Logging contests, music and family events fill two days
Colusa, Calif. (Colusa News) — Yuba County foothills’ logging traditions will get revived again in Brownsville, at the Mountain Fair on Aug. 22-23 with two days of timber contests, music concerts, family programs, food, contests, and demonstrations as well as more than 60 vendors.
Organized by Yuba Feather Community Services, the 2026 Mountain Fair will take place on 16911 Willow Glen Road in Brownsville. Gates will be open on Saturday, Aug. 22, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Sunday, Aug. 23, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Competitions dedicated to logging will become central at the Mountain Fair, continuing traditions tightly connected with the forested hills northeast of Marysville. Competitors will present traditional as well as modern skills in timbering, including axe throwing, crosscut sawing, choker setting, obstacle pole bucking, and hot saw events.
On top of it, there will be live music, children’s carnival, animal shows, science demonstrations, food, beer, wine, black powder demonstrations, and Wild West-style entertainment at the Mountain Fair.
Saturday: logging day
Logging competition starts at 11 a.m. on Saturday, immediately after the opening ceremony which takes place at 10 a.m. Logging events on Saturday will include stock saw and work saw competitions, axe throwing, obstacle pole bucking, Jack and Jill crosscut saw race, choker setting, Buck & Stack, and hot saw competition.
Additional logging contest is the women’s only axe throwing, as well as women’s Hard Hat Frisbee competition on Saturday.
Those skills were necessary in the past for the logging and lumbering industry that was developing in the Sierra Nevada foothills in the 19th century due to demands for lumber in mining communities and valley cities. According to historical sources, logging in the vicinity of Brownsville has started in the 1870s as Brownsville resident Andrew Martin Leach was developing his lumber operation. The same logging companies continued their work in the area in the 20th century.
Black powder and cannons demonstrations planned
Historical firearms and black powder will be demonstrated at the Mountain Fair. Sierra Muzzleloaders will organize a demonstration camp at the fair grounds, providing historical information and showing the equipment and its use. Two cannons will be fired several times at the Mountain Fair on Saturday with organizers announcing it due to loud noise. There will be some Wild West style entertainment provided by the Constitution Gunfighters at the fair.
BBQ contest and live entertainment
There will be BBQ Ribs contest organized on Saturday at the Mountain Fair where tasting will begin at 12:00 p.m. and awards will be distributed at 2:45 p.m. There will be entertainments like Science Wizard, live animals presentations, and several musical concerts. They will include performances of the James Slack Band and Doug Marr & Company. James Slack Band will perform at the Mountain Fair several times on Saturday. Children’s carnival will work 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. More than 60 vendors will sell their products on Saturday at the Mountain Fair. Admission fees end at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
Sunday: logging competitions continue
Mountain Fair will open again at 10 a.m. on Sunday, organizing logging competitions and family programs. Logging competitions will include work saw contests, single- and double-buck crosscut saw races, two-choker set competition, four-person logger relay, speed axe throwing, and another hot saw competition. Women’s Hard Hat Frisbee competition will take place at the Mountain Fair on Sunday afternoon.
There will be additional competition of bakers who will compete in the Mountain Fair Baking Contest. Judging of baking contest will start at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday and awards will be distributed at 1:30 p.m. At 12:00 p.m., 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. on Sunday, there will be some music performances organized by Stringtown Road Band with Kevin Marcy of the Marcy Brothers. Live animal presentations and Science Wizard demonstrations will take place all day long on Sunday. Children’s carnival will again run 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Mountain Fair.
A history worth saving
There is a long history of the Mountain Fair that was founded in 1975 and has been organized first as Independence Day celebration. It became a regular gathering in Yuba County foothills that has been interrupted after 2004 but has been revived in 2021. Organizers of the Mountain Fair have managed to organize a logging competition together with family activities and entertainment while retaining the connection to the mountain heritage. This way, the Mountain Fair has almost 50-year history, although it is not continuous.
Logging tradition of Mountain Fair also connects to the longer history of the region. Forestry and lumbering were playing a crucial role in the economy of Sierra Nevada since Gold Rush period when settlements developed and lumber was needed for construction of houses and businesses, mining structures, etc. Logging was moving deep into mountain areas as closer forests were depleted. U.S. Forest Service records showed presence of lumbering in the area near Brownsville in the 19th and 20th centuries.
This history has been preserved by the whole Yuba Feather region as the Yuba Feather Museum and Gold Trader Flat organize various exhibits dedicated to Maidu people, early settlers, Chinese immigrants, gold mining, timber industry, and others, including old saw blades, logging tools, and mining equipment.
Vendors, raffles, and more
Over 60 vendors will sell their products at the Mountain Fair with raffles organized throughout the weekend. Raffle tickets cost $1 each, six tickets will cost $5, and 25 tickets will cost $20. Additionally, there will be two separate raffles for half hog and firearm. Tickets for raffles will cost $10. For Mountain Fair, it is a community event in Brownsville and neighboring Yuba Feather communities that attracts visitors from Yuba County and surrounding areas.
Brownsville is located in rural Yuba County foothill region in contrast to the valley to the west. Founded in 1850, Yuba County is one of the original California counties covering communities from Sacramento Valley to western Sierra Nevada foothills. For the Mountain Fair, this setting plays an important role as part of the region’s timber heritage combined with music, food, competitions, and family entertainment.
Admission and times
Admission to the 2026 Mountain Fair costs $10 for ages 12 and older, $5 for ages 6 through 11, and is free for children 5 and younger. Mountain Fair will take place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 22, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 23, at 16911 Willow Glen Road in Brownsville.
