Cider lovers, this August apple-tacular is a sweet Sonoma County gem

THE MONTH OF MAY? It's a time of year when you're likely to see an apple tree bursting with fluttery blossoms, the fragrant flowers that tell us that the branches will soon be laden with lovely, juicy, super-crisp orbs o' delight. Call it a foretelling of the floweriest variety, a pomme-scented promise that we'll be enjoying apples, and apple pie, and apple tarts, and apple everything as summer deepens. But waiting too long for these luscious goodies, we don't have to: Sebastopol has long been one of our state's most apple-centric scenes, thanks to the annual Gravenstein Apple Fair. The festival, which is presented by the Sonoma County Farm Trails, will roll into our apple-obsessed worlds over the second weekend of August, giving us the taste of autumn well ahead of fall's official arrival. It isn't just about the crisp deliciousness at the heart of the party; activities for kids, farm animals, and a whole host of acclaimed cooks, including Alice Waters, will be at the 2024 happening.

A CRAFT CIDER TENT... is also a centerpiece, providing the "largest cider selection of any festival in the North Bay." There's an Apple Alley, too, with heaps of tempting fruits, and, oh yes, desserts made from those fruits, from fritters to caramels. "We chose ‘A Celebration of Transformation’ as our theme because it highlights the inextricable ties between people and the environment, agriculture and culture, working together to create a healthy, productive, nourishing, and life-sustaining habitat for us all," said Farm Trails Executive Director and Gravenstein Apple Fair Producer Carmen Snyder. "A tiny egg turns into a magnificent Monarch, an apple blossom grows into a Gravenstein apple, but neither on their own, relying instead on the interplay of nature and nurture: sun, soil, water, and the people who responsibly cultivate the land and care for all its inhabitants." Apple season is on approach; find out more now.