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Mountain Mandarin Festival celebrates local crop

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.

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 Feb. 9

Be careful walking or working in wet soil; it compacts easily.

* Keep the irrigation turned off; the ground is plenty wet with more rain on the way.

* February serves as a wake-up call to gardeners. This month, you can transplant or direct-seed several flowers, including snapdragon, candytuft, lilies, astilbe, larkspur, Shasta and painted daisies, stocks, bleeding heart and coral bells.

* In the vegetable garden, plant Jerusalem artichoke tubers, and strawberry and rhubarb roots.

* Transplant cabbage and its close cousins – broccoli, kale and cauliflower – as well as lettuce (both loose leaf and head).

* Indoors, start peppers, tomatoes and eggplant from seed.

* Plant artichokes, asparagus and horseradish from root divisions.

* Plant potatoes from tubers and onions from sets (small bulbs). The onions will sprout quickly and can be used as green onions in March.

* From seed, plant beets, chard, lettuce, mustard, peas, radishes and turnips.

* Annuals are showing up in nurseries, but wait until the weather warms up a bit before planting. Instead, set out flowering perennials such as columbine and delphinium.

* Plant summer-flowering bulbs including cannas, calla lilies and gladiolus.

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