FUN KIDS’ STUFF!

Have a budding animal lover in your midst? Camp Kindness at the Sacramento SPCA is a great way to teach your kids about dogs, cats and other companion animals, through demonstrations, games, tours and guest speakers. Five-day summer sessions run June through August for ages 7-9, 10-12 and 13-15. Don’t miss out on the fun—sign up now! 

Bring your Sleeping Beauties, Ugly Ducklings and Frog Princes to Fairytale Town's Storybook Park on June 17 at 5:30 p.m. for an exciting Family Campout . Admission includes a theater performance, arts and crafts, a scavenger hunt, bedtime stories, continental breakfast and more.

 

Never underestimate how much fun art can be for kids. The Crocker Art Museum's Kids & Company Gallery Adventure is a perfect introduction to art for ages 5 and older, and it’s a great way for adults to see art through kids’ eyes too. The adventure takes places on the first and third Sunday of every month, 10:30-11:30 a.m.; free for museum members, or free with general admission for nonmembers. 

Bring your little one (up to 18 months old) to the Crocker Art Museum for the Baby Loves Art program, a stimulating gallery walk that allows babies and parents/caregivers to connect through art. Baby noises are A) expected and B) welcome. Front carriers recommended; strollers allowed, but please no backpacks. Held every third Tuesday of the month, free for museum members, or free with general admission for gallery nonmembers. Meet at the admission desk; no advance registration required.

From tennis, basketball and European soccer camps to a junior lifeguard camp, Placerville Recreation and Parks Department has Summer 2016 on lock. (That’s a thing the kids say.) Or maybe you want classes? Oh, they’ve got classes: kids’ photography, beginner hip-hop, yoga, Thai cooking, self-defense, musical theater—there’s something for everyone! 

Bring your little stargazers, budding Carl Sagans and wannabe Sally Rides to the Cameron Park Rotary Club Community Observatory this summer and let trained docents show them the wonders of the night sky through two, 14-inch telescopes. Free to the public every Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening from 8:30 p.m., it’s the foothills’ best kept secret! 

Bring the kids to the Bluestone Meadow 2016 Lavender Festival and leave smelling like…lavender! From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 25-26 at Bluestone Meadow in Placerville, there will be craft vendors, live music and U-pick lavender, as well as fun activities like duck races, horseshoes and workshops. Oh, and don’t forget the train rides! 

Kilt up yer wee laddies and lassies for a Father’s Day weekend spectacle they’ll nae forget: Mother Lode Highland Games at the Amador County Fairgrounds June 18-19. There’s the heavy events: caber toss, putting the stone, weight for distance and tossing the straw (you have to see these to believe them), as well as a children’s glen featuring potato sack races, tug of war and a mini-caber toss, plus live music, animals, classic cars and plenty of Scottish food. 

 

Sign your budding nature-lovers up for a summer experience they won’t forget with the American River Conservancy’s Discover Science Nature Camp. Available for kids ages 4-5, 6-8 and 9-11 throughout June and July, little ones will explore the Coloma Valley through singing, art and scientific discovery, as well as daily hikes, games and water play. 

Trot, don’t walk, to the Horse Camps put on by Equine Unlimited. Offering three-day camps for ages 4-6, and five-day camps for ages 7-17 through June and July, kids are grouped based on ability and will enjoy activities matched to their skill level, as well as learning good horsemanship skills, plus daily grooming and care of the horse or pony assigned to them. In addition to the horsing around (pun intended) there’s also crafts and swimming. Don’t hold your horses any longer! 

FUN FOOD & DRINK!

10 local and regional ice cream, shaved ice, frozen yogurt and gelato magicians—Style staffer tested…and approved. Oh, we know there’s more: We’re just getting you started!

 

1. Munnerlyn’s Ice Creamery, Pine Grove, 209-296-4400—You’ll scream for this handmade ice cream in fun flavors like cake batter studded with circus animals!

