Fairs and Festivals to wrap up summer with a blast

Photo by Kial James, courtesy of the Nevada County Fair

Nevada County Fair

Aug. 6-10 Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the “fairest” fair of all? Why, that would be the one unfolding under the towering pines at the beautiful Grass Valley fairgrounds of the Nevada County Fair, which the Los Angeles Times  has ranked as one of 10 best rural county fairs in the country. And it’s not just the superbly shady grounds that make this one a winner, but the festive community spirit that reigns supreme. If you’ve ever taken the back way to Tahoe through the rolling hills of this pastoral paradise and longingly wondered what’s going on inside those picturesque barns, this is your chance to meet these denizens and delight in their handiwork. Think beekeepers, model train and vintage engine enthusiasts, and kids raising every farm animal under the Sierra sun. Celebrating this year’s theme “Gold Pans and Cattle Brands,” you can pan for flakes and nuggets, design your own “brand” (and we’re not talking Instagram), hear 75 musical acts on three stages, and eat your way down Treat Street,where nonprofits vend decadent fair fare like Job’s Daughters’ corn dogs with extra thick, golden-brown breading. With so much local flavor, you may never make it to the midway rides. nevadacountyfair.com

Japanese Food & Cultural Bazaar

Aug. 9 Picture Sacramento as it was before the I-5 freeway and the Capitol Mall came along, when downtown streets teemed with restaurants and jazz bars in the country’s fourth-largest Japantown. For one day this summer, you can get that feeling back, at this culinary and cultural fest celebrating our city’s Japanese heritage. Catch the graceful Japanese folk dancers of Sakura Minyo Doo Koo Kai, and the thundering drums of Sacramento Taiko Dan. As for the food portion of the program, you’ll smell the succulent shrimp long before reaching this annual bazaar held at the Buddhist Church of Sacramento, where hungry hordes come to gorge on (literally) tons of food—around 2,500 pounds of chicken, 1,400 pounds of rice, 850 pounds of rib eye and 250 pounds of noodles. It all adds up to one of our favorite local traditions of the year. buddhistchurch.org/bazaar

Yolo County Fair

Aug. 13-17 The longest-running free gate fair in the state, this event at the Yolo County Fairgrounds in Woodland delivers a nostalgic vibe that’s the quintessence of summertime in the California heartland. Area volunteers serve up popular classics, from tacos grilled up by members of the Holy Rosary Church, to margarita slushies blended using a signature recipe that’s closely held by the Yolo County Fair Heritage Foundation. Meanwhile younger fairgoers will be coming together for a new junior rodeo and an expanded kids’ area, including a mechanical bull. Where the fair’s homegrown flair really shines, though, is the bountiful regional bonanza of its Opening Night Gala, where 40 purveyors of hyperlocal food and libations serve up a delectable farm-to-fair smorgasbord to a sold-out party of nearly 400 guests—think heirloom tomatoes from Guinda’s Full Belly Farm, shepherd’s pie from Woodland’s Father Paddy’s Public House, whiskey from Winters’ Patio29 Spirits, and more. Make sure you grab tickets early and arrive feeling locavoracious. yolocountyfair.net

Sacramento Banana Festival

Aug. 16-17 If you thought bananas didn’t grow in the Central Valley, you thought wrong. Come out to this William Land Park festival and you can meet the Banangelist, Eric George, whose West Sacramento harvest sells out every year. If you miss out on those, you can still nab a creamy bowl of Sacramento’s aptly named Banana Pudding Krazy, or local chef Nasir Muhammad’s banana-coated fried fish. The Banana Pavilion tent will be serving up tacos with banana guacamole and a new bananas-sounding dessert: cinnamon chip nachos topped with cream, caramel and yes, bananas. The two-day fête benefiting south Sacramento’s Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum celebrates the diverse corners of the world where bananas are grown with a parade led by dancers from the Brazilian Center for Cultural Exchange of Sacramento, stages with the Midnight Players and Innersoul bringing the funk and R&B vibes, and more. Just watch out for those slippery peels when you hit the dance floor. bananafestivalsac.org

Photo by Jahlil Taylor Pannell, courtesy of the Sacramento Banana Festival

Chalk It Up

Aug. 30-Sept. 1 A park-sized canvas and 1,000 pounds of chalk? Sounds like the recipe for a masterpiece, or in this case, 240 of them. That’s how many sidewalk squares frame midtown’s small but mighty Fremont Park, each waiting to be transformed into ephemeral works of art, with the proceeds, via sponsors, funding art supplies for area teachers. Now in its 35th year, the annual Labor Day weekend festival draws throngs to watch hundreds of artists create these alfresco frescoes with nothing but chalk. Kids are also invited to let their imaginations go wild as they “paint” the city, while parents can lounge in the beer garden featuring local brews and wines, with musical performances all weekend long from more than a dozen local bands. With thousands in attendance each year, expect this fest to be the chalk of the town all weekend long. chalkitup.org

Tejano Conjunto Festival

Aug. 31 It’s a little bit Tex, a little bit Mex, and a whole lotta festive fun. This beloved local tradition with a national reputation showcases the brass-and-strings multiethnic musical heritage of the Lone Star State, bringing more than 2,000 fans from around the country to downtown’s Cesar Chavez Plaza at the end of August for the only event of its kind in Northern California. “You’re going to hear blends of blues, jazz, rock, soul, with a little bit of Tex-Mex in there. That’s what Tejano music is about,” explains organizer Ramona Landeros about the event, which will also host a kickoff dance at Tulum Bar & Grill the night before. “It’s an American art form.” Bands will take the stage for this 17th annual get-together, from Bay Area performers Los Niteliters to local 12-year-old vocalist showstopper Teya G to Tejano legends like the Grammy-nominated 12-piece Tortilla Factory with a legacy stretching back to 1973. tejanoconjuntofestival.com

Gold Country Fair

Sept. 4-7 Auburn’s annual send-off to summer is a time-honored foothill tradition at the Gold Country Fairgrounds that spills right into Old Town for a nostalgic town-wide celebration of the ag theme “We’ve Got a Good Thing Growing.” Locals will showcase their best handicrafts, preserves, baked goods, home brews, garden bounty and hand-raised livestock, and just in case summer is lingering, cooling stations with man-made waterfalls will make you go ahhh as you contemplate the work of the local master gardeners who decorated these verdant oases (if you’re inspired, aspiring green thumbs can take home free packets of starter seeds). The fair will mark the 175th anniversary of California statehood this year with exhibits of photos and artifacts from the Golden State’s history, and debut the Auburn Trading Card Show with NFL champions and former 49ers Tom Rathman andJohn Taylor on hand to sign autographs. This year’s official fair beer from Rocklin’s Shred Beer Company should pair perfectly with a returning foodie fave—a wood-fired, Hawaiian-inspired, mozzarella-mango-pineapple pie from Auburn’s Fire Goddess Pizza. If that doesn’t already sound like a can’t-miss opportunity, from noon to 4 p.m. on Friday, entrance to the fair is free. goldcountryfair.com