Living History in Downtown Placerville, California
Historic Gold Country. Walking parade, re-enactments, costumes encouraged. Street dance party (5pm). Live music all day, food, drinks, games. Free admission.
Annual event: June
Saturday 2-8 pm, One Day event
530-391-2190
Numerous locations hold historic themed street fairs, parades and festivals in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.
this list is only a partial list, and more will be added soon
Arnold Independence Day Parade
Grass Valley Cornish Christmas
Murphys Homecoming & Duck Races
Nevada City Constitution Day Parade
NOTE: The Gold Rush Days in Old Town Sacramento is now called “Waterfront Days Old Sacramento”
listed alphabetically
listed from north to south
Plumas National Forest
Tahoe National Forest
Eldorado National Forest
Stanislaus National Forest
Calaveras Big Trees State Park
Sierra National Forest
Parade, Rodeo, Carnival Rides, Frog Jumping Contests, Food & Craft Booths, Epitaph, Costume & Whiskerino Contests, Line Dancing, Gold Panning, Wood Carving, Pet Parade, Blue Grass & Country Western, Art Show, Gunfighters….
Annual event; February
always held on Presidents Day weekend
Kernville Chamber of Commerce
760-376-2629
(866) KERNVILLE
If you’ve had it with the traditions, the big meal prep, or just sick of the family. Maybe you are a solo traveler, or a new transplant to California and need to explore more. Take a holiday away – for once this time.
Camping for turkey day? What a concept.
California is the perfect place for camping, all year long!
California mountains often have snow during November. Avoid camping in snow @ 4000-5000′ elevation and above; Freezing temps above 3000-4000′ elevation.
Deserts, coastal regions and foothills are top choices for late Autumn car camping. Always check the weather ahead of departure, and have a plan B as an alternative. NorCal will be much wetter than the rest of the state.
MEALS: Prepare dinner meals ahead of trip departure. Bake turkey days before your trip and create meals based around that. Make mash potatoes at home and don’t forget to bring the butter. Pack pre-baked turkey for sandwiches, plus other quick snacks & meals for on-the-go travel.
Desert Camping is premium at this time of year. Luckily the eastern half of Southern Cal is desert. The lower the elevation, the better the temps will be overnight. Be prepared for wind when the ‘storm fronts’ approach, the winds do get a cranking! Dirt roads can become flowing washes during a good rainstorm, so know the weather forecast.
Coastal campgrounds may need advanced reservations. Be prepared for wet weather, especially up north. The redwoods groves are gorgeous anytime of year.
Gold County Reservoirs are prime areas for relaxing in nature, while everyone else is out shopping. Oak hills, rivers and canyons. RV campers love these large lakes; boating, fishing, mountain biking trails, kayak rentals, hiking near historic Gold Rush towns.
River Canyons of California are always beautiful destinations in the autumn months with fall leaves changing color. Many campgrounds can be found at lower elevation, river access areas.
Joshua Tree National Park may be busy during this weekend. Instead try nearby Mecca: Box Canyon and Mecca Hills Wilderness, BLM desert lands near Interstate 10.
Anza Borrego Desert State Park is always a nice, easy and relatively close get-away for any holiday. Open camping on the backroads (for free) makes it one of the most attractive camping options in all of SoCal. Many dirt roads are accessible for passenger cars, if extreme caution is used. Don’t plan on driving more than a few miles on dirt.
Masses of off roaders love to camp out, especially on Thanksgiving weekend. Wheel all day, eat, drink, bon fires every night and rumor has it ‘they roast their big bird outdoors – deep in a dirt pit’. Really?
El Centro, Glamis, Imperial Dunes, Ocotillo Wells, Truckhaven Hills, Johnson Valley. All popular off roading areas in Southern California, so consider yourself warned.
Mojave Desert, near US Hwy 395
Jawbone Canyon expect to see RVs, toy-boxes and families outside enjoying the weekend. OHV style. Often the group tries to create a round corral with their huge convoy of vehicles, to keep thru traffic to a minimum around “their camp”. Just stay well away from those gear-heads. In general, it is a very busy area around Mojave up to Hwy 178 during the holidays. Try high desert Horse Canyon instead.
Death Valley National Park is one of the best destinations for Thanksgiving, cuz Panamint Springs serves their free turkey dinner.
Did someone say FREE?
Silver Mountain City
Located on the lightly forested slopes of the Carson River. About 7 miles east of Ebbett’s Pass, Highway 4 (CA SR 4)
Silver Boom Town in 1866
population 3000
Founded as Kongsberg in the late 1850’s by Scandinavian mining prospectors, the town name was later changed to Silver Mountain City. This wild, remote locale was the county seat for Alpine County from 1864 to 1875. The mining camp town was abandoned by 1886.
Nearby Towns:
Markleeville, CA
This canyon stretch of SR 4 highway has limited primitive camping options along the water. Flat dirt clearings and maybe a rock fire ring. No facilities, no bathrooms.
Silver Creek runs parallel to the highway and meets East fork of Carson River. Google Maps has this named Alpine State Hwy (which is closed in winter)
Drive less than 55 mph to take in all the scenery, slower if you want to find a decent place to stop. Look for easy pull-offs on dirt, a few trails, parking spots, picnic trees, some favorite fishing spots. Campfire permits are needed for dispersed camping.
NFS Campgrounds nearby :
Pacific Crest Trail access –
PCT trail crosses highway near Ebbetts Pass
These foothill regions below are the rivers & mountains of the infamous California Gold Rush of the mid-1800’s. Many mountain dirt roads will lead to your secluded, private camp site, near a creek or river. Or plan on camping in a developed Campground near a recreation lake lined with amenities, pine trees & oaks. River rafting & kayaking can be found throughout this area, as well as backpacking, mountain biking and hiking trails. Fishing is very popular as well.
Waterfalls, back roads, granite features, historic mining camps, big fishing rivers all abound. Wilderness backpacking in the High Sierra can be accessed by Hwy 108 (Sonora Pass) Hwy 4 (Ebbetts Pass) Hwy 88 (Carson Pass), Sierra US Route Hwy 50 & Interstate 80. Numerous small towns populate Historic Highway 49 for every tourists need – meals, laundry, grocery, coffee, lodging & shopping.
Gold Country California forest & parks –
Stanislaus National Forest
Columbia State Park
Arnold, Columbia, Dardanelle, Jamestown, Long Barn, Mi-Wuk, Murphys, Pinecrest, Sonora, Strawberry, Twain Harte
Amador City, Bear Valley, Georgetown, Jackson, Kirkwood, Meyers, Placerville
Alta, Colfax, Foresthill, Grass Valley, Norden, Sierraville, Soda Springs, Tahoe City, Tahoma, Truckee
Malakoff Diggins State Park
A small but impressive State Historic Park located in downtown Weaverville, a small Northern California town located near the Trinity Alps Wilderness and the Trinity River. 
This darling park is only open Thursday through Sundays (mid day) and tours can be arranged. A one room museum tells the story of the Chinese miners who came to the Trinity River region in search of gold. The neighboring temple is a historic masterpiece and has been preserved for all to enjoy. The wooden building has withstood deep snow falls and logging trucks rumbling by on the highway a block away. Neighboring museums, outdoor displays and lush creek side parks make for ideal picnic spots.
Moon Festival, Weaverville, CA
Annual “Moon Festival” at this park location in October.
Weaverville Joss House.
Not to be confused w/ the Chinese Josh House in San Francisco.