The annual Twilight Parade, a Healdsburg tradition, is so popular it is said everyone in town is either in it or watching it. It starts at 6pm on Thursday, as a symbolic kick-off to the Healdsburg Future Farmers Country Fair at Rec Park, which runs through Saturday, May 23.
Things are taking shape for the Healdsburg Future Farmers Country Fair, perhaps the most thoroughly Healdsburg event on the calendar. Between the culinary “Experience” of last weekend and the oncoming “Edge” of next month, it’s as if history grabs us by the nape and says, “Pay attention!”
The animal showings began last week, when the HFFCF Horse Show trotted out onto the dusty oval of Hoofbeat Park. It will be followed this week by show animal judging; livestock, cake and barrel auctions; and—of course—the HFFCF Twilight Parade on May 21.
The parade will follow its normal route, which precipitates the usual road closures from the City of Healdsburg. “As part of the parade, we anticipate a significant influx of participants and spectators, necessitating certain traffic arrangements to ensure a safe and successful event,” said Matt Milde, the city’s recreation supervisor.
The Parade
The route of the parade, and the road closures, will be familiar from past years. It is staged east of Fitch on the residential streets Tucker, Hayden and Mason, then at 6pm launches its circum-downtown march on East Street in front of St John’s Church. The parade continues down Matheson to Center, then north to the library. This is often the most crowded and enthusiastic part of the route, past the judges and—usually—a thick audience of locals.
From the library it turns right, heading up to Fitch where it turns right again, continuing south on Fitch for several blocks to Matheson. This, too, is a popular neighborhood to enjoy the parade on the tree-lined blocks as it turns left to go up Matheson to reach its endpoint at First, usually around 7pm. However, the long parade may take an hour to pass by any given point on the route.
At the Fair
At the fairgrounds at Rec Park, parade awards will be given, but the Country Fair will have already begun earlier in the day, with sheep and goats, small animals like rabbits and poultry, and garden barrel planting and judging. The Swan Brothers Circus, too, will start its performance schedule this same evening, along with live music from DJ Uncle Paul on the stage near the baseball field. A regular midway of food and game booths provides a true country fair experience, as well as a revenue source both for social and school clubs.
Other HFFCF events include Friday’s animal shows and judging—at 8am 4-H Swine Showmanship, at 11am the Dog Showmanship and the “small animal round robin” at 1pm. The big creatures show up at 3pm for the 4-H Beef Showmanship show, and the Adult Showmanship for sheep and swine at 5pm. The “round robin” for large animals happens early the next morning, Saturday. Other similar country fair exhibits and competitions take place throughout the fair’s two full days, culminating on Saturday afternoon with the Livestock Auction.
Livestock Auction
This year about 285 market animals will be auctioned off. For many, that event at the Rec Park grandstands and on the baseball diamond, an annual irritation to the Prune Packers, is the Grand Finale of the Healdsburg Fair. “As the Auctioneer’s voice fills the arena and the paddles fly, you can feel the buzz and excitement in the air,” previews the HealdsburgFair.org website.
“The grandstands are packed with multiple generations of families, folks representing local businesses and organizations, community members, friends, and visitors alike — all there to offer a show of support for all the exhibitors who proudly showcase the projects they work so diligently on throughout the year.”
Past livestock auctions have raised between $800,000–$1.2 million. The large majority of auction proceeds go directly to the exhibitors, while a small percentage is put towards the HFFCF Scholarship Fund & fair operations.
Additional information on all aspects of the Healdsburg Future Farmers Country Fair, including applications and entry forms, is available at healdsburgfair.org.
