The Sonora Celtic Faire started in 1987 as the Sonora Celtic Faire, at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds in Sonora, CA. In it's 13th year, the faire moved from Sonora to Angels Camp, becoming the Calaveras Celtic Faire. In 2008, our 22nd year, the Sonora Celtic Faire is once more, as we move back to Sonora.

Why move back? We're always looking for ways to make the faire more enjoyable for everyone who attends. While the Calaveras Fairgrounds has been a lovely home for the past 8 years, when we looked at the two sites side by side we think we can put on a better faire at the Sonora Fairgrounds. Comparing the two, here are the big reasons for the move:

• The buildings at Sonora are better acoustically, and the Celtic Faire is, in large part, a music faire. The John Muir building in Sonora is nearly identical to the main building at Calaveras, the Mark Twain Hall. In Sonora, the main stage will be much like in Angels Camp. For the second stage, Sonora's "Sierra" Building is much more suitable than the all metal (and very echoy) Butler Building at Frogtown. The Creekside building has been remodled and has acoustic tiles in the ceiling. It's perfect for a more intimate stage, for Golden Bough and perhaps even some music workshops (perhaps).

  
  The second and third stages weren't really a consideration when we moved from Sonora to Calaveras so many years ago, because we only really had one stage back then. Now we're hiring more bands and need more quality stages.

• Available lodging is much closer to the Sonora Fairgrounds. There is a motel across the street, and three more less than a mile away. We hope to run a shuttle bus to the three downtown motels. This lets all our out of town friends come to the faire and have a good time, without the worry of having to drive later that evening. Be safe!
• The arena seating is covered in Sonora.
• The Sonora fairgrounds is generally a better "all weather" site. It is not as sprawling as Calaveras, so a building is usually close by if it showers.

Of course, there are a couple things we'll miss about Calaveras. The fairground's expansiveness was a blessing and a curse. The hills were pretty, but not fully accessible. It was sometimes hard to get around, and when it did rain it could be a mess. The other benefit at Calaveras was the amount of parking at the fairgrounds. In Sonora, parking at the fairgrounds is more limited. There is a lot of parking available on side streets near the site though, and we're working on a plan to run a shuttle to motels and a shopping center parking lot. And c'mon, given the choice between better parking vs. a better event, wouldn't you choose the better event?