One of the best parts about living in the Sacramento area is that the foothills are so close! It makes such a quick getaway to head up the hill to the forest as you can get up there in under an hour.
What is so great about the old mining towns in the foothills that surround the Sacramento area? The history and the street fairs of course! If a quaint little town with historical character isn't enough to entice you to visit, the winter street fairs certainly will be. They are so popular that often people come from Nevada and all over California to enjoy in the special few weeks the fair is happening.
There are two different street fairs, one is in Grass Valley and the other is in Nevada City. Both of these towns have a lot of history from the gold rush. They used to be mining towns and were considered some of the major cities before California was developed to the state we see it now.
While the cities certainly aren't as large or popular as they were back in their prime, the residents do a fantastic job of paying homage to the culture that put their little towns on the map through these street festivals. The participants dress up to reflect those times, they have great food booths with authentic food items from the time such as pasties. Combine the nostalgia of the people with the surroundings and all of the small performances and you will feel like you've traveled back in time.
The only thing you must remember is that it gets very cold. Normally it snows during winter in the foothills so be sure to dress warm. Don't let that scare you away though, there are plenty of big bon fires roasting chestnuts, many of the shops are open and are well heated, and to top it off the vendors are happy to provide you with hot cocoa or cider for a dollar or two.
Have you heard enough to be sold on these great events? I hope so! They are consistently a favorite part of the days leading up to Christmas. The best part is since there are two different and separate street fairs, they hold them on different days. This allows you easily attend both fairs in the same week or go to whichever fair fits into your schedule better.
Cornish Christmas is held in Old Town Grass Valley on Fridays from 6pm - 9pm. You can get more information from their website here: http://www.grassvalleychamber.com/CornishChristmas.aspx
Victorian Christmas is held in Old Town Nevada City on Wednesdays from 5pm - 9pm. They also hold the fair on Sundays from 1:30pm - 6pm. You can get more information here: http://www.nevadacitychamber.com/nevada-city-events/victorian-christmas/
Regardless of your winter plans, we are here to help Coach You Through The Process whether that's a great last minute date idea (take note guys!) or if it's finding the dream house near all of the fun events throughout the year.
Don't hesitate to call or email me at 916-241-8023 or email me at markhaynes@kw.com.
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