County guide
20 outings for families, couples, seniors and groups, each linked to its source.
Empire Mine, a free railroad museum, Victorian and Cornish Christmas, a country faire and a Truckee tree lighting.
Trick-or-treat through the Downtown Park and Community Arts Center, with Halloween-themed tables, music on the Downtown Stage and a 5:30pm costume contest.
Buy and sell new and used winter gear for the whole family ahead of ski season, with local shop and resort reps on hand and a silent auction supporting the district's scholarship fund.
A Downtown Truckee tradition for more than 45 years: local children decorate trees for the streets, the Rotary Club of Truckee serves hot cocoa, and Santa arrives for the lighting of the Bud Fish Tree.
The 58th annual old-fashioned Christmas street faire turns Mill and Main Streets into a festive marketplace with twinkling lights, local artisans, seasonal treats, carolers, live music and hot cider, honoring Grass Valley's Cornish Gold Rush heritage.
More than 100 artisan vendors with handcrafted gifts, plus musical entertainment, a gingerbread house and holiday displays, a community bonfire, wagon rides, food booths and visits with Santa.
Holt Ballet Conservatory's reimagined Clara & the Nutcracker, set to Tchaikovsky's score, with guest artists and young dancers in a holiday show for all ages.
A tradition since 1978: gas-lit hilly streets, roasted chestnuts, carolers in Victorian attire, 100+ artisan vendors, live entertainment, yuletide treats and Father Christmas. Broad and Commercial Streets are closed to through traffic; shuttles are recommended.
Hiking and recreation along Donner Lake, with a historic monument and visitor center exhibits paying tribute to pioneers who crossed the Sierra Nevada. Parking fee pay at the visitor center (10am-5pm) or the pay machine outside.
Site of one of California's oldest, deepest and richest gold mines, which produced 5.8 million ounces of gold before closing in 1956. See the mine buildings, the owner's home and restored gardens, and the entrance to 367 miles of shafts, plus 14 miles of trails across 856 acres.
Former site of California's largest hydraulic gold mine, where huge, colorful cliffs were carved by streams of water that washed away entire mountains. The park is 26 miles from Nevada City on slow, winding roads. More than 20 miles of trails; 3,000-acre park including the town of North Bloomfield.
Railroad and aviation artifacts, including Engine 5, an 1875 Baldwin that later worked as a movie engine at Universal Studios, plus wooden rail cars, an early steam automobile and docent-led tours of the museum, rail yard and restoration shop.
A Sierra foothills park along the cold, swift South Yuba River in a granite canyon, with historic bridges, toll crossings and trails to Gold Rush mine sites. Walk through the restored Bridgeport covered bridge, reopened in 2021.
Concerts and a Nutcracker ballet at The Center for the Arts, Victorian Christmas and a Nevada City craft fair.
Five-time Billboard Top World Music Artist Celtic Thunder (Emmet Cahill, Neil Byrne, Damian McGinty and Ronan Scolard) sings traditional Irish and Scottish music, classic ballads and contemporary hits.
Tupelo storyteller-songwriter Paul Thorn mixes Southern soul, blues and Americana, touring his new album Life Is Just a Vapor.
Solas, called "the finest Celtic ensemble this country has ever produced" by the Boston Globe, plays its 30th anniversary tour with founders Séamus Egan and Winifred Horan.
The 58th annual old-fashioned Christmas street faire turns Mill and Main Streets into a festive marketplace with twinkling lights, local artisans, seasonal treats, carolers, live music and hot cider, honoring Grass Valley's Cornish Gold Rush heritage.
The 15th annual Nevada City Winter Craft Fair, with more than 70 local crafters, designers and artisans selling handmade home decor, apparel, bath products, stationery, art, food and drinks.
Holt Ballet Conservatory's reimagined Clara & the Nutcracker, set to Tchaikovsky's score, with guest artists and young dancers in a holiday show for all ages.
A tradition since 1978: gas-lit hilly streets, roasted chestnuts, carolers in Victorian attire, 100+ artisan vendors, live entertainment, yuletide treats and Father Christmas. Broad and Commercial Streets are closed to through traffic; shuttles are recommended.
The Minneapolis band that helped invent Americana tours its new album Sanctuary Park, with special guest Mary Gauthier.
The Count Basie Orchestra, defining big band jazz for nearly 90 years, plays swing and holiday favorites with Grammy-winning vocalist Carmen Bradford.
San Francisco string band The Brothers Comatose throws a Shipwrecked-themed New Year's Eve party with a champagne toast at midnight and a balloon drop; Bluegrass Blowouts open; costumes encouraged.
Site of one of California's oldest, deepest and richest gold mines, which produced 5.8 million ounces of gold before closing in 1956. See the mine buildings, the owner's home and restored gardens, and the entrance to 367 miles of shafts, plus 14 miles of trails across 856 acres.
A Sierra foothills park along the cold, swift South Yuba River in a granite canyon, with historic bridges, toll crossings and trails to Gold Rush mine sites. Walk through the restored Bridgeport covered bridge, reopened in 2021.
Gold Rush state parks, a railroad museum, Celtic and big-band concerts and holiday faires.
Five-time Billboard Top World Music Artist Celtic Thunder (Emmet Cahill, Neil Byrne, Damian McGinty and Ronan Scolard) sings traditional Irish and Scottish music, classic ballads and contemporary hits.
A free community conversation on legacy giving and the future of arts and culture in Nevada County, with panelists Janice Dunn, Huck Ingram, Scott Beesley, Julie Baker and Robin Garcia. Pizza by Bicycle Thief and wine by Szabo are provided.
