Free Childcare Provided at Country Christmas Faire

Youth Community Organizations Provide Services to Faire Goers

The Northern Mines Girl Scouts will offer free babysitting services at this year’s Country Christmas Faire, held November 28 – 30 at the Nevada County Fairgrounds. This benefit is provided by this youth service organization so that parents can drop off their children while they enjoy holiday shopping. Free babysitting will be provided in the Senior Center at the Fairgrounds; hours for babysitting are the same as the Faire – Friday and Saturday from 10 am – 5 pm; and Sunday from 10 am – 3 pm.

Errand elves will be available to assist Faire-goers throughout the event. The Errand Elves, provided by students from Clear Creek School, are available to carry packages for shoppers or patrons may use their “Will Call” service and leave their packages in the elves’ care as they continue shopping. Clear Creek students will also be offering mistletoe to Faire-goers. All donations received for the elves and the mistletoe will go towards these young students who are trying to earn money for an outdoor science education camp.

Additionally, the Nevada County Explorer Scouts will coordinate the free parking in the fairgrounds parking lot; Nevada County 4-H clubs will provide volunteers to serve as the trash clean-up crew for the Faire; Randall and Trish Gross of Grass Valley’s Rock-n-Horse Ranch will provide wagon rides around the grounds; and Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus will be on hand to greet children. A photographer will be available to capture the special moment with Santa.

The 24th The Country Christmas Faire begins Friday, November 28, and runs through Sunday, November 30. Admissions is $4 for adults, and children 12 and under are free. Parking is also free. Artisans from across the country fill the Fairgrounds exhibit buildings with quality hand-made crafts and unique gifts. Visitors to the Faire will enjoy strolling live entertainment, festival foods, and a community bon-fire.

The Nevada County Fairgrounds is located at 11228 McCourtney Road in Grass Valley. For more information, visit http://www.nevadacountyfair.com/ or call (530) 273-6217.

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 6th annual Gingerbread House Competition at the Country Christmas Faire, held November 28 – 30 at the Nevada County Fairgrounds.

Houses, bungalows, cottages, and castles fashioned from spicy gingerbread will be displayed for holiday shoppers to enjoy at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley during the Thanksgiving weekend festivities.

Competitors may enter any of ten categories including kids, adults, families, groups and businesses. Prizes and ribbons abound for adults and kids. First through third place winners will receive award money with the Best of Show winning $100. A special festive gift basket from Tess’ Kitchen Store will also be awarded to the Best of Show winner.

Entry forms must be received at the Fairgrounds by Friday, November 21; the actual gingerbread house entry must be delivered to the Fairgrounds on Tuesday, November 25. All Gingerbread House exhibitors will receive two free passes to the Country Christmas Faire.

Entry forms can be picked up at the Fairgrounds office on McCourtney Road, or downloaded from the Fair’s website at http://www.nevadacountyfair.com/.

The Country Christmas Faire begins Friday, November 28, and runs through Sunday, November 30. The hours are 10 am – 5 pm on Friday and Saturday; and 10 am – 3 pm on Sunday. Admissions is $4 for adults, and children 12 and under are free. Parking is also free.

Country Christmas Faire - November 28, 29 and 30

Mark your calendar for the 24th annual Country Christmas Faire at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley on November 28, 29 and 30. Rated as one of the top handcrafted shows in Northern California, this year’s Country Christmas Faire will feature unique gifts and crafts from more than 100 top artisans.

Five exhibit buildings will be filled over the Thanksgiving weekend, giving shoppers a chance to start their Christmas shopping with quality hand-made jewelry, wooden crafts, 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, 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. Additionally, Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus will be in The Chapel to greet children and listen to their Christmas wishes. A photographer will be available to capture the special moment with Santa.

Back by popular demand, the Northern Mines Girl Scouts will offer free babysitting so parents can drop off their children while they enjoy holiday shopping. Errand elves will also be available to assist you throughout the event.

The Country Christmas Faire begins Friday, November 28, and runs through Sunday,November 30. The hours are 10 am – 5 pm on Friday and Saturday; and 10 am – 3 pm on Sunday. Admission is $4 for adults and children 12 and under are free. Parking is also free.

The Nevada County Fairgrounds is located at 11228 McCourtney Road in Grass Valley, 50 miles northeast of Sacramento, off Highway 49. For more information, visit the Fair’s web site at http://www.nevadacountyfair.com/ or call (530) 273-6217.

