Popular event features tons of fresh citrus and more
Fresh mandarins, of course, are the stars of the Mountain Mandarin Festival, but the event also features music, crafts and food booths. Courtesy Mountain Mandarin Festival
It’s mandarin season. If you crave those little citrus gems, there’s no better place to soak up some local flavor than this weekend in Auburn. The 30th annual Mountain Mandarin Festival returns to the Gold Country Fairgrounds with the pick of the crop – rain or shine.
Friday through Sunday, Nov. 17-19, enjoy the three-day citrus celebration including tons of just-picked fruit. The family- and foodie-friendly event usually attracts about 30,000 people over its long weekend.
“Placer County growers will sell thousands of pounds of fresh mandarin oranges and gift baskets, accompanied by all the free samples you like,” say the organizers. “Join in the fun with food, artisan crafts, and activities featuring the mandarin orange and music!”
This year, there will be plenty of fruit to enjoy. Tons of fresh Placer-grown mandarins are ready for the event as well as countless mandarin-related products.
Scores of farmers and other vendors will be on hand, offering their locally grown fruit and other products. Snack on mandarin-flavored treats. Shop mandarin-inspired gift ideas and decorations. For extra zest, listen to live music and performances at the main stage.
In addition, the Placer County master gardeners will staff a booth all three days. Get your 2024 garden guide and calendar! The theme: “Try Something New … Ever Changing Gardens.”
Want to grow your own citrus? The master gardeners will offer advice on growing mandarins and all their citrus cousins as well as other fruit trees. Get advice on planting bare-root roses and winter vegetables, too. As an extra bonus, get free seeds (while they last).
Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 pm. Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
General admission is $12; children age 9 and younger are admitted free. Seniors: $8. Friday discount admission: $7. No pets admitted.
Gold Country Fairgrounds is located at 209 Fairgate Road, Auburn.
For tickets and details: www.mandarinfestival.com.
-- Debbie Arrington
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Garden Checklist for week of Nov. 3
November still offers good weather for fall planting:
* If you haven't already, it's time to clean up the remains of summer. Pull faded annuals and vegetables. Prune dead or broken branches from trees.
* Now is the best time to plant most trees and shrubs. This gives them plenty of time for root development before spring growth. They also benefit from fall and winter rains.
* Set out cool-weather annuals such as pansies and snapdragons.
* Lettuce, cabbage and broccoli also can be planted now.
* Plant garlic and onions.
* Keep planting bulbs to spread out your spring bloom. Some possible suggestions: daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, tulips, anemones and scillas.
* This is also a good time to seed wildflowers and plant such spring bloomers as sweet pea, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.
* Rake and compost leaves, but dispose of any diseased plant material. For example, if peach and nectarine trees showed signs of leaf curl this year, clean up under trees and dispose of those leaves instead of composting.
* Save dry stalks and seedpods from poppies and coneflowers for fall bouquets and holiday decorating.
* For holiday blooms indoors, plant paperwhite narcissus bulbs now. Fill a shallow bowl or dish with 2 inches of rocks or pebbles. Place bulbs in the dish with the root end nestled in the rocks. Add water until it just touches the bottom of the bulbs. Place the dish in a sunny window. Add water as needed.
* Give your azaleas, gardenias and camellias a boost with chelated iron.
* For larger blooms, pinch off some camellia buds.
* Prune non-flowering trees and shrubs while dormant.
* To help prevent leaf curl, apply a copper fungicide spray to peach and nectarine trees after they lose their leaves this month. Leaf curl, which shows up in the spring, is caused by a fungus that winters as spores on the limbs and around the tree in fallen leaves. Sprays are most effective now.
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