The Gravenstein Apple Fair, happening on August 12 – 13, at lovely Ragle Park in Sebastopol, is known for its wonderful farm-to-table eats, local libations, and fun for the whole family at the “sweetest little Fair in Sonoma County.” But did you know the Fair is also a terrific music festival with a …
General Apple Fair News
16+ Great Reasons to Come to the Fair
When is a sweet country fair more than meets the eye? When it’s also an amazing music festival! Of course, the Gravenstein Apple Fair is known for delicious food, tasty libations, and cute farm animals. But if you love live music performed by many of the Bay Area’s favorite bands, you can’t beat the …
2025 Pie Contest Winners!
Congratulations to the winners of the 2025 Gravenstein Apple Fair Apple Pie Baking Contest! And thank you to everyone who entered. Our judges were impressed by the quality and creativity of all entries. If you didn’t win this year, we encourage you to enter next year! Read below for the list of …
2026 Pie Contest Winners
We're thrilled to announce the winners of the 2026 Gravenstein Apple Fair Pie Baking Contest, sponsored by Sebastopol Hardware Center! Our 1st Place winner Lauren McNaughton is no stranger to the leader board; she placed 2nd in 2025. Here are this year's top amateur bakers: Winners were awarded …
50 Years of The Gravenstein Apple Fair
Throwback Thursday - 1983 As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Farm Trails and its primary fundraiser, the Gravenstein Apple Fair, we’re looking back at how things have changed in Sonoma County over the last 50 years. Fasten your seatbelts as we climb into the Wayback Machine and remember …
50 Years of the Gravenstein Apple Fair – 1973
50 years ago, on March 27, 1973, Farm Trails was founded by Sonoma County Farm Advisor John Smith and local farmers who were eager to connect consumers directly to their wonderful agricultural products and the beauty of the county. They had a vision for an organization that would showcase those …
6 Criteria for the Best Summer Event, Ever!
Perhaps you’re thinking to yourself, “What fun thing can I do in August that combines: Fabulous foodToe-tapping tunesMighty microbrewsWonderful wineHearty hard ciderCurated crafts Oh yeah, and there must also be: Delightful farm animalsAn amazingly bucolic setting And, if I’m really …
9 Tips to Win the Apple Pie Baking Contest
Yes, it's back! The Apple Pie Baking Contest is back at the Gravenstein Apple Fair, taking place at Ragle Ranch Park in Sebastopol, on August 12 - 13, 2023. Home bakers will be competing for the best apple pie award on Saturday, August 12. To register for the competition for free, fill out our …
All Things Apple
"How do you like 'dem apples?" No matter how you like your apples, you’re sure to find something delicious at the Gravenstein Apple Fair, happening on August 12 – 13 at wonderful Ragle Ranch Park in Sebastopol. The Fair is a celebration of Sonoma County’s heritage apple, the Gravenstein, often …
And That’s a Wrap: 2024 Gravenstein Apple Fair
Thank you to everyone that joined us for the 51st Annual Gravenstein Apple Fair. Below are some of our favorite moments from the fair. Let us know what your favorite moments from the fair are here! …
Announcing Our Theme & Superstar Lineup!
Sonoma County Farm Trails invites the public to attend the 51st anniversary of its major annual fundraiser, the Gravenstein Apple Fair, on August 10 and 11, 2024, at Ragle Ranch Regional Park in Sebastopol. Held annually during the peak of harvest of Sonoma County’s beloved Gravenstein apples, the …
Buy Tickets Now! Reserve a Spot at the Gravenstein Apple Fair
Picture the perfect summer weekend. It’s August in Sonoma County and there’s not a cloud in the sky. You’re surrounded by gracious, sweeping oak trees dotted throughout a California meadow. There’s fabulous food, luscious libations, and sooo many cute farm animals. There’s also amazing music on two …
Celebrating 50 Years of Farms Forever in Sonoma County
Gravenstein Apple Fair - August 12-13, 2023 It’s official! Sonoma County’s beloved annual Gravenstein Apple Fair will be celebrating its Golden Anniversary on August 12 - 13 at Ragle Ranch Regional Park in Sebastopol, CA. Advance tickets are now available at GravensteinAppleFair.com. This …
Come Join the Apple Core!
