Transforming the Gravenstein Apple Fair
More ways to enjoy the fair and a renewed emphasis on all things apple
The 51st Annual Gravenstein Apple Fair opens next weekend, August 10 and 11, at Ragle Ranch Regional Park in Sebastopol. Held annually during the peak of the Gravenstein apple harvest, the fair welcomes up to 15,000 attendees each year for a weekend of music, local food and drink, farm demos, kids’ activities, community building, and of course all things apple.
Farm Trails, which produces the Gravenstein Apple Fair, has done a remarkable job over the years of creating a truly authentic local fair experience that combines an old-fashioned agricultural fair—complete with educational panels—with a top-flight modern tasting event and music festival.
Tickets are $23 in advance, $30 at the gate, but there are also special tasting and VIP packages available. Get tickets
The theme of this year’s fair is “A Celebration of Transformation,” exemplified by this year’s poster featuring Gravenstein Apples and Monarch butterflies.
“We chose ‘A Celebration of Transformation’ as our theme because it highlights the inextricable ties between people and the environment, agriculture and culture, working together to create a healthy, productive, nourishing, and life-sustaining habitat for us all,” said Farm Trails Executive Director and Gravenstein Apple Fair Producer Carmen Snyder.
A stroll down Apple Alley
As Snyder explained, there have been some interesting transformations at the fair over the last few years, including a renewed emphasis on apples. There’s now a designated place at the fair called “Apple Alley.”
“Last year for the first time, we moved all of the apple products next to each other in one long lane, because we really want to highlight the Gravenstein as the star of the show,” Snyder said. “For years, we had them interspersed everywhere, and people were, like, ‘I don’t see the apple products.’ So let’s make it explicit. Let’s show everything apple right off the bat.”
All in all, the fair will showcase 40 small-scale Sonoma County apple farms, producers, purveyors, and cider makers, all of whom grow, use, and/or incorporate local apples in their products and menus.
“When you come through the gate, there will be Dutton Ranch with the bulk apples, and then you turn the corner to Kozlowski family pies, and then there’s Slow Food Russian River fresh pressing apples, and we have Little Apple Treats with apple caramels,” she said. “Then we have Kindred Cooks with caramel apples and Laura's Apple with fresh juice and apple leather. This year we have Muir’s Tea Room coming with all sorts of apple baked goods and treats. Harmony Farm Supply is going to be selling apple trees and apple pickers and apple equipment. Meyer Farms will be there selling their organic apples in bulk as well, and Manzana will be there with their apple sauce and apple juice. Cavaliers Bakery is selling apple cake and apple pie by the slice. And then also, of course, Mom’s Apple Pie will be selling whole apple pies. So we will have plenty of apple pies and all sorts of other apple treats that will be showcased this year in an even bigger way.”
“It is apple front and center, as it should be,” Snyder said.
As a part of this apple-mania, the Gravenstein Apple Fair also features a Craft Cider Tent, offering the largest cider selection of any festival in the North Bay.
Explore the Artisan Tasting Alley
New this year is the Artisan Tasting Alley package, only available online at a special advance ticket price of $55. Previously limited to the VIP tent, this popular tasting experience features bites and sips from 22 local producers. Sip specialty cocktails, mocktails, and shrubs made with uber local ingredients from Land & Local, Griffo and Ambix. Enjoy natural wines, mead, craft cider, and beer poured by the makers, and pair them with local cheeses from Bohemian Creamery, Tomales Farmstead and William Cofield. Enjoy local meats from Woodland Charcuterie and an array of honey and olive oils from Sonoma County hives and trees. Top off your tasting adventure with sweet treats from Patisserie Angelica and custom Gravenstein Gelato from Fiorello’s. The Artisan Tasting package includes general admission, commemorative tasting glass and single-day, one-time access to the Artisan Tasting Alley.
A re-vamped VIP experience
Wish you could just spend the whole weekend in the Artisan Tasting Alley? Then you need VIP tickets. These include the most luxurious commodity at the Gravenstein Apple Fair: shade! The fair’s new VIP Experience invites you to relax in luxury lounge tents with complimentary food and libations. You get all-day access to the Artisan Tasting Alley, and from the comfort of your shaded tent, you’ll have premium views and seating near the North Coast Apple Music Stage. Plus VIP tickets allow you to skip the long line for entry. VIP tickets are $150. This experience sold out in 2022 and 2023, so advance tickets recommended.
