Grass Valley Cornish Christmas

Friday Nights, Nov. 27 - Dec. 18, 2009
6:00 - 9:00pm

Recapture the spirit of Christmas past amid the charming surroundings of historic downtown Grass Valley California during the annual Cornish Christmas Celebration. Started in 1967 as a way to preserve Grass Valley's Cornish heritage and holiday traditions, Cornish Christmas remains one of our most popular events. Mill and West Main Streets are closed to motorized traffic and filled with the sights and sounds of an old fashioned Christmas; carolers, jugglers, musicians, the Grass Valley Cornish Carol Choir, Tommyknocker Cloggers and of course, Santa Claus. Handmade arts and craft from artists throughout California are displayed on our historic downtown Grass Valley streets. Delicious food and drink can be purchased from a number of Grass Valley restaurants and specialty food vendors.

The Cornish Christmas celebration is truly an overload of the senses. Stroll down the bustling historic downtown Grass Valley streets as Christmas music fills the air. Hear young and old alike play their rendition your favorite holiday tunes as buildings dressed in Christmas lights sparkle in the December night air. Smell the aroma of your favorite dish while you browse the multitude of gifts and decorations made by some of California's best crafters and artisans.

Enjoy the wide selection of holiday music offered by local Grass Valley musicians amongst the trappings of an historic gold rush town. Imagine life in another era where men and women worked hard, had little, but cherished the simple pleasures of hearty food and drink, a good song, and a warm fire with family and friends.

Nevada City Victorian Christmas

Wednesday Nights, Dec 2, 9, 16 from 6-9pm
Sunday Afternoons, Dec 13 & 20 from 1:30-6pm

Victorian Christmas, the old-fashioned celebration held each year in this colorful California Gold Rush town, evokes holiday memories of an earlier era. During the event, Nevada City’s landmark historic district is closed to motorized traffic and transformed back in time. Christmas melodies and costumed characters remind visitors of another time and place.

Holiday celebrants fill the streets, sampling the outdoor fare of friendly hawkers and vendors and food and goods offered by downtown restaurants and specialty shops. Victorian singers, bagpipers, a living nativity scene and visits with Santa Claus are among the attractions. Taste chestnuts roasted on an open fire and enjoy strolling minstrels, brass bands, hay wagon rides and much more.

Nevada City is situated at the 2,500-foot elevation in the wooded foothills of the northern Sierra Nevada. It is located one hour (60 miles) northeast of Sacramento, via Interstate 80 and Highway 49 north. From Marysville and the north valley, take eastbound Highway 20. From Reno and Tahoe, take westbound I-80 and westbound scenic Highway 20.

Overnight visitors are encouraged to book local accommodations early. A dozen historic bed & breakfast inns and several comfortable hotels and motels are located in Nevada City and nearby Grass Valley.

Victorian Christmas Holiday Shuttles
Free parking at the Nevada County Government Center on Hwy. 49
$5 Roundtrip Shuttle to Victorian Christmas
5:30-9:30 on Wed.
noon-6:30 on Sun.

For information, contact the Nevada City Chamber of Commerce at (530) 265-2692 or toll-free (800) 655-NJOY.

Victorian Christmas Brochure

31st Annual Great Dickens Christmas Fair

Celebrate the Holiday Season in Victorian London!

The bustling streets of London, immortalized for all time by the mighty pen of Charles Dickens, form the living backdrop of your excursion into Christmas Past. You are a living part of a Victorian Christmas card come to life!

A Bay Area tradition for 31 holiday seasons, the Great Dickens Christmas Fair returns to the San Francisco Cow Palace Exhibition Halls for four weekends in 2009, including the Friday after Thanksgiving, from Friday, November 27 through Sunday, December 20 from 11am 'til 7pm.

Created in 1970 by Ron & Phyllis Patterson, the fair is now produced by Kevin & Leslie Patterson & Red Barn Productions, who continue the family tradition of theatrical excellence through authenticity, participation, and playfulness.

Come wander the lanes of Victorian London, as the glow of twilight settles upon the city. With the scent of pine boughs & freshly baked scones floating in the air and the sound of carolers & holiday merrymakers accompanying your stroll…

  • Visit shops bedecked with Christmastime finery and filled with unique treasures.
  • Stop in for a hot toddy or a pint of Lagunitas at Mad Sal's Dockside Ale House, where the low-life hang out and the high-born drop in.
  • Raise a champagne toast to the holidays at Fezziwig's Warehouse, the most cheerful spot in London.
  • Enjoy rollicking entertainments on six stages and in the streets.
  • Feast on fine foods from the British Empire and beyond.
  • Rest a spell in Cuthbert's Tea House, for a sip of hot tea and cucumber sandwiches or scones.

Experience the joys of Christmas past at the Great Dickens Christmas Fair!

Where: Cow Palace Exhibition Halls, 2600 Geneva Avenue, San Francisco
When:  Weekends Dec. 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 2009 from 11:00am - 7:00 pm
Ticket Prices: General Admission: $22.00, Student/Senior/Military: $19.00, Children 5-11: $10.00, Children Under 5 are Free
Parking: $10.00 (charged by the Cow Palace)

For more information go to www.dickensfair.com

Sacramento Carnival at St. Rose

Locals and visitors will have new reason to celebrate the holidays in Downtown Sacramento the day after Thanksgiving – the Carnival at St. Rose. The 5-week holiday event will transform 7th and K streets into a festive winter carnival featuring a 30-foot Ferris wheel, classic carnival and arcade games, food vendors and more.

Open daily November 27 through January 3 from noon until 8:00 p.m., the event is an affordable way to spend time with family and friends this holiday season. “Admission to the event for a two-hour session is just $6 for children and seniors and $7 for adults,” said DSP Marketing Manager Jennifer Snyder. “We also have special pricing for groups and private parties.”

When: Open daily November 27, 2009 through January 3, 2010 from Noon - 8 p.m.
Holiday Hours: Christmas Eve: Open Noon - 6 p.m., Christmas Day: Closed, New Year's Eve: Open Noon - 8 p.m., New Year's Day: Open Noon - 8 p.m.
Where: St. Rose of Lima Park | 7th & K streets
Cost: $7 general admission / $6 for children under 12 and seniors 55 and older


Polar Bear Plunge Jan 1st

Friday, January 1st at 8:30am
Guache Aquatic Park
$18 pre-registration, $25 after 12/28 or on the day of the event

Slide down the 25 foot chilling waterslide or jump into the activity pool to welcome in the New Year! After you "cool off" jump into the 80 degree heated pool and relax in the warmth of the water.

Everyone that participates receives an "I survived the Plunge" t-shirt, but if you register before the 11th you will receive your shirt the day of the event. Also goodies are available for those that take the "plunge".

Non-swimmers must be accompanied into the water by an adult able to swim and may not go down the waterslide. To use the waterslide participants must be 48" in height and under 301lbs. The facility will open at 8am to participants.


Restaurant Week Dine Downtown in January

When:  January 8 - 17, 2010
Where: Participating restaurant locations

Experience the best of Downtown Sacramento's dining scene with during the award-winning Dine Downtown Restaurant Week. For 10 days only, local chefs will create special three-course dinner menus for only $30 per person. Just ask for the Dine Downtown menu at participating locations.