Volunteer at the Gravenstein Apple Fair Do you love Gravenstein apples? Fried, baked, juiced, sauced, caramelized, and just plain right off the tree? Do you love Sonoma County? The beauty, the farm-fresh food, the wine, beer and cider? Do you love working in a fun environment with …
Elevated Experience at the Gravenstein Apple Fair
The VIP Experience For most organizations VIP stands for Very Important Person. At the Gravenstein Apple Fair, happening on August 12 -13 in Sebastopol, we believe all our guests are very important. But for those who want a unique fair experience, VIP means something a little different. For us it …
Enjoy 10 Terrific Tastes at the Gravenstein Apple Fair!
Just kidding! There are way more than just 10 terrific tastes. The following is a highlight reel of some of the most delicious items available at the Fair. This list should whet your appetite, literally and figuratively. Number 10 - Apple Treats No visit to the Gravenstein Apple Fair is …
Enjoy the Best of the Gravenstein Apple Fair!
For most organizations VIP stands for Very Important Person. But here at the Gravenstein Apple Fair, VIP means something a little different. We believe all our guests are very important, and the VIP area is for those who are looking for an even more Vibrant, Idyllic, & Pastoral fair experience. …
Fall in Love at the Gravenstein Apple Fair
Sponsor Spotlight: Joe & Tracy Dutton & Family Welcome to our inaugural Sponsor Spotlight! To celebrate Farm Trails’ and the Gravenstein Apple Fair’s 50th Anniversary, we’re telling the fun and fascinating stories of the Fair’s sponsors – many of whom go back to the very beginning when …
Golden and Green!
Highlights of the 2023 Gravenstein Apple Fair Bushels of thanks to everyone who joined us at the 2023 Gravenstein Apple Fair! We enjoyed celebrating our milestone with you! The Gravenstein Apple Fair is the primary annual fundraiser for Sonoma County Farm Trails, a …
It’s Easy Being Green
With apologies to Kermit, everyone’s favorite frog, it’s easy to be green at the Gravenstein Apple Fair. Known as the “sweetest little fair in Sonoma County,” with our commitment to zero waste, it will also be the “greenest little fair in Sonoma County.” According to Kermit being green means “the …
Just One Truckload of Reasons to Love the Gravenstein Apple Fair
A Sustainable Fair? Yes, Indeed We all know fairs and festivals are fun – after all, that’s why we go to them! But did you also know that fairs and festivals are big generators of trash? Trash that typically goes to a landfill? Now the last thing we want to do at the Gravenstein Apple Fair is …
Let’s Talk Apple Cider
At the Gravenstein Apple Fair, happening on August 12 – 13, 2023 in Sebastopol, to no one’s surprise, our namesake apples are served in every delicious way imaginable – fried in fritters, perfect in pies and, of course, tasty from the tree. But wait, there’s more! Let us not forget how wonderful …
May 13 is National Apple Pie Day!