Live Music
Enjoy a diverse selection of stellar Bay Area bands including Barrio Manouche, Boot Juice, Broken Compass Bluegrass, King Dream, and La Gente SF! See the complete lineup here.
Star-studded education panels
This year the fair’s educational panels feature world-renowned food and farming experts. Join visionary culinary superstars on Saturday, August 10, at 2:30 pm, for an in-depth discussion entitled “Protecting Agricultural Diversity.” Clark Wolf, a James Beard Award-winning local foods champion and NPR radio host, will moderate the panel. Panelists include the following:
Alice Waters, Bay Area chef and James Beard Award winner, restaurateur of Chez Panisse, food revolutionary, and author of over a dozen books including “The Art of Simple Food”
Dan Imhoff, California author, activist, and researcher whose books include “Farming with the Wild”, “The Farm Bill: A Citizen’s Guide” and “CAFO: The Tragedy of Industrial Animal Factories”
Kyle & Katina Connaughton, owner-chef and owner-head farmer at three Michelin-starred Single Thread Restaurant
Albert Strauss, Founder and organic dairy pioneer of Straus Family Creamery
Tucker Taylor, award-winning master gardener at Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates & Gardens
Elizabeth Kaiser, regenerative farming pioneer at Singing Frogs Farm
Sarah Silva, Green Star Farm, CAFF Climate Farmer of the Year 2023
On Sunday, at 1:30 pm, Clark Wolf will be moderating another panel, “Our Magical Gravenstein: A Benchmark Tasting & Talk,” featuring farmers and producers discussing what makes the Gravenstein so special. They’ll give their tips on using Gravs in myriad ways and then offer small samples to the audience. Featured farmers/producers include:
Jordan Dutton, Dutton Ranch
Laura Cheever, Laura’s Apples
Pavel Karabelov, Patisserie Angelica
Ellen Cavalli, Tilted Shed Ciderworks
Fun for families
Children’s Activities: Meet farm animals, participate in contests and ag games, create art projects, chase giant bubbles, and marvel at the wandering entertainers. Families can also enjoy hands-on educational crafts and activities and apple-themed contests.
Life on the Farm Arena features in-depth demonstrations and presentations on agriculture, biodiversity, and farm life. Hear directly from farmers, makers, and educators, such as the Monarch Joint Venture, Habitat Corridor Project, and SingleThread Farm at Dry Creek.
Learn about the life cycle, nectar and host plants, and migratory routes of the Monarch butterfly, and what you can do to protect and preserve this indicator species.
Discover the tools and tips to properly care for your backyard apple orchards to both increase the fruit’s quality and their beneficial impact on the entire ecosystem.
Watch farmers and makers demonstrate and discuss the transformation from milking to cheese, from sheep shearing to fiber; from bulk apples to hard cider; and lots more.
Be a Volunteer at the fair
“We still need volunteers,” Snyder said. “That’s definitely the most affordable way to come to the fair, and that’s a great way to connect with and build community.
Volunteers receive an official Gravenstein Apple Fair apron, free weekend admission, and an invitation to the Volunteer Appreciation Party. Volunteer here.
Zero Waste bragging rights
The Gravenstein Apple Fair was recently awarded the first-ever Green Resolution from Zero Waste Sonoma for “outstanding commitment and leadership in waste reduction and environmental stewardship in our county.” In 2023, their staffed Zero Waste stations diverted over 95% of discards from the landfill.
As a part of this, there won’t be any water bottles for sale, so bring your own.
“We have eight filtered-water stations,” Snyder said. “We do not allow the sale of plastic water bottles. And we want everyone to help us in our efforts to make this the greenest event in the North Bay. Last year, we sent only one truckload of trash to the landfill for over 14,000 people.”
Get tickets to this year’s fair.
ABOUT SONOMA COUNTY FARM TRAILS
The Gravenstein Apple Fair is the primary annual fundraiser for Farm Trails. With its “Farms Forever” mission to help ensure the continuing economic viability of Sonoma County agriculture, Farm Trails was established in 1973 by local Sonoma County farmers to create community among food producers and establish a stronger connection between farmers and the public. Farm Trails continues to serve as a local resource, publishing Sonoma County’s premier agricultural Map & Guide and producing seasonal tours. Farm Trails is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization. Its sister organization, Farm Trails Foundation, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that funds scholarships for ag students and young farmers. For more information, see farmtrails.org.