ANGELS CAMP — Are you looking to plan a for a weekend escape in the Sierra foothills this year?
Angels Camp Business Association offers several events you can add to your calendar:
uApril 16, 10th annual Spring Fling Sidewalk Sale, Downtown Historic Angels Camp, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Downtown merchants offer a full Saturday sidewalk sale with discounts on merchandise and treats and wine stroll for shoppers and visitors. Local musicians entertain on Main Street. Free admission and parking. www.angelscampbusiness.com
uApril 23, Taste of Calaveras, Garden Breezeway and Wine Caves, Ironstone Vineyards, 1894 Six Mile Road, Murphys, noon to 4 p.m.: Award-winning local wineries and restaurants, select chefs, professional musicians and plein air artists gather for a celebration of the best of Calaveras culture in the breezeway and network of wine caves at Ironstone Vineyards. Taste of Calaveras features local celebrity cooking demonstrations, wine tasting, educational wine and food pairing seminars and silent auction. Tickets, $40 in advance or $50 at the door, include a commemorative etched wine glass and all event activities. Tickets can be purchased by calling (209) 736-1333. www.angelscampbusiness.com
uMay 19-22, Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee, Calaveras County Fairgrounds, 101 Frogtown Road, (209) 736-2561: Initiated in 1893, the world-renowned Calaveras County Fair is one of the longest running consecutive events in the State of California. The Jumping Frog Jubilee honors Mark Twain’s first published tale, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” with daily frog jumping contests, carnival, vendors of all descriptions, rodeo, livestock show, Miss Calaveras and Calaveras Idol contests, food and wine competitions, live entertainment, destruction derby, exhibits galore and family fun. www.frogtown.org, (209) 736-2561, Laurie Giannini, CEO
uJune 8, Saturday in the Mines, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Angels Camp Museum, 753 S. Main Street: The Angels Camp Museum offers a free day of Gold Rush history and family activities on its three acres during Saturday in the Mines, its largest annual event replete with live music, special guest exhibitors, hands-on activities for kids, gift shop, guided tours throughout the day and food vendors. Admission, parking and activities are free of charge, except for gold panning, which is $5 per person. www.angelscamp.gov, (209) 736-2963, Kimberly Arth, Executive Director
uOct. 15, Gold Rush Day, Historic Downtown, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; opening ceremony 11:15 a.m. with cannon salute: A tribute to Angels Camp rich history, Main Street closes to traffic and opens to a colorful array of vendors, merchant sidewalk sales, historic re-enactments, a miner’s encampment, working replica of Henry Angels’ Trading Post, gold panning, two stages of live music and entertainment, children’s activities, and food and beverage including locally-crafted wine and beer. This year Gold Rush Day honors the 151st anniversary of Mark Twain’s time in Angels Camp. Special guests Henry Angel and Mark Twain (talented impersonators) are scheduled to appear, along with acclaimed musicians. Free admission, parking and shuttle service. www.goldrushday.com
uSept, 25. Third annual Angels Camp Gold Run, Calaveras Visitors Bureau (start), 1192 S. Main Street, (209) 736-0049, www.active.com/angels-camp-ca: The Angels Camp Gold Run is a community-sponsored run that benefits the students of Mark Twain Elementary School featuring a one mile, 5k and 10K run. Along the race route, runners will enjoy many scenic and historic elements including Angels Creek, Gold Cliff, Lightner Mine, views of Bear Mountain and Greenhorn Creek Golf Course. After race festivities at Utica Park include food, local wines and beer, family activities and live music. Racer check-in is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24 at the Visitors Center.
Founded in 1848 and incorporated in 1912 as the City of Angels, Angels Camp is a historic Gold Rush Country town located in the heart of the Sierra Foothills between Yosemite National Park and Lake Tahoe. Its idyllic downtown area with Gold Rush flair offers gourmet dining, thriving arts and culture, theater, unique boutiques and a three-acre museum.
In 1865 a young Mark Twain happened upon a captivating barroom tale in the Angels Hotel. That story, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” became his first internationally-acclaimed work and formed the basis for the Jumping Frog Jubilee and County Fair, held annually on the third weekend in May.
Angels Camp is surrounded by an ever-changing landscape with a backdrop of the Sierra Nevada. Cattle ranches, vineyards and native oaks dot the Foothills, giving way to national forest, New Melones Lake, caverns, giant Sequoias and the Ebbetts Pass National Scenic Byway sporting a bevy of recreational opportunities from golfing, fishing and hiking to downhill and cross country skiing at Bear Valley.
For more information, visit www.angelscamp.gov or www.angelscampfun.com.