Draft Horse Classic Dictionary

There was a request for terms and definitions to help guide a new Draft Horse Classic attendee to learn as he goes. Click HERE for our Dictionary! Thanks for the request and we hope you learn a lot at the 2008 Draft Horse Classic taking place September 18-21 at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley.

For more information visit our website at http://nevadacountyfair.com/dhc/

Blog Posting Ticket Winners!

If you are posting comments to our blog for a chance to win tickets to the Fair Sponsored Event of your choice, then you better check our site every month around the first of the month to see if you won! So far there have been six winners: March - Denise E, April - Linda, May - Hannah, June - Julie Wheat, July - Yvette and August - Jode!

If you are one of the names above...Congratulations because you posted a comment on the Nevada County Fair blog, you have been chosen as the monthly winner for two free tickets to the Fair-sponsored event of your choice. Please email us at info@nevadacountyfair.com to let us know if you would like tickets to the Draft Horse Classic or the Country Christmas Faire; and if you would like the tickets mailed to you or if you’d prefer to pick them up in person at the Nevada County Fair Office in Grass Valley. If you’d like the tickets mailed to you, we need a name and a mailing address. Thank you so much for your posting. Our blog postings are used to help us continue to offer, improve and create Fair events that can be enjoyed by all!
Have fun telling us what you think about the Nevada County Fair and replying to comments others have already left!

A FAIR Perspective by Retiring CEO Ed Scofield

Click HERE to read a 25 year long perspective of the beautifully evolving Nevada County Fairgrounds!

Going “Green” at the Nevada County Fair

As the world's attention focuses on ways to lighten the load on our planet's resources, this year's Nevada County Fair will include several “green” events and features, including a solar powered radio station, a “recycling” fashion show, a mining shack built from recycled materials, additional bins for recycling glass and aluminum, and alternative methods of transportation.

KVMR’s broadcast booth will be powered again this year by solar energy, and supported by Plan It Solar, Northern Sierra Air Quality Management, and Sierra Solar System.

Solar-powered sprint cars will also race by using the power of the sun. The cars, created using solar cell kits, were built and designed by the youth of Nevada County. The cars will race on a 20’ course at the Dance Pad on Saturday, August 9, at noon.

The popular Haute Trash fashion show returns this year on Wednesday, August 6, at 6 pm, and again on Thursday, August 7, at 5:30 pm, on the Pine Tree Stage. This show presents a hilarious aspect of recycling by using discarded materials to make clothing of all sorts. This show is sponsored by Nevada County Recycles, a sponsor of the Fair.

Again this year, the Fairgrounds has partnered with Nevada County Recycles and People First of Nevada County to provide recycling services during the Fair. There will be an increased number of bins placed around the Fairgrounds for recycling glass and aluminum. Every morning before the Fair opens, members of the local People First Chapter will be making the rounds collecting and replacing the bags in the bins. People First is a local self-advocacy group for adults with developmental disabilities, affiliated with state and national groups.

On display outside the Main Building is a mining shack created by students of the county’s Regional Occupational Program (ROP). Built in conjunction with the Nevada County Contractors’ Association, who created the assignment for the students, the building is made entirely of recycled materials.

Animal manure from exhibit animals is available for pickup by gardeners and others during the week following the Fair. The Saturday following the Fair, the Nevada County Farm Bureau will remove and recycle the remaining manure by transporting it to local farms for composting. The Farm Bureau also does the removing and recycling of manure following the Draft Horse Classic in September.

The Fair also recognizes that its event can create traffic congestion issues. Because of this and the high cost of fuel, the Fairgrounds has made alternative methods of transportation available to Fair-goers. Gold Country Stage will offer extended service to the Fair. The cost from Nevada City or Grass Valley is $1 each way, and the cost from Auburn or Penn Valley is $2 each way. Or, you can park at the Nevada Union High School parking lot and take the free shuttle, provided by the Nevada County Fairgrounds, to/from the Fairgrounds. The shuttle leaves every half hour, Wednesday through Sunday, starting at 8:30 am. New this year, the Fair will offer free parking for motorcycles at a designated area at Gate 1.

"We have always had an eye on reducing the environmental impact of the Fair," says Fair CEO Ed Scofield. "We're happy to see the growing support among participants for a more environmentally positive approach."

For more information, visit www.nevadacountyfair.com or call (530) 273-6217.