, and the hoity toity airs, that's it's a money draw for rich people to feel like they are in "nature" and to feel superior. So as a business it's doing as intended. I wouldn't visit if you are expecting a botanical garden or for it to be "medatative". - As a place for picture opportunities, it's a flop unless you want sour boomers making faces at you for trying to stay in one place long enough to catch a moment with no one in the background. It's so crowded you can't avoid them. I say this as a 50+ year old. - DEFINITELY you WILL be judged if you are wearing anything that could be construed as "immodest" ie: tank tops, cleavage, shorts, or skirts above knees. Oh, and nice, but expensive, jeans are too dressed down as well. The silent disapproval of medatative rich boomers glaring at your disgusting shoulders and knees is an unpleasant background experience we didn't expect. Having dressed normally for a warm day in perfectly decent clothes for any other "botanical garden". -NOT child or baby friendly, teens will hate it and the vibe. Overall, do not recommend, I regret wasting money on tickets, and I only don't regret the drive because we love hwy 49s beauty. As someone with a huge interest in plants and plant businesses, I delight in visiting these kinds of places, but this particular "hermitage" was a 3/10 and it's only rating that high because they did have some really beautiful tulips and water features.

Great flowers. Interesting Hindu grounds with thousands and thousands of beautifully, arranged,…read moretulips, and beautiful views of a Yuba River Valley. Well worth the $15 ticket. Everybody was super nice, parking was easy, bathrooms were great. We even found a cool nearby yurt on Airbnb we liked (not associated with the Hermitage).

My wife is that festival junkie gal & bc we have never been to this festival we couldn't resist bc…read morethe weather was exceptionally cool in the morning. Got lucky finding street parking a block away only bc we were there super early. They of course had portapotties available. This reminded us of flea markets which we had frequented ourselves. Remember this is a small town. So don't have too high of expectations! We didn't. It was a good time to get our morning steps in! We did experience peach ice cream at the local Candybox store. There was a bakery tent that had a long long line! Their pastry peach goodies looked phenomenal & mouthwatering!!! Lots of vendors had Lafufus or Labubus & that type of merchandise maybe bc it's the latest craze. There were other unique items too that you have to see for yourself. We were surprised & amazed! Live band entertainment came later but we had other plans. I'm sure they entertained the audience well. My wife even watched the peach pie eating contest online! It was crazy funny!!! Woohoo!

Ever since the early-2000's, the "Marysville Peach Festival" is held annually every third week of…read moreJuly to honor the residents of Yuba & Sutter Counties. Located directly in the heart of downtown Marysville in the historic shopping district, this outdoor festival honors and commemorates everything peach-related including peach pies, peach cobblers, peach lemonade, peach milkshakes, and of course peaches all by themselves. Since this event was held from Friday 7/18/2025 to Saturday 7/19/2025, I came here on that Saturday at around 5:30pm. Best of all, they offer free parking everywhere around the festival site. Keep in mind that this festival is relatively small and only takes up a few blocks of downtown Marysville. The entire proximity is from 2nd-9th St's (north to south) and from B St to E St (east to west). However, there is a lot to see (and eat) as there are roughly 150 vendors and sponsors that participate in this event. Everything from face painting to a pie-eating contest to live music (with two separate stages) and lots of seating to enjoy entertainment. Finally, they also offer a ton of non-peach food trucks (including lobster rolls, BBQ, and much more). Additionally, they had a small area where children could take pony rides (for $10). And if in the event you need to go, there was a respectable amount of portable toilets available. The main reason why I came here was the comfortable mild weather. Usually during this stretch of July can see temperatures hover around the century mark. Fortunately, it was in the upper 80's during my visit and perfect conditions for walking the streets without being drenched in sweat. During my visit, I indulged in an iced cold peach lemonade, enjoyed a peach cobbler w/ice cream, and purchased a few several peaches to enjoy the following day. When it comes down to it, this event is good (but not over-the-top amazing). Many of the food options are overpriced while the peaches are much more than what you'd spend at a farmers market. But if you want that small town feel, this place will have you covered. Things move much slower with a lot of that small town character and charm. With that said and done, I am giving the "Marysville Peach Festival" a respectable and above average four-star rating.

We really enjoyed it. It was very low key, relaxing atmosphere. The food and music were great!read more

If you're looking for a breathtaking escape, look no further than Naggiar Vineyards. The drive in…read moreis an experience all its own, winding through stunning landscapes filled with grazing buffalo, cattle, and horses before reaching the vines. They offer a fantastic variety--every bottle we've tried has been well-made, perfectly balanced, and packed with flavor. Highly recommend! Thank you Naggiar Winery. Follow me on Instagram - @thecannyadventurist for a deeper dive into my reviews.

I do unfortunately have to start this review by admitting that I saw a sign on the door starting…read morewith "Out of Order Arcade...." and turned to my friend and said "oh no! it's closed!!" while the arcade is rather intimate, in meaning I was shoulder to shoulder with everyone while playing games, it kind of adds to the retro arcade meet-up experience. the array of games to play was quite large and left me busy the entire two hours I was there, playing old childhood favourites as well as trying new-to-me games. I appreciate the bar and "snacks" (I use that very loosely, highly encourage you to bring your own foods if you're looking to eat while you game), which trapped me longer! cute date idea. fun time killer. joyful experience.

Liked it here. First time in this one. Brings back childhood in me. They provide step stools for…read morekids that need it. They mostly have bar and drinks stuff. Outside food encouraged. Clean ambiance. Clean restroom. The other restroom is smaller than the other. The bigger one, wheelchair can come thru I believe. The lady at the bar is the same for counter and all, she is always smiling and accommodating. Will definitely come back.

Very nice new art gallery in downtown Ojai. It's hard not to get your attention while you stroll…read morebeneath the shady Arcade, the main shopping area in the cute town surrounded by mountains. Brittany Davis did a few art galleries in Los Angeles area and this year opened this new one in Ojai, a welcomed addition to an area that encourages art and supports artist. I really liked the art on display, nice, modern, but also organic, vivid, hard to resist. I'd go back see what's new next time I'll visit Ojai. They have fun events here, so check out their calendar on their site. Closed Tuesdays, otherwise, they're opened daily from 11 am to 7 pm! Great new art gallery in middle of everything Ojai that preserves the area's love for art!

I"ll admit. I don't know much about this gallery but I sent 2 emails with inquiries and they were…read moreignored. Finally got a hold with a call. Gotta say, even then, not a friendly personallity.