2. Whistle Stop Yogurt, Placerville—Your hunt for good yogurt stops here: creamy and tasty with plenty of chocolaty, caramely, marshmallowy sauces to go round 

3. Sutter Creek Ice Cream Emporium, Sutter Creek, 209-267-0543—A step back to yesteryear, with yummy milkshakes and ice cream to boot

 4. Urban Yogurt, Shingle Springs, 530-677-7977—The finest fro-yo in the Foothills, with plenty of toppings and a hip vibe

 5. Yogaberry, El Dorado Hills—Self-serve fro-yo with a huge selection of fresh fruit and traditional toppings

6. Tom’s Burger and Frosty, Placerville, 530-295-8199—Dipped cones, shakes, sundaes, peanut butter parfaits and the list goes on…

7. Zia’s Italian Caffe & Gelato Bar, El Dorado Hills—A taste of Italy in EDH…so much good gelato and sorbetto!

8. Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates, Sacramento—Decadent handmade gourmet ice cream using organic milk and local dairy

9. Osaka-Ya, Sacramento, 916-446-6857—Specializing in Japanese shaved ice (we recommend getting the “ice cream upgrade”) featuring finely shaved ice right off the block with freshly made syrups

10. Vic’s Ice Cream, Sacramento—A family-owned, old-fashioned ice cream parlor and Sacramento staple since 1947

 

“I know a bank where the wild thyme blows, where oxlips and the nodding violet grows…” Come ye to the Midsummer Night’s Dream and Crystal Ice Cream Fantasy at Fairytale Town on June 25 from 5-9 p.m. Enjoy William Shakespeare’s fairy-themed play while dining out on all-you-can eat ice cream! Family costumes encouraged.

 

Celebrate the repeal of Prohibition at El Dorado Winery Association’s The Blind Barrel event at Boeger Winery on June 25 from 6-10 p.m. Dress in period garb and enjoy some of the best whites, reds and rosé’s that El Dorado has to offer—all in a beautiful Gold Rush-era setting. Prizes will be awarded for best outfit! 

 

The foothills are not only producing great wine, they’re also giving us some great olive oil, including Winterhill Olive Oil in Downtown Placerville (open Mondays thru Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and Windmill Creek Olive Oil at Mount Aukum, whose tasting room is open Fridays through Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Barbera’s Amador County roots go back to the 1880s, and to celebrate this long history, Plymouth’s Terra D’Oro Winery/Montev will host the sixth annual Barbera Festival on June 11 (incidentally that’s where the grapes were first grown in Amador!). Enjoy culinary pairings from top restaurants and caterers, and drink in delicious Barbera from nearly 80 wineries. Tickets are already on sale, so don’t miss out! 

When the Placerville Bell Tower looks like a beer stein, you’ll know it’s time for the 16th annual Placerville Bell Tower Brewfest. Coming to you this summer on June 25 from 6-9 p.m.: over 45 craft breweries, and great live music from the Ranell Carpenter Band, Backstreet Boulevard Band and The NoBS Band. Purchase your tickets today! 

The Farms of Amador Tour and Dinner at Helwig Winery on August 28 (farm tour at noon, dinner and drinks at 5 p.m.) is presented by Farms of Amador and the Amador Farmers’ Market and includes a self-guided tour of Amador’s farms, wineries and vineyards, followed by an all-organic, all-local dinner in the Helwig pavilion as the sun sets over the Shenandoah valley, along with music, an auction and raffle. 

“Give me a daylily a day.” (I know it’s daisy, but doesn’t daylily sound better?) Celebrate the perennial splendor of more than a million daylilies this summer at Daylily Days at Amador Flower Farm on June 11-12 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Taste gourmet salsas, dressings, sauces, jams and dips made especially for the flower farm, hop on the tram tour and take in the splendor of this free event! 

 

“Cheeseburger Zin Paradise,” anyone? Amador Cellars will be grilling up cheeseburgers to perfectly pair with their full-bodied Zins at Cheeseburgers, Zin and Rock ‘n’ Roll on July 16 from noon to 4 p.m. Eat, drink, dance in the barn and be merry. Reservations required. 209-245-6150

FUN SIGHTS!

 

Swim, camp, hike, boat or just picnic and chill. Sly Park Recreation Area has something for just about everybody. Some of my favorite summer memories are of Fourth of July camping trips here. It’s a true oasis of summer enjoyment in the foothills and a place where memories are made. 

 

Head to Hangtown’s Gold Bug Park and take a self-guided tour of the underground mine, see a working blacksmith or pan for gold. There are plenty of fun activities for kids, or just bring a picnic and journey along one of the trails. A fun family day trip and a great step back into history! 

At Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park in Coloma, visitors can see where the California Gold Rush began, when James Marshall first struck gold at Sutter’s Mill in 1848. Explore the ghost town of Coloma, visit the Gold Discovery Museum and hike the many trails. 

In Placerville in 1869, 22 samurai established the first Japanese colony in North America at Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Colony Farm. Since then, the farm has undergone a great period of restoration—thanks to the American River Conservancy—and this historically significant site is well worth a visit. Tours are regularly available.

