The word June is derived from the Roman mythological goddess “Juno” meaning young. This month is all about long sunny days providing ample opportunities to get outside. It’s also a perfect time to leave a city like San Francisco or New York and visit the charming towns and countryside in Nevada County. One of the easiest ways to ensure you’ll have a blast is to plan a road trip around a festival. Here’s a small sampling of things to do in June alongside its outdoor adventures.
Celebration Of Trails
June 1st – 24th
If you love the trails in the Bear and Yuba watersheds of California’s Sierra Nevada foothills and mountains, this event is for you. Every year, the Bear Yuba Land Trust plus other trail advocates kick off the summer with the Celebration of Trails. Up first from June 1st – 21st is the Summer Star Hike Challenge. Throughout 12 of Bear Yuba Land Trust’s hiking trails, there will be 15 hidden stars hanging from trees. Using the Star Map, visit as many different star locations as possible and win exciting prizes and celebrate your local trails! Register here to be entered for the challenge. Then on June 24th from 4-8 PM, Bear Yuba Land Trust will end the Celebration of Trails month with a family-friendly FREE Street Party in downtown Nevada City. Enjoy live music and meet local recreation partners that are helping protect / defend natural lands.
Rough & Ready’s Secession Days
June 4th
There’s a lot of history within the boundaries of Nevada County as seen via our Interactive Cultural Assets Map. One celebration that brings the wild and rambunctious history to life is the Rough & Ready Secession Days. This event celebrates the three months in 1850 where the town stood alone in secession from the United States. Known at that time as the Great Republic of Rough and Ready, it ultimately voted itself back in. The weekend includes activities such as a chuckwagon breakfast inside the Fire Station, a chili cook-off, and the popular melodrama “The Saga of Rough and Ready.”
Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival
June 15th-18th
What started in 1976 on a flatbed truck in an empty field headlining local bands has grown into one of the premier bluegrass festivals in the nation. The four-day event at the Nevada City Fairgrounds has become “bluegrass city.” This includes a row of food vendors, luthiers (artisans that custom manufacture instruments like banjos and mandolins), and three stages filled with national touring bands as well as emerging California artists. If you’re a fan of music, this event is a MUST go.
Nevada City Film Festival
June 23rd – 25th
Voted as of the “Coolest Film Festivals in the US” by Moviemaker magazine. Nevada City Film Festival is nominated as one of the ten best film festivals by USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice travel awards. This award-winning festival is chock full of award-winning independent, international short, and feature length films across its three days in June. It also hosts visiting filmmakers participating in Q&A’s, workshops, and talks. Then to finish it all off, there are happy hours and after-parties, outdoor screenings, and so much more. As Matt Damon would say, “How ‘bout them apples!”
Truckee Reggae Fest
June 24th
Nothing spells summer more than listening to Reggae on a warm summer afternoon into the evening under a starlit sky. This annual event is held at the Truckee Regional Park Outdoor Amphitheater and brings in local as well as internationally known Reggae musical artists. The Truckee Reggae Fest will also feature a vending Village, live local art, and lots of food and drink that the entire family will enjoy.
Truckee Tahoe Gravel
July 1st
We couldn’t highlight things to do in June without mentioning one of the newest and most exciting bike races in the area – Truckee Tahoe Gravel. For 2023, due to the record breaking winter, the event has pushed out to the 1st weekend in July. Started in 2018 by 3x world road racing champion Peter Sagan. Choose from three great routes. The rollout at 19 miles, the medium 54-mile course, or the long course stretching in at 75.5 miles. Throughout the whole weekend, expect live music, beer, local cuisine, and even a vendor expo. A full weekend of fun activities for the whole family to enjoy.
When it comes to things to do in June, Nevada County is where it’s at. Combine these festivals with outdoor fun like mountain biking, and you’ll be sure to start the summer off right.
