When organizers in the tiny foothill town of Newcastle held their first Mountain Mandarin Festival 28 years ago they never imagined that it would grow to a three-day event that now attracts 30-35,000 people from throughout the West Coast. Held annually at the Gold Country Fairgrounds.

Visitors to the Mandarin Festival, are greeted with an abundance of the tasty citrus, from fresh fruit samples offered by local growers to market products featuring the Sierra foothill’s mandarin oranges. Thousands of filled orange mesh bags await and jams, jellies, infused olive oils, balsamic vinegar, barbecue sauces and body care products are all available for purchase. Visitors are delighted to discover that the food vendors offer everything from mandarin pizza to mandarin glazed wings, mandarin doughnuts and mandarin pulled pork, just to name a few.