By Liza Gershman
Every year on the Thursday before Memorial Day weekend, the streets of Healdsburg fill with music and marching bands, vintage tractors and streamers, and the laughter of the Twilight Parade. The sidewalks brim over with families in folding chairs and children waving flags, and all across town, porches and patios transform into party stops.
I began the afternoon at the museum, wandered through a Rotary barbecue and ended up at a house party on Matheson Street, just across from the judges’ booth, with hot dogs on the grill and laughter drifting through the treetops.
This is the rhythm of small-town summer: unhurried, joyful, deeply familiar.
By the weekend, the fairgrounds were alive with the rituals of 4-H and FFA. Teenagers in pristine white uniforms led their animals through sawdust-lined rings with quiet poise. Steers, pigs, sheep, lambs, rabbits—each one the result of months of early mornings, careful feeding and calm hands. Around the ring, local buyers—including chefs and restaurant owners—leaned in to place their bids.
The animals raised here will appear soon on local menus, their care and quality a direct link between farm and table. It’s not just tradition on display; it’s the living economy of our region, with community members investing in the next generation of agriculture—one meal at a time.
Beyond the barns, the fair offered its usual comforts. Fudge from the Dry Creek Neighbors Association, handed out in gooey slices; fries from the Kiwanis, still sizzling; handmade ice cream from a local school group, melting fast in the afternoon heat. Those are the flavors of an American summer—and Healdsburg leans all the way in.
I sat for a while near the auction ring with a basket of those fries, still steaming, and thought about how something so simple can feel like a kind of ceremony. Not loud or showy. Just deeply felt. At one point, a friend rushed to end a phone call with me, saying she had to go “bid on a lamb.” I smiled. Here, even everyday conversations carry the rhythm of the land.
Like my own formative experiences at the Sonoma County Fair or the House of Flowers, this fair will shape the memory of today’s children. And woven into that memory is a quiet lesson: Food comes from somewhere—and often, it comes from someone just down the road.
These gatherings are part of a much older tradition. The first agricultural fair in America was held in 1811, and by 1841, the first state fair opened in Syracuse, New York. These events were places for communities to exchange knowledge, showcase the season’s best, and connect through food and livestock. That spirit still holds. Not everywhere—but here, it does.
Fairs reflect the lives of the people who build them—one craft, one steer, one hot dog at a time. They’re stitched together with time and care, shaped by the hands that show up each year to make them happen.
This is how summer begins: with a parade, a scoop of melting ice cream and the steady rhythm of a town that still knows how to gather—and how to keep its food close to home.
Liza Gershman’s upcoming book, ‘Farm + Market: Healdsburg,’ will celebrate the people, recipes and local bounty of the community. Proceeds from the book go to support the Healdsburg Certified Farmers’ Market. For more details, please visit the website at healdsburgbook.com.
What’s in season
Look for these fresh garden fruits and veggies at the Healdsburg Farmers’ Market, Saturdays at the West Plaza parking lot, 8:30am to noon, and Tuesdays at the Plaza, 9am to 12:30pm.
Vegetables:
- Asparagus: Tender and flavorful, ideal for grilling or roasting.
- Artichokes: A spring favorite, perfect for steaming or stuffing.
- Fava Beans: Nutty and buttery, great in salads or purees.
- Leeks: Mild and sweet, excellent in soups and quiches.
- Spinach: Vibrant and nutrient-rich, suitable for salads and sautés.
- Radishes: Crisp and peppery, adding crunch to dishes.
- Peas: Sweet and tender, delightful in pastas and risottos.
- Zucchini: Versatile and abundant, perfect for grilling or baking.
Fruits
- Strawberries: Juicy and sweet, ideal for desserts and jams.
- Cherries: Plump and flavorful, great for snacking or pies.
- Apricots: Soft and tangy, perfect for fresh eating or preserves.
- Blueberries: Bursting with antioxidants, excellent in muffins and cereals.
- Raspberries: Delicate and tart, wonderful in sauces and desserts.
- Blackberries: Rich and juicy, suitable for cobblers and jams
