This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Arts & Entertainment

Citrus Fair Just a Nice Drive Away

Our neighbor Cloverdale's 120th annual Citrus Fair is this weekend, with an appropriate Mardi Gras theme. Let the good times roll!

There’s an old saying here in north Sonoma county: “If it’s raining in February, it must be Citrus Fair weekend.”

That characterization of Cloverdale’s big community event is not always true, and fortunately this weekend’s weather puts the lie to it. Since it is such a nice weekend (so far!), it’s not too far to drive up the 101 to Cloverdale, our neighbor to the north, to celebrate one of California’s oldest – it’s the 120th annual – and Northern California’s first fair of the year.

The three-day festival starts today, Friday, with Senior Day activities beginning at noon. The Fair runs through Monday, President’s Day, with special programs scheduled daily. Details and schedules are on their website at cloverdalecitrusfair.org, or phone 707-894-3992.

Find out what's happening in Healdsburgwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

For instance, the Citrus Fair Queen pageant is tonight starting at 7:30 in the main hall. Five high-school girls from Cloverdale and Geyserville compete for the title, and scholarship support.

On Saturday the Citrus Fair Parade winds through downtown starting at 11 a.m., starting at Third Street and heading down Cloverdale Ave. to the Fairgrounds. (See the Map, and Citrus Fair Program, attached to this article.)

Find out what's happening in Healdsburgwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Both Saturday and Sunday evening at 6:30 there’s a cabaret performance of “Murder at Mardi Gras,” in the Dinner Theater, including appetizers, dinner and dessert, with a bar (Hurricanes will be available, of course). The timing is appropriate: Mardi Gras is this coming Tuesday, Feb. 21, and it is this year’s fair theme.

In keeping with that theme, Sunday’s highlight is a New Orleans R&B show at 2 and 4:30 p.m., with the local group Gator Beat and their zydeco sounds. Admission is free with fair admission, though some music and other events do require additional charges.

Daily events include Daily Culinary Demonstrations, Arts and Crafts, a Village Blacksmith, Friendly Farm Petting Zoo, the Carnival of Chaos midway and of course World Famous Citrus Exhibits. The fairgrounds are diverse and a little bit funky, so the Citrus Fair is a good way to have an old-fashioned family fun day for all ages.

General admission is $7, juniors 6 -12 and seniors 62 and over  only $5. Kids 5 and under get in free.

The Citrus Fair is open Friday noon – 10 p.m., and 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. Saturday through Monday at Cloverdale’s Citus Fairgrounds. Rain or shine.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?