When temperatures drop and snow begins to cover the High Sierra Mountain peaks, streets brighten with holiday lights as Tuolumne County transforms into a picture-postcard holiday destination.
This summer's wildfires kept the crowds away from the Yosemite region & so, now more than ever, hotels, restaurants, camp sites and small businesses are depending on people to make plans to revisit the area this fall and winter. The High Sierra Mountain town of Sonora looks forward to being filled with the hustle and bustle of holiday shoppers wishing passerby's a Merry Christmas. The smell of hot cider and fresh candy canes will fill the streets in Columbia and in Jamestown the trains are set to whistle as passengers aboard the Polar Express™.
We're all invited to come celebrate nearly 30 days of Christmas in Northern California's Gold Country, with more than 100 events, festivals, celebrations and old-fashioned holiday cheer on the cards.
Cider by the fire, handmade crafts and, Santa Claus — A Miner's Christmas event is a holiday classic celebrated annually for visitors of all ages to enjoy a trip back in time in a 1850s Gold Rush town. After warming up with hot cider, visitors are invited to settle into a street front seat to watch the annual Equestrian Christmas Parade. Claimed to be the largest non-motorized parade in Northern California horses, mules, donkeys and ponies glisten with glitter, dressed in the finest holiday attire to trot down main street Columbia.
If you go, step into Nelson's Candy Kitchen for a sweet treat & a chance to win the store's special candy cane making lottery. This fifth-generation family owned candy store fills its shop with the taste, sites and smell of authentic American Christmas complete with giant candy canes, hand dipped chocolates,and holiday classics such as marzipan and chocolate divinity swirls. Celebrate the true meaning of Christmas at the Las Posadas Nativity Procession. Luminaries light the way for the re-enactment procession of Mary and Joseph, their donkey, the three Wise Men, tax collector, innkeeper, miners, musicians and other costumed townspeople. Visitors are invited to light a candle and join in on the procession.
Sip on some hard apple cider and enjoy the scenic views of the surrounding apple orchards and distillery at Indigeny Reserve where annual holiday events include corn mazes, pumpkin patches and hay rides. Downtown Sonora transforms its streets into a winter wonderland with its annual Christmas Parade. Storefront windows are painted with Christmas images and the street lamps are dressed in wreaths as townspeople, their families and guests line-up to watch decorative floats, school bands, firetrucks and even Santa himself as he marches through the town. Handmade gifts add a little extra meaning and warm the heart, so pick some up for loved ones at the Annual Sonora Christmas Craft and Musical Festival,
Inner Sanctum Cellars Tasting Room hosts its annual Christmas Open House with an ugly pajamas dress code! Railtown 1897 State Historic adds to the holiday festivities with Polar Express™ Train Rides. All-Aboard, riders enjoy hot cocoa and cookies en-route to the North Pole. On arrival, expect a greeting by a jolly old elf-like Santa gifting each passenger with a silver sleigh bell. Nurse a New Years Eve holiday overload hangover with the 1859 Historic National Hotel New Year's Day Brunch. With specialties like eggs Benedict, fresh squeezed orange juice mimosas,and fresh homestyle potatoes this hearty brunch menu is a popular choice for wrapping-up the holiday season.
About Tuolumne County, California
Tuolumne County, rhyming with “Follow Me”, is located 133 miles east of San Francisco. A pristine, scenic expanse, the region reaches into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Gold was discovered in Tuolumne County in 1848, setting off the gold rush of 1849. The main highways leading to the picturesque drive from the San Francisco and East Bay Area are Highways 108 and 120 from the west and Highway 49 from the north. The State Highway 120 entrance to Yosemite National Park is considered the “front door” of the park for the San Francisco Greater Bay Area. The Stanislaus National Forest, Yosemite National Park, and other surrounding areas provide natural vistas and settings for hiking, water skiing, horseback riding, rafting, camping, snowmobiling, boating, snow skiing, fishing and other outdoor activities. Seven restored historic hotels, four golf courses, numerous and varied dining establishments, historic saloons, five wineries and hard cider distillery, train rides, a casino, seven museums, two state historic parks, five live theaters, and many bed-and-breakfast inns are among the many other attributes that make the county a year-round vacation destination. www.visittuolumne.com.
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