Featured
Events
Dec.
5: Hospitality Night Open House
Dec.
7:
Lighting of America's
Tallest Living Christmas Tree
Dec.
14: Christmas Lighted Tractor Parade
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 Nestled between the two redwood forests in a thriving dairy
community, you may discover Northern California's best-kept secret, The
Victorian Village of Ferndale.
Park your car to step back in time. Enjoy magnificently preserved
Victorian architecture as you stroll; pick up visitor information from
any shop. On the National Register of Historic Places, Ferndale's Main
Street is a photographer's paradise and a shopper's delight.
 Explore the old-fashioned mercantiles, antique
stores, art galleries, and specialty shops, hear the ringing of the
blacksmith's hammer, and talk with the friendly people. Watch fresh
candy being dipped by hand to whet your appetite for a fine dinner
and an evening of theatre.
Resting by the fire in your elegant bed
and breakfast inn, think about tomorrow: a walk along nearby coastline,
a
 nature
hike in Russ Park (the 110-acre forest bird sanctuary), a boat tour of
the Eel River Delta, a visit to the museums, a tour of Fern
Cottage, a leisurely day filled with old-fashioned
service and friendly faces.
You will find a town where the old way of life
has not been compromised. The splendid buildings have been carefully
restored, embellished with lovingly-tended gardens, and people take
the time to smile a friendly greeting.
 Although it's been suggested that the Victorian
village is a fairytale setting, Ferndale is a working, all-American
town which takes pride in its beautiful community and cultural heritage.
In the late 1800s Ferndale was an agricultural and transportation center,
a melting pot for Scandinavian, Swiss-Italian, and Portuguese immigrants.
The entire village is California Historical Landmark
No. 883.
There's
nothing stodgy in this small town, though; Ferndale loves to have fun!
 The cradle of the wild and whacky Kinetic
Sculpture Race, Ferndale continues to host the
finish of this off-beat art event, now a three-day contest. The village
is home to many colorful events and festivals: Foggy Bottoms Milk Run, Tour
of the Unknown Coast bicycle run, Portuguese Holy Ghost Celebration,
the Humboldt
County Fair, Bargain Lovers' Weekend, and the Christmas Lighted Tractor
Parade, to name just a few.
 Christmas in Ferndale is magical. Children from the elementary
school decorate Christmas trees in front of Main Street shops and members
of the volunteer fire department hang more than 900 lights on a huge Sitka
spruce at the end of Main Street for the lighting of America's tallest
living Christmas tree.
Christmas and Tractor Parade photos
copyrighted by Matt Knowles of Aesthetic
Design & Photography. If you would like a print please
contact Matt at 707-786-4643
 The Victorian Village of Ferndale, full of surprises, deserves
more than a day to discover. 265 miles north of Sacramento and San Francisco,
it's a beautiful drive from the major airports (Sacramento, San Francisco,
Oakland, San Jose) or fly into the Arcata/Eureka airport in McKinleyville,
45 minutes north of Ferndale (car rentals, Door-to-Door
Airporter shuttle service available).
From California Highway 101, take the Fernbridge/Ferndale
exit. Cross historic Fernbridge and drive through five miles of pastoral
views to Ferndale's Main Street.
For more information, call the Ferndale Chamber of
Commerce: (707) 786-4477
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