NEVADA COUNTY

SOME OF CALIFORNIA'S FINEST fall colors are found along the western slope of the northern Sierra Nevada mountains in the historic old western towns of Nevada City and Grass Valley.

The Nevada County Land Trust offers hikes and events all summer long. 530-272-5994

Wine Trail. Tour Nevada County Wineries. 530-268-9225.

Trails and Vistas September 6 and 7, 2008 on Donner Summit. Truckee, CA: Music, dance, art, poetry and nature converge for Trails and Vista’s “Songs of the Earth” September 6th and 7th on Donner Summit. Presented by Arts for the Schools, Truckee Donner Land Trust and InnerRythums Dance Theatre, this annual hike through the wilderness merges engaging artistic performances with the towering pines and granite rock faces of the majestic Sierra Nevada. Performance times vary, purchase tickets in advance for $20 adult and $10 children under 12. For more information, ticket outlets or to purchase on-line visit www.trailsandvistas.org or call 530-587-2757.

The 42nd Annual Constitution Day Parade tops a weekend of festivities Sept. 13-14, 2008 in this historic California Gold Rush town.

Nevada City's Constitution Day Parade has been a local tradition since 1967 and is reported to be the oldest and largest Constitution observance in western America.

The 2 p.m. Sunday parade features more than 100 entries and culminates other activities including Civil War reenactments in Pioneer Park on Saturday and a band concert and pre-parade ceremonies on Sunday.

The parade through the downtown historic district includes marching bands, floats, antique autos, equestrians, politicians and perennial crowd favorites such as the Ophir Prison Marching Kazoo Band and the Marching Presidents of Nevada City, a humorous but reverent group that portrays each U.S. president.

Members of the American Civil War Association will offer living history and battle reenactments at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday and at 11 a.m. Sunday in Pioneer Park. More than 200 military and settler reenactors are expected to take part.

Nevada City is known for its classic small town spirit and unique events. With a population of 3,001, Nevada City swells to 10,000 or more on Constitution Day.

Celebrants should plan to arrive about an hour before parade time to get a good vantage point along the parade route. Out-of-town visitors should book local accommodations early.

Nevada City is located on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains midway between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe. From Sacramento, take eastbound Interstate 80 to Auburn and Highway 49 north to Nevada City. From Reno, take westbound I-80 and westbound State Route 20.

For more information, contact the Nevada City Chamber of Commerce, 132 Main Street, Nevada City, CA 95959. Call the chamber at (530) 265-2692 or 1-800-655-NJOY.

The Nevada County Concert Band will perform a free pre-parade curbside concert for all music-loving early-birds seeking shady seats. The 12:30pm concert starts in downtown Nevada City, one hour before the 1:30pm Constitution Reinactment ceremonies and the 2:00pm parade, and the band will continue to play periodically throughout the parade too.

Draft Horse Classic & Harvest Faire. 530-273-6217. Tickets to the 2008 Draft Horse Classic will go on sale in early May 2008. If you would like to be added to our mailing list please email info@nevadacountyfair.com and we will send you a copy of the Gentle Giant Journal when tickets go on sale.

14th Annual Taste of the Gold Country. This popular Fall event is held in September in conjunction with the Draft Horse Classic and Harvest Faire held under the shade of the beautiful pine trees at the Nevada County Fairgrounds. Come sample chef specialties from many of the area’s finest restaurants while sampling fine wines and beers from foothill’s wineries and breweries and listen to cool jazz. Hosted by Grass Valley Downtown Association and the Nevada City Chamber of Commerce. 530-273-6217

SYRCL is 25 this year! And the only way we know how to celebrate this is to throw a HUGE community PARTY!

Join us on Saturday, September 20, 1-10pm at Pioneer Park in Nevada City (plus 9am-noon for the annual Great Yuba CleanUp). It will be a full day of fun, food, music on 2 stages, kids' stuff, and more!

But we need your help! We need some dedicated Yuba lovers who can take on some larger roles ... key volunteers in charge of vendors, games, group activities, and more. Please help!