Since 1973, the esteemed Sonoma County Farm Trails has pulled together the cutest lil country fair in the area, the Gravenstein Apple Fair. This year’s festivities take place Aug. 8 and 9 at Ragle Ranch in Sebastopol.
While promising oodles of fun, the Gravenstein Apple Fair is also nonprofit Sonoma County Farm Trail’s primary annual fundraiser and a celebration of the namesake heirloom apple and Sonoma County’s rich agricultural heritage. All proceeds from the fair benefit Farm Trails’ year-round programs, initiatives and scholarships in service of keeping “Farms Forever” in Sonoma County.
Also worth noting, the fair is the winner of the North Bay Bohemian’s Best Festival 2019–2026, Best Art Event 2026 and Best Charity Event 2026. It’s also a leader in sustainable event production; the fair has been more than 95% Zero Waste since 2018.
While Farm Trails executive director Carmen Snyder enjoys putting on a festival that celebrates our farming community, she also takes the underlying messages of the fair very seriously. Snyder says, “Farm Trails and the Gravenstein Apple Fair are committed to strengthening farming and food systems and educating the public about the importance of investing in all things local to create a more resilient and vibrant community. We prioritize showcasing our Farm Trails members, and this year, more than 80 member farms and producers will be participating in some way, from Apple Alley to Zero Waste.”
Again, “Zero Waste” isn’t just a snappy catch-phrase, and Snyder has the stats to back this up. She notes, “We are industry leaders in sustainable event production, receiving county and statewide recognition.”
Indeed, The Gravenstein Apple Fair recently earned the 2026 California Resource Recovery Association’s Outstanding Practices in Venue and Event Resource Recovery Award and Sonoma County Tourism’s 2026 Sonoma County Stars of the Industry Award for Environmental Stewardship/Sustainable Practices. Snyder proudly states, “For 16,000 attendees last year, we sent only 2 cubic yards of trash to the landfill—roughly half of the back of a small pickup truck.”
The weekend includes many highlights—for starters, the UN has declared 2026 the International Year of the Woman Farmer. James Beard Award-winning radio personality, Made Local Magazine podcast host and local foods champion Clark Wolf will moderate a panel discussion about the importance of female farmers to our local food system.
Panelists include Caiti Hachmyer, Red H Farm, Celebrating Womxn’s Leadership in Food; Jennifer Bice, Redwood Hill Farm – Capracopia; Lynda Hopkins, Sonoma County supervisor and farmer; Randi Black, UCCE North Bay Dairy advisor; Sarah Keiser, Wild Oat Hollow Farm; and Yael Bernier, Bernier Farms.
Undoubtedly, food produced by these women and many other local farmers will be put to use in the Artisan Tasting Grove, “a moveable feast” where local farmers and artisan makers come together in an attempt to please the palate. This year, there’s also an added twist with “Chef Bites.” Snyder explains, “We’re excited for the new ‘Chef Bites’ offerings, which bring together producers and restaurants to highlight the wonderful ways chefs are utilizing local farm products.”
Snyder adds, “There will be three sets per day, in addition to the main tasting area with more than 40 farms and producers sampling their culinary, drink and wellness products, all in the magical shaded redwood grove.”
The “Chef Bites” appetizing Saturday lineup includes Goldfinch in collaboration with Deer Valley Daughters & Sabi Greens, Bayou on the Bay in collaboration with Hei Ma and Sebastopol’s venerable Handline in collaboration with West Marin’s hidden gem, Heidrun Meadery (note that the Artisan Tasting Grove requires a separate admission).
Still hungry? Sunday’s lineup triples down with Rocker Oysterfeller teaming up with Liberty Duck and Raft Wines, Sonoma Hand Pie with Eye Cider Works and Viva Joon (with Kiss the Flower Honey Co.).
The fair also offers live entertainment: Saturday features The Hubbub Club, LaiddBackZach, SoloRio, John Courage’s California Country, Audio Angel & Her Good Intentions, Mission Delirium and LA GENTE SF. Sunday sees The Love Choir, False Bottom Band, Marty O’Reilly (in a trio formation), Miko Marks, Sang Matiz and Royal Jelly Jive all performing live.
But perhaps the biggest attraction of the weekend is the annual apple pie baking contest, which is free to enter, and, more interestingly, open to all ages. Longtime local food writer, author and cook Stephanie Klassen, whose latest cookbook, A Little Taste of San Francisco, features recipes and illustrations showcasing the best of what the Bay Area has to offer, has herself won the contest and since joined the ranks of judges. We thought we’d tap into her expertise for some apple pie baking tips.
Klassen says, “This will be my third time as a judge at the Gravenstein Apple Fair’s Apple Pie Contest, so I’ve had the privilege of tasting a lot of amateur bakers’ best pies.” Her first, ahem, “piece” of advice is more of an overarching rule of thumb. She notes that “baking a great pie is a lot of work.”
But she also offers more tangible, veteran pie-making tips such as, “A fresh pie is the best pie,” and, “If possible, bake your pie early in the morning of the contest, allowing at least two or three hours for it to cool before the judging. Baking the night before is fine, too. Hot pie is soupy pie.”
Following this theme of timing, Klassen says, “Bake it for longer than you think.” She adds, “I’ve seen a lot of underbaked pies, where the crust is pale and bland and never got a chance to develop that beautiful golden-brown color and toasty-caramel flavor. Other tips to ensure a solid crust include using a metal or silicon crust shield, or placing a ring of aluminum foil over the crimped edge halfway through baking.”
While these tips are definitely helpful, her biggest tip might revolve around presentation. To this, she says, “Creativity is great, but does it truly serve the pie? Everyone’s ideal pie is different. But is an apple pie truly better for having grape jelly or Flamin’ Hot Cheetos in it? Have fun, but also think about balance—crust, fruit and spices/sweetening all working together. If no one has ever put blue raspberry gummy worms into their pie filling before, there’s probably a reason for that.”
The Gravenstein Appel Fair runs 10am to 6pm, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 8 and 9, Ragle Ranch Park, 500 Ragle Rd., Sebastopol. Ticket options at gravensteinapplefair.com.