Solas, called "the finest Celtic ensemble this country has ever produced" by the Boston Globe, plays its 30th anniversary tour with founders Séamus Egan and Winifred Horan.
More than 100 artisan vendors with handcrafted gifts, plus musical entertainment, a gingerbread house and holiday displays, a community bonfire, wagon rides, food booths and visits with Santa.
Holt Ballet Conservatory's reimagined Clara & the Nutcracker, set to Tchaikovsky's score, with guest artists and young dancers in a holiday show for all ages.
A tradition since 1978: gas-lit hilly streets, roasted chestnuts, carolers in Victorian attire, 100+ artisan vendors, live entertainment, yuletide treats and Father Christmas. Broad and Commercial Streets are closed to through traffic; shuttles are recommended.
The Count Basie Orchestra, defining big band jazz for nearly 90 years, plays swing and holiday favorites with Grammy-winning vocalist Carmen Bradford.
Hiking and recreation along Donner Lake, with a historic monument and visitor center exhibits paying tribute to pioneers who crossed the Sierra Nevada. Parking fee pay at the visitor center (10am-5pm) or the pay machine outside.
Site of one of California's oldest, deepest and richest gold mines, which produced 5.8 million ounces of gold before closing in 1956. See the mine buildings, the owner's home and restored gardens, and the entrance to 367 miles of shafts, plus 14 miles of trails across 856 acres.
Former site of California's largest hydraulic gold mine, where huge, colorful cliffs were carved by streams of water that washed away entire mountains. The park is 26 miles from Nevada City on slow, winding roads. More than 20 miles of trails; 3,000-acre park including the town of North Bloomfield.
Railroad and aviation artifacts, including Engine 5, an 1875 Baldwin that later worked as a movie engine at Universal Studios, plus wooden rail cars, an early steam automobile and docent-led tours of the museum, rail yard and restoration shop.
Center for the Arts shows, river and mining-park hikes, a ski swap and a New Year's Eve party.
Tupelo storyteller-songwriter Paul Thorn mixes Southern soul, blues and Americana, touring his new album Life Is Just a Vapor.
Solas, called "the finest Celtic ensemble this country has ever produced" by the Boston Globe, plays its 30th anniversary tour with founders Séamus Egan and Winifred Horan.
Buy and sell new and used winter gear for the whole family ahead of ski season, with local shop and resort reps on hand and a silent auction supporting the district's scholarship fund.
The 58th annual old-fashioned Christmas street faire turns Mill and Main Streets into a festive marketplace with twinkling lights, local artisans, seasonal treats, carolers, live music and hot cider, honoring Grass Valley's Cornish Gold Rush heritage.
The 15th annual Nevada City Winter Craft Fair, with more than 70 local crafters, designers and artisans selling handmade home decor, apparel, bath products, stationery, art, food and drinks.
The Minneapolis band that helped invent Americana tours its new album Sanctuary Park, with special guest Mary Gauthier.
San Francisco string band The Brothers Comatose throws a Shipwrecked-themed New Year's Eve party with a champagne toast at midnight and a balloon drop; Bluegrass Blowouts open; costumes encouraged.
Hiking and recreation along Donner Lake, with a historic monument and visitor center exhibits paying tribute to pioneers who crossed the Sierra Nevada. Parking fee pay at the visitor center (10am-5pm) or the pay machine outside.
Site of one of California's oldest, deepest and richest gold mines, which produced 5.8 million ounces of gold before closing in 1956. See the mine buildings, the owner's home and restored gardens, and the entrance to 367 miles of shafts, plus 14 miles of trails across 856 acres.
Former site of California's largest hydraulic gold mine, where huge, colorful cliffs were carved by streams of water that washed away entire mountains. The park is 26 miles from Nevada City on slow, winding roads. More than 20 miles of trails; 3,000-acre park including the town of North Bloomfield.
A Sierra foothills park along the cold, swift South Yuba River in a granite canyon, with historic bridges, toll crossings and trails to Gold Rush mine sites. Walk through the restored Bridgeport covered bridge, reopened in 2021.
A free railroad museum, Cornish Christmas and the Truckee ski swap, plus low-cost Empire Mine and holiday fairs.
A free community conversation on legacy giving and the future of arts and culture in Nevada County, with panelists Janice Dunn, Huck Ingram, Scott Beesley, Julie Baker and Robin Garcia. Pizza by Bicycle Thief and wine by Szabo are provided.
Buy and sell new and used winter gear for the whole family ahead of ski season, with local shop and resort reps on hand and a silent auction supporting the district's scholarship fund.
The 58th annual old-fashioned Christmas street faire turns Mill and Main Streets into a festive marketplace with twinkling lights, local artisans, seasonal treats, carolers, live music and hot cider, honoring Grass Valley's Cornish Gold Rush heritage.
More than 100 artisan vendors with handcrafted gifts, plus musical entertainment, a gingerbread house and holiday displays, a community bonfire, wagon rides, food booths and visits with Santa.
The 15th annual Nevada City Winter Craft Fair, with more than 70 local crafters, designers and artisans selling handmade home decor, apparel, bath products, stationery, art, food and drinks.
Site of one of California's oldest, deepest and richest gold mines, which produced 5.8 million ounces of gold before closing in 1956. See the mine buildings, the owner's home and restored gardens, and the entrance to 367 miles of shafts, plus 14 miles of trails across 856 acres.
Railroad and aviation artifacts, including Engine 5, an 1875 Baldwin that later worked as a movie engine at Universal Studios, plus wooden rail cars, an early steam automobile and docent-led tours of the museum, rail yard and restoration shop.