52 years of celebrating West County's 'heritage' apple
Get your tickets now for Sonoma County Farm Trails’ Gravenstein Apple Fair, which happens Aug. 9-10
After all these years, the Farm Trail’s annual Gravenstein Apple Fair is still being called the “sweetest little fair” in Sonoma County and beyond. This year’s fair, celebrating its 52nd anniversary, takes place Aug. 9 and 10 at Sebastopol’s Ragle Ranch Regional Park.
Even as winegrapes have taken over as the region’s dominant ag crop, there’s still plenty of apple tastes and treats at the annual two-day fair including fresh-picked Gravensteins, local premium ciders, pies, fritters and fresh-pressed apple juice. There are even apple art and apple history displays.
And, besides all the apple sweetness at the fair, there will be many tangier and equally delicious tastings at the Artisan Tasting Grove and as a part of the all-inclusive VIP-tasting and hospitality package. Special tastings will include wines, local microbrew beers, craft distilled spirits, chef tastes, farmstead cheeses, artisan breads and non-alcoholic beverages.
“The Gravenstein apple remains the star of our show,” said Carmen Snyder, longtime executive director of Farm Trails. “Our ‘Apple Alley’ runs from the entrance all the way down to the music stage. We have 14 dedicated apple vendors serving and selling ‘everything apple,’ even apple trees. Our popular Craft Cider Tent will feature 19 local ciders.”
The Gravenstein Fair has also become a favorite annual summer outing for its ag-themed games, live animal displays, children’s activities, and two full days of live music, this year featuring headliners Poor Man’s Whiskey and the Rainbow Girls, plus many other local favorites. (See the full schedule at https://gravensteinapplefair.com.)
With the local apple harvest just getting started, Farm Trails’ members and fair volunteers are ready to fill Ragle Park with all kinds of local farm displays, arts and crafts booths, dozens of food stands and trucks and fun events like apple juggling contests, children’s caramel-apple-eating competitions, local chef talks and a spirited apple-pie baking contest with a panel of professional judges.
“On Saturday, local pro chefs will face off for the title of Best Gravenstein Apple Pie in front of a live audience, hosted by James Beard-award-winning local foods champion Clark Wolfe,” added Snyder.
The chefs are baking two pies, for the contest and one to auction off.
The public apple pie baking contest is on Sunday. Sign-up are open for that until Friday, August 1.
All pre-sale, online discount ($23) admission ticket sales end Aug. 8. Daily general gate admission is $30 per adult and $15 for children (6-12.) Onsite parking is $10 (cash only), but free shuttles are again being offered this year from the Holy Ghost Hall location on Mill Station Road and at the O’Reilly Media parking lot on Highway 116.
Special Artisan Tasting Grove tickets, which are available online only, are $75 for adults and $40 for children, which includes the general admission price. Limited VIP tickets ($175 and $75) also are being sold online: these include no-waiting VIP fair entrance, special hospitality and relaxation area, and all-day complimentary drinks.
Early bird and local residents can get a $10 discount on all general admission tickets by purchasing them at the following local businesses before Aug. 8: Exchange Bank, Pacific Market, Harmony Farm & Supply, Oliver’s Markets and Copperfield’s Books.
The fair is open each day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday’s music lineup includes The Hubbub Club (10 a.m.), Onye & The Messenger (10:30 a.m.), Luther Burbank Center Mariachi Cantares de Mi Tierra (11:45 a.m.), The Familiar Strangers (12:55 p.m.), Kayatta and the Vibe Keepers (2:15 p.m.), Handmade Moment (3:30 p.m.) and The Rainbow Girls (5 p.m.)
Sunday’s music starts with The Love Choir (10 a.m.), followed by Bandjango (11:15 a.m.), MaMuse (12:30 p.m.), Sean Hayes (2 p.m.), High Step Society (3:30 p.m.) and Poor Man’s Whiskey at 5 p.m.
All the music this year takes place on a single stage that is being sponsored by Northern California Public Media (KRCB FM radio and TV 22). There is no additional charge for the music performances.
No dogs or pets are allowed at the fair (except service dogs), and the event is a “Zero Waste” event with volunteers assisting the public to complete proper disposal, recycling and waste reduction practices. No outside food or beverages are allowed.
“We have eight filtered water stations, and we don’t sell plastic water bottles,” Snyder said. “So remember to bring your own vessels with you.”