Talk about a GREAT day! National Apple Pie Day is on May 13, and there's no better way to celebrate a spring Saturday than savoring a slice of apple, cinnamon, and golden crust goodness. Apple pies go back to the Middle Ages – who knew? – when a Dutch recipe was published back in 1514. The English …
On Manzana and the Future of the Gravenstein Apple Fair
In February 2024, Sebastopol-based Manzana Products Company, Inc. / North Coast Organic announced they would be closing their processing facility and moving all operations to Washington State in 2025. Manzana has been a longtime supporter of Sonoma County Farm Trails and its primary annual …
Ready, Set, Bake! Tips and Tricks for the Apple Pie Baking Contest
By Stephanie Rosenbaum Klassen Ready, set, bake! Whether you’re the undisputed champ of the neighborhood potluck or sharing the kitchen with next Top Chef Junior, you (and any kids you know) can enter this year’s Apple Pie Baking Contest at the upcoming Gravenstein Apple Fair. The contest is …
Remembering the Gravenstein Apple Fair
1993 To commemorate the Gravenstein Apple Fair’s 50th, happening on August 12 & 13 at wonderful Ragle Ranch Park in Sebastopol, we’re taking a nostalgic tour of the decades leading up to this year’s Golden Jubilee celebration. We’ve covered the groovy ‘70s and the go-go ‘80s, now it’s time …
Sponsor Spotlight: Exchange Bank
As anyone who’s ever attended the Gravenstein Apple Fair knows, the Fair and its parent organization, Farm Trails, are all about being local. Whether it’s the fabulous food, the wonderful libations, or the charming arts and crafts featured at the Fair, it all comes from Sonoma County producers. So, …
Sponsor Spotlight: Manzana Products
The Gravenstein Apple Fair, taking place on August 12 – 13 at Ragle Ranch Park in Sebastopol, is a celebration of Sonoma County’s heritage apple, the Gravenstein. The Fair, as the primary fundraising event for Sonoma County Farm Trails, also highlights the importance of agriculture to the county and …
Sponsor Spotlight: Richard & Saralee Kunde Endowment Fund
After a long, wet winter, spring has sprung (finally!) here in Sonoma County and love is in the air. This week’s Sponsor Spotlight is yet another love story about two people who loved not only each other, but beautiful Sonoma County as well. She was a dairy farm girl from Petaluma while he was a …
Sponsor Spotlight: Seismic Brewing Company & Golden State Cider
Everyone knows the story of peanut butter and chocolate – when two great tastes come together, deliciousness happens. In Sonoma County, two great traditions and tastes, Seismic Brewing Company and Golden State Cider, came together under one roof in May 2022 to form Sonoma Craft. Committed to …
Sponsor Spotlight: Sonoma County Tourism
Fall in Love with Sonoma County The theme of our recent sponsor spotlights has been love – from Joe and Tracy Dutton finding love at the Gravenstein Apple Fair, to Richard and Saralee Kunde who, through their shared love for Sonoma County agriculture, fell in love with each other. Sonoma …
Sponsor Spotlight: The Dutton Family – Gail, Steve, Jake, and Jordan
To celebrate the Gravenstein Apple Fair’s 50th anniversary, happening on August 12 – 13, at Ragle Ranch Park in Sebastopol, we’re highlighting the sponsors who make the Fair possible. This installment ends where we started, with the Dutton family who have been with Farm Trails and the Fair since the …
The Gravenstein Apple Fair Needs You!
Volunteer registration for the “sweetest little Fair in Sonoma County” is now open. Yes, the Gravenstein Apple Fair, happening on August 12-13, in Sebastopol at Ragle Ranch Park is looking for a few good peeps (not chickens, although there will be adorable baby chicks at the Fair) to volunteer their …
Top 10 Tastes at the Fair – 50th Anniversary Edition
Just kidding! There are waaaay more than 10 tasty treats at the Gravenstein Apple Fair, happening on August 12 – 13, 2023. There’s no way to rank the food items at the Fair because they’re all so good. But here’s a highlight reel of the incredible treats available at the Fair. Ready for your mouth …
Try Some Amazing Cider at the Gravenstein Apple Fair!
At the Gravenstein Apple Fair, on August 13 -14 at Ragle Ranch Park, to no one’s surprise, our namesake apples are served in every delicious way imaginable – fried in fritters, covered in caramel, perfect in pies and, of course, tasty from the tree. But Wait There's More... Let's not forget …
Two Great Apple Events in One Town!
For those who might think that Sebastopol is a one-horse town – to be sure, it's not. But, in a nod to its apple-growing history, Sebastopol is a two-apple event kinda place. Each event celebrates a different stage in the growing season of Sonoma County’s heritage apple – the Gravenstein. The Apple …
Welcome to the New Millennium – 2003
We’re celebrating 50 years of Farm Trails, and its major fundraising event, the Gravenstein Apple Fair, taking place on August 12 – 13, at beautiful Ragle Ranch Park in Sebastopol. We’ve strolled down Memory Lane through the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s, now it’s time to remember 2003. A Consequential …
What’s a Gravenstein Apple?
Gravenstein apples; it's kind of a funny name. Apples are apples, right? We even say apples to apples to compare two like things. So why name a whole fair after one type of apple? There are two reasons we're proud to be called the Gravenstein Apple Fair - History and FLAVOR! As famed Sonoma …
