Are you ready for the Gravenstein Apple Fair?
The Fair comes to Ragle Park on August 8-9 — locals can get discounted tickets beforehand
While it’s true there are many fewer apple orchards these days in west Sonoma County and surrounding Sebastopol, it’s also true there are still many reasons to pause each harvest season and celebrate the tasty, versatile Gravenstein apple and all the families that still grow them to make pies, ciders and juice for the rest of us.
Sonoma County Farm Trails’ 53rd annual Gravenstein Apple Fair is all set to take place August 8 and 9 at Sebastopol’s Ragle Ranch Regional Park. The Saturday-Sunday open-air affair once again will surround its apple displays with live music, farm-style games, crafts, foods and two reserved areas dedicated to the artisan products and tastes from Farm Trails members and other purveyors of Sonoma County’s beauty and bounty.
Started in 1973 as a modest one-tent benefit for the fledgling Farm Trails marketing co-op, the mid-August Gravenstein Fair has grown into a Bay Area favorite summertime attraction for families, tourists and everyone looking for a more genuine, “unplugged” source of entertainment and enrichment. The theme for this year’s Fair is “Where Joy Takes Root” and features a main visual of blooming yellow sunflowers. The Gravenstein Fair is still the Farm Trails’ main annual fundraising source.
“We are gathering once again to celebrate summer and to experience the best of what’s handmade and home-grown in our local community, and we want everyone who attends to feel welcome and uplifted,” said Farm Trails executive director Carmen Snyder, who leads a team of hundreds of volunteers.
What’s happening at the fair?
The musical entertainment lineup includes all genres of music from folk and bluegrass to hip hop, gypsy jazz, Sebastopol’s Love Choir and some upbeat rock, blues and originals. Headliners include Royal Jelly Jive, John Courage, SoloRio, Audio Angel and the raucous Hubbub Band. All music performances are free with general admission. (See the music schedule.)
Along with two days of live music from two stages, there will be featured talks about local agriculture, farming and cooking demonstrations and a Life on the Farm arena with live farm animals and many hands-on experiences for children.
On Sunday at 1:30 pm, there will be a special panel to honor this year’s United Nations theme of worldwide women farmers. Local ag women on the panel will include Fifth District County Supervisor Lynda Hopkins; Caiti Hachmyer, of Celebrating Womxn’s Leadership in Food; and local farmers Jennifer Bice of Redwood Hill Farm, Sarah Keiser of Wild Oat Hollow Farm, and Yael Bernier of Bernier Farm. The panel is being sponsored by the Sonoma County Farm Bureau and will be moderated by “food champion” Clark Wolf.
The popular pie eating, apple juggling and caramel apple eating contests will take place at the stage areas both days in between musical performances with both adult and children divisions. Walk-up entries are always accepted.
A family tradition
Among the army of volunteers are several local farming families represented by multiple generations, still led by a few elder founders from the first Fair over 50 years ago.
One local family, the Duttons, will have three current generations operating their apple booth with fresh-picked Gravensteins and other apples for sale. The Duttons farm more than 1,400 acres of apples and grapes in western Sonoma County.
“We’ve been farming apples since 1964,” said third-generation member Steve Dutton, now leading his family’s multiple ag enterprises with his brother Joe and their mother Gail. Although the Dutton name is now prominently placed on many labels of premium wines, growing apples “is just something we’ve always done,” added Steve. “It’s great to be diversified, and it (apples) helps keep us working several crops a year so we can keep all our people that work with us busy.”
Commenting about some major changes and challenges now facing Sonoma County’s winegrowing industry, Dutton says apples remain a stable marketing crop and “are doing very well.” All of the Dutton apples are grown organically, including several orchards of heritage Gravensteins from their Green Valley ranch.
The fair is still all about apples
“The Gravenstein is always the star of the show and will be featured prominently on Apple Alley, where folks can buy bulk apples, fritters, pies, caramel apples, apple caramels, apple butter, apple leather, apple juice, apple sauce and more,” said Snyder.