Recent Gravenstein Fair weekends have attracted as many as 14,000 visitors who provided a $2.2 million economic impact to the Sebastopol and West County economy, according to a study in 2023 by the Sonoma County Economic Development Commission.
“Our costs to produce the fair have soared in recent years,” said Snyder, “but we’ve tried to keep the admission prices as low as possible.” She mentioned the partnership with several local businesses that are selling discount tickets to their local shoppers. “We prioritize contracting with local service providers, and we contribute income opportunities for many local community groups, clubs and sports teams at the fair.”
A bit of history
The first Gravenstein Apple Fair was held in 1973, and it moved around to various locations until the opening of Ragle Ranch Regional Park in 1979. The fair is the primary fundraising event for the non-profit Sonoma County Farm Trails, a voluntary membership organization that promotes “farms forever.” As a part of this mission, Farm Trails offers an online membership guide and map, seasonal farm visit events, additional member marketing opportunities and small farmer and ag diversity advocacy.
Five decades ago, at the founding of Farm Trails, western Sonoma County’s rural landscape was dominated by apple orchards. Today, of course, most of these have been converted to grape vineyards. But the diversity that first established Farm Trails as a Bay Area seasonal destination still exists today. Farm Trails members include beekeepers, herbalists, florists, poultry farms, Christmas tree and Halloween pumpkin farms, apple cideries, livestock operations and small producers of health, wellness and organic home goods.
The Gravenstein apple has been designated as a “heritage” fruit and tree by Slow Food International. The first Gravensteins were brought to Sonoma County by European pioneer farmers and was a favorite of botanist Luther Burbank. Burbank convinced landowner Nathaniel Griffin to plant hundreds of the trees and a commercial industry was born in 1890.
The Gravenstein is considered an “early apple” and ripens ahead of most other apple varieties, but its ripening season is short. The Gravenstein is especially favored for making juice, applesauce, vinegar and cider. At the industry’s heyday in the two decades after World War II, there were more than 30,000 acres of Gravenstein and other apple varieties surrounding Sebastopol.
Today the total acreage of apple orchards is hovering at 1,000, but the Gravenstein has left its mark on the local culture. For most fair visitors next weekend, they will travel along or cross the Gravenstein Highway, California’s Highway 116. Some will pass by the Gravenstein Elementary School or a small Sebastopol shopping complex called Gravenstein Square. All the street signs in the city of Sebastopol are illustrated with a nice red-striped Gravenstein apple. Here and there, around town, you can see Gravenstein apples growing in people’s front yards, and if you take a drive outside of town, you can still see remnants of gnarled old orchards, bearing West County’s heritage fruit.
Get tickets to the Gravenstein Apple Fair.
Apple Pie Baking Contests: Kids & Adults
You are invited to enter the Apple Pie Baking Contest! FREE to enter. Open to all ages!
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: 12 pm on Friday, August 1, 2025.
REGISTRATION FORM: Click here.
CONTEST RULES
Only Sonoma County-grown Gravenstein apples may be used. We kindly ask that all-natural, readily available ingredients are used.
All pies must be submitted to the Info Booth on Sunday, August 10, by 11 am. Fair admission ticket required to submit pies; no exceptions.
All contestants must submit a contest entry form and recipe. For contestants under 18, a parent or guardian must grant permission to enter.
Pies must be submitted with contestant’s name and phone number on the tin, and covered.
Only one pie per contestant permitted.
The Gravenstein Apple Fair is not responsible for unclaimed pie tins.
Farm Trails staff are ineligible to enter.
TWO CATEGORIES
Adult (ages 18+)
Youth (17 and under)
GREAT PRIZES! WINNERS ANNOUNCED: Sunday, August 10, 1:15 pm, Farm Bureau Arena. Need not be present to win. Unclaimed prizes will be transferred to our office; contact us to schedule a pickup.
 | A guest post by
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Back in 1981 our family rented a house on Washington Ave from Frank and Annette Hyatt. They lived on a seven acre apple ranch behind the PG&E substation at the end of High School Road. He was a retired mechanic who worked at the Ford Dealership in town. They had many Gravenstein apple trees and a few other varieties including German Brown. After their passing the property sat unused for years until the guy who started Ambix distillery bought it. He has nurtured the old trees and has planted many more heritage varieties. I visited his tasting room and he’s making some very tasty products. Plus he is very interesting to talk to about the history of apples in this area.