If you’re looking for a slightly different day trip, take a trip to Rancho Seco Recreation Park in Herald, about 30 minutes from Plymouth and situated next to the decommissioned Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Station. Picnic, fish or hike in a clean, quiet, beautifully maintained park. 

 

Beautiful cedar forests, waterfalls, creeks and abundant wildlife all await you at the Eldorado National Forest. There are tons of hiking trails, plenty of camping, lots of fishing and swimming. If you want the foothills at their finest, this is it!

Sometimes you don’t want to hike—you just want a view. Kalithea Park is tiny and tucked away in El Dorado Hills, offering one of the best views of Sacramento and the surrounding area. If it’s clear enough you can see all the way downtown... perfect for a late summer’s evening picnic. 

FUN SWIMMING!

 

All that rain and snow this winter means it’s time to strap on your helmets: Whitewater rafting is in full swing! And for a rafting outfitter, look no further than Mariah Wilderness Expeditions in Lotus. Choose from South Fork or Middle Fork American River trips, wine tasting combos or family packages. 

Sign up for swimming lessons at the Placerville Aquatic Center! There’s a place for you, whether you’re a tadpole or a shark, and adult lessons are available too. What’s more, Family Pass holders receive discounts on pool parties and facility rentals. 

Venture out of the manmade pools and find yourself a swimming hole. Happy Valley Swimming Hole in El Dorado (between the two bridges on Happy Valley Cutoff Road) is a well-kept secret, and now that the rains have raised the water levels, there should be good swimming in this little paradise. It’s a bit of a trek to get down to the swimming hole and is not recommended for small children or anyone with limited mobility.  

If you’re up for a bit of catch and release, you have a fishing license and you’re over 18, borrow a fishing pole for free at Cameron Park Lake! 

The first Wednesday of every month is Fishing on the Farm at Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Colony Farm from 6 p.m. to dark. Learn casting techniques, hook some bass (catch and keep only, no release), and take in the serene beauty of the historic farm’s eight-acre lake. Must have a valid fishing license to participate. 530-621-1224 

 

Cameron Park Lake and the El Dorado Hills Chamber of Commerce offer you the chance to put your hot dogs in the water this year for the annual Pooch Plunge and Laps at the Lake on August 13 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Enjoy an organized run/walk with your leashed pooches around Cameron Park Lake and then let them cool off at 9:30 a.m. with the lap event, followed by the plunge at 10 a.m. Cool off…doggy style! 

 

Splash out this summer in the Marshall Splash Zone at the El Dorado Hills Community Pool. Tackle the giant inflatable obstacle course donated by the Marshall Medical Center starting June 6 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 7-9 p.m. and Sundays from 2-7 p.m. 

FUN TOURS!

Want a real taste of Sacramento? Local Roots Food Tours has the 411. Get to know Midtown like a hip local with the Urban Art Food and Libations Tour; experience the K-Street revival with the Gourmet on K Walking Tour; or stroll East Sacramento and the Fabulous Forties and get right to the heart (and belly) of Sacramento’s food obsession with the Origins of Sacramento Food and Cultural Tour. 

 

 

The Sacramento History Museum offers some great, guided tours through Old Sacramento’s colorful history. Get into the underbelly (literally) at an Underground Tour, or take an Underground After Hours (over 21s) to see another side of Sacramento history; learn about Sactown’s boomtown origins and how the Gold Rush influenced the city at a Gold Rush Experience Tour; or take the Ghost Tour and find out about the skeletons in Old Sacramento’s closet! 

 

Amador Distillery in Sutter Creek recently joined forces with Dry Diggings Distillery in El Dorado Hills, which is a benefit to us, because through Amador Distillery you can now book yourself a tour of the El Dorado Hills distillery and see how it all works, or swing by the Sutter Creek tasting room on Main Street where you’ll find them in good spirits. 

 

If you’ve lived in or around Placerville for any length of time, you’ve heard the ghost stories. Take a tour of a different kind with Ghost Tours of Placerville. These one-hour tours leave every Saturday at 8 p.m. outside 594 Main Street; no one under 18 is allowed without an adult. 