During the Fair, there also will be cooking demonstrations and an apple pie baking contest with “celebrity” judges. The Gravenstein Apple Pie Baking Contest is free to enter by anyone and includes adult and youth (17 and under) categories. If you want to enter a pie in the pie baking contest, you’ll have to pre-register by July 31. (See directions at the end of this article.) Judges include Betsy Fischer, Clark Wolf, Donna del Rey, Emily Lamb, Sebastopol Mayor Jill McLewis, Ozzy Jimenez, Sean McGaughey, and Stephanie Klassen. Contest rules and an entry form can be downloaded here.
There is also an apple pie bake-off featuring local professional chefs.
At the Fair’s Cider Tent, there will be 17 different local ciders for pouring and tasting, offered in selections of “driest,” “drier,” “sweeter” and “sweetest.” Cider producers included will be Dutton, Tilted Shed, Horse & Plow, Old World, Ambix, Hobo, Golden State, Mad Marvlus, Eye Cider, Ethic Cider, Humboldt Cider, Belden Barns, Reichwage, Onirique and North American Press. Some of the ciders are non-alcoholic.
And, just to be reminded, where there were once hundreds more acres of orchards, local growers have now planted vineyards, and their premium wines also will be available for tasting at the Fair along with local microbrews.
During the weekend, there also will be various ag-related demonstrations including sheep shearing, backyard apple tree care, goat milking, fiber talk and using natural dyes, beekeeping and musical sing-alongs full of farm themes.
“As Farm Trails’ primary annual fundraiser, the Fair has deep agricultural roots and showcases dozens of our members: at Life on the Farm Arena’s compelling presentations and demonstrations, in the enchanting Artisan Tasting Grove (where guests can meet the producers and enjoy bites and sips), and as food, farm and beverage vendors,” said Snyder.
This fair is a zero-waste hero
The Farm Trails’ Gravenstein Fair strives to be a Zero Waste event and has established a track record of being 95 percent zero waste since 2018. The Fair’s Zero Waste Team is led by Shelley Brown and Alan Siegle, former owner of Sonoma Compost and this year’s Farm Trails’ board president.
“Last year, for 16,000 attendees, we sent only 2 cubic yards of trash to the landfill (1/2 the size of the back of a small pickup truck),” said Snyder.
Ticket prices, parking and more
Buy your tickets now to save 30% off the day-of entry prices of $30 General Admission and $15 for children (ages 6-12).
GENERAL ADMISSION TICKETS
Adult (13+): $23 ($30 after August 7th)
Child (6-12): $10 ($15 after August 7th)
Kids 5 and Under: FREE (No ticket required)
Family Pass (2 adults, 2 children): $55 (Online only, until August 7th)
LOCALS DISCOUNT TICKETS AT THESE STORES
Locals can buy even lower-priced pre-sale discounted tickets at Copperfield’s Books, Exchange Bank, Fircrest Market, Harmony Farm Supply & Nursery, Oliver’s Market, Pacific Market and Sebastopol Hardware. (Some require cash so call ahead.)
Adult (13+): $20
Child (6-12): $10
Seniors (65+), Veterans, Active Military, & First Responders: $18
PREMIUM EXPERIENCE PACKAGES
Introduced a few years ago, the Farm Trails VIP Lounge Package and the separate Artisan Tasting Grove have become annual favorites with special admission tickets selling out for some days in the past.
Artisan Tasting Grove Package
General Admission included. Available online only. These will sell out!
Adult (13+): $75
Child (6-12): $40
Kids 5 and under: FREE
Visit our Artisan Tasting Grove page for more details.
VIP Lounge Package
General Admission included. Available online only. These will sell out!
Adult (13+): $175
Child (6-12): $75
Kids 5 and under: FREE
Group Rate (10 adults): $1,500
The VIP Lounge ($175 per adult) features exclusive luxury concert seating, free beverages and food tastings and a reserved shaded outdoor lounge with private restrooms. VIP tickets also include entrance to the Artisan Grove Tastings.
The fair runs from 10 am to 6 pm. There is limited onsite paid parking and nearby free satellite parking and shuttle services.
Visit https://gravensteinapplefair.com for more information.
Try your hand at the Apple Pie Baking Contest
CONTEST RULES
Pre-registration is required; click here to register. Deadline to register: 12 pm on Friday, July 31, 2026.
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 9, 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)
WINNERS TO BE ANNOUNCED: Sunday, August 9, 1:15 pm.
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