 

Oh you ain’t afraid of no ghosts? Up the ante with an overnight Ghost Tour of Preston Castle in Ione, the notoriously haunted former reform school that looks like a location from American Horror Story. Spend the night on three floors of the castle with a small group of ghost hunters. No, it’s cool: We’ll wait over here. Overnight tours are available June 25, July 9 and August 20. If you prefer A) daylight and B) not being terrified, Preston Castle also offers informative historical tours with a trained docent every Saturday through September 3, and select Thursdays from June through August. Self-guided tours and flashlight tours are also available, as well as a virtual tour for mobility-restricted guests. 

For something off the beaten track, check out Roaring Camp in Clinton Bar, an old gold mining camp on the Mokelumne River with cabins and camping facilities. Don’t miss their Saturday Night BBQ Tours every Saturday throughout summer—a five-hour trip into the canyon from 5-10 p.m. with good music and good food (dinner is a steak barbecue and delicious fried bread). 

Looking for an authentic Amador County experience? Learn about the Mother Lode from a local who really knows their stuff, and take one of Gabby’s Gold Rush Tours Gabby’s knowledge runs deep, and he’ll cater his tour to your interests, whether it’s wineries, gold panning, cemeteries, the Kennedy Mine, Native American history or local plants and fauna. He’s got something for everyone! 

FUN ENTERTAINMENT!

You don’t need a tent for the Crocker Art Museum’s Film Series: Adult Summer CAMP! —we’re talking theatrical camp, darlings. Arrive early for a campy Happy Hour cocktail in the Crocker Café, and then cool off in the Setzer Foundation Auditorium for film and fun, with an introduction by local film lover/historian Jacob Greenberg and a campy short film to get you in the mood. On June 2, 1994’s Australian high-camp extravaganza Priscilla, Queen of the Desert screens. 

Summer is block party time, and the Crocker Art Museum is throwing the ultimate summer block party, Block By Block—and it’s free! Join artists, musicians, community groups, dancers, DJs, urban gardeners, poets, culinary artists and more, for a party like no other on June 11 from noon to 7 p.m. at Steve Jones Park. 

 

Fairytale Town Children’s Theater presents Animal Olympics, starring magician and ventriloquist Tony Borders. You’ll see a variety of talented puppets learn amazing abilities: a five-handed monkey, an animal that lifts the most weight just by standing up, and more! Don’t miss the fun June 4-5, with shows at 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. 

It’s gonna get loud this summer at El Dorado Hills Town Center’s Steven Young Amphitheater for the return of the Live on the Boulevard concert series, Thursdays from 6:30-8:30 p.m. beginning June 16 and running through September 8. It’s festival-style seating so bring your own blankets or chairs, but don’t expect to stay seated for long—this year promises a great “get up and dance” lineup and fun for the whole family. 

Support local arts this summer by attending Imagination Theater’s ninth annual fund-raiser, Evening to Remember, on August 5 at 7 p.m. The evening will feature a sneak preview of the theater’s upcoming holiday show A Christmas Story: The Musical, as well as a live and silent auction, plus delicious local wines and food. Buy a ticket and show your support for creative, exciting live theater in the foothills. 

  

It’s time to put on your dancing shoes and channel your inner Martha and the Vandellas, Mick Jagger or David Bowie for El Dorado Arts Council’s Dancin’ in the Street, in Downtown Placerville on July 16 from 3-8:30 p.m. Coinciding with the third Saturday Art Walk, this free community festival will promote dance, health, fitness and fun with dance lessons, performances by local dance studios and live entertainment. Don’t miss the biggest dance event of the year! 

 

Get ready for Cameron Park CSD’s biggest event of the year: the 17th annual Summer Spectacular at Cameron Park Lake on June 25. Gates open at 2 p.m. The aptly named event will indeed be spectacular with a kids’ carnival, swimming at the lagoon, live music, refreshments, food, vendors and exhibitors. And once you’ve had all the fun you can handle during the day, finish up the evening with a stunning fireworks show over the lake. 

 

Have you ever been so happy about the calendar reading Friday that you just feel like dancing? In Amador County it’s a summer tradition, with the Amador Arts Council’s TGIF Summer Music Series Friday evenings, June through August at 6 p.m., (excluding the Friday during Amador County Fair). Each weekly concert will be held at a different location, starting June 10 with Slade Rivers Band at Preston Castle in Ione. Bring the family for a picnic and enjoy the music! It’s a free event but please dig deep when “the bucket” is passed around. 

 

Celebrate the Great Western Migration on June 10 in Pollock Pines, as the Highway 50 Association and Pollock Pines-Camino Community Center host the 67th annual Wagon Train Family Fun Day. Come along for a full day of activities including wagon rides, gold panning demonstration, a poker tournament, Miss Pollock Pines pageant, crafters and vintage vendors, live music, BBQ steak cookout, wine and beer garden…and if that’s not enough, there’s a watermelon and pie eating contest for kids, pony rides, magicians, ice cream and more! The fun starts at noon and goes till 10 p.m.; admission is free. 

FUN ARTS + CRAFTS!

 

 

The iconic portraiture of Andy Warhol is on display at the Andy Warhol: Portraits exhibit at the Crocker Art Museum thru June 19. Don’t miss the chance to see some of his most iconic works up close (Judy Garland, Truman Capote, Sylvester Stallone) along with early sketches, polaroids, photographs and personal memorabilia. Evoke Warhol’s Factory experience with your own “screen test” and start working on that 15 minutes of fame if you haven’t already, or hang out in the recreated Factory. 

 

Placerville Arts Association is proud to announce the 50th annual National Mother Lode Art Exhibition, August 7-21 at the Placerville Shakespeare Club. Don’t miss this exciting juried event, featuring art from a broad range of media, including oil, acrylic, pastels, scratchboard, watercolor, mixed media, fine art, photography, graphic art and 3D—giving you a veritable feast for the eyes. Meet some of the artists during the show, and don’t miss the demonstrations. 

August 14 marks the 20th annual Craft Fair in Downtown Placerville. From 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., peruse (and purchase) pottery, jewelry, woodwork, quilted and decorating items, dolls, garden items, soaps, candles, food and much more. 

You know what they say about a second Friday art party: It doesn’t stop! Cameron Park’s Second Friday Art Party at Chroma Studio continues throughout summer, every second Friday of the month from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Bring drinks and snacks, along with your creativity and sense of fun, and follow artist Alison Tomei as she guides you to create your own mixed media art. 

Don’t miss El Dorado Arts Council’s Through the Needle’s Eye exhibit from June 1 through July 27 at Fausel House Gallery in Placerville. Over 70 embroidered works of impeccable design and craftsmanship will be on display, from artists across the U.S. and Canada. 

FUN FAIRS + FESTIVALS!

The joyful squeals, smell of cotton candy and fried corn dogs, sunscreen, barnyard “fragrances,” calliope music…yes, these sensory experiences can only mean one thing: It’s summer, and it’s time for the fair. Which one? All of them! Or maybe just your local one! It’s up to you. But don’t stop there. Summer fairs mean summer festivals, so if you haven’t driven yourself into a sugar/fried food coma at the fair, check out some of the local produce festivals, or dance off all the food at some of the great live music festivals. It’s all happening! 

 

 

FAIRS

El Dorado County Fair, June 16-19

 

 

Placer County Fair: Wild, Wacky and Wonderful!, June 23-26

 

California State Fair, July 8-24

Amador County Fair, July 28-31

Yuba-Sutter Fair, August 4-7

Plumas-Sierra County Fair, August 10-14

Yolo County Fair, August 17-21

FOOD FESTS

 

Marysville Peach Festival, July 15-16

Courtland Pear Fair, July 31

Woodland Tomato Festival, August 13

Banana Festival, August 20-21 at Shasta Park

Old Sugar Mill Wine and Cheese Faire, August 27-28 in Clarksburg

MUSIC FESTS

Alpenglow Mountain Festival, June 18-26 in Tahoe City—a 10-day biannual festival celebrating human-powered mountain sports with events, clinics, equipment demos and more. 

California State Fair Concert Series: July 8-24 featuring Salt N Pepa, Plain White T’s, Chaka Khan, Tower of Power, Dwight Yoakam, Styx, Pointer Sister, Don Felder, and Loverboy, just to name a few! 

 

Wanderlust Festival, July 14-17 at Squaw Valley—an extraordinary four-day retreat that combines yoga, music, speakers and outdoor adventures. The ultimate restorative getaway! 

Bear Valley Music Festival, July 22-August 7 at Bear Valley—Maestro Michael Morgan brings the best in classical symphony, jazz, opera and more…all in a gorgeous mountain setting. 

 

Outside Lands, August 5-7 at Golden Gate Park—Radiohead, Lionel Richie, Lana Del Rey, Miguel, Third Eye Blind, The Muppets’ Dry Teeth and The Electric Mayhem and more.  

City of Trees, September  10 at Bonney Field—Weezer, Panic at the Disco, Phantogram and more. 

All other photos courtesy of their respective companies/organizations.