Susan Neal, Fair Oaks CA Real Estate Broker

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I hope you'll visit Fair Oaks, and come back often!

Celebrating the Chickens

If you are at all familiar with Fair Oaks Village, you know about our chickens. Hundreds of wild and beautiful chickens roam the Village, and they have been part of the character of our town for many years. They have even been the subject of national magazine articles. Families come to the Plaza Park in the heart of the Village to watch them, and children of all ages laugh and enjoy their antics. Some folks bring birdseed to feed them (please no junk food).

Finally, a few years ago, Fair Oaks decided it was time to celebrate the chickens that have brought us so much pleasure and so many visitors. Thus was born the Fair Oaks Chicken Festival! This is the third annual festival, and it is shaping up to be the best yet. And there is no admission charge. The festival and parking are free, as are shuttles to Plaza Park (see below).

Friday Night Barbeque

The celebration starts on Friday September 19 with a pre-festival barbeque in Village Park. Yes, there will be barbequed chicken, but no Fair Oaks chickens are harmed! There is a $15 charge for adults and $10 for children age 10 and under, but that is for the food. You can come and enjoy the fun and music even if you do not have dinner with us. Food will be served from 6-10 pm and the featured band will be Blues Farm Band. You can buy the dinner tickets anytime between now and then at the Fair Oaks Recreation and Park District Office.

Big Day on Saturday

Breakfast

The big day will be on Saturday, September 20 from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. If you would like to join us for an Old Time Country Breakfast, come to the Fair Oaks Community Club House, in the center of the park. All you can eat for $5.00 per person, with tickets being sold at the door.

"Music to Sooth the Savage Chickens"

Many people eat at home and then come directly to the park to just enjoy the free festival. Beginning at 10:00 am on Saturday, there will be live music all day on the Chicken Festival Stage in the Village -featuring Lightning Hand Band, Blues Farm Band, the phenomenally popular Mumbo Gumbo, Marshall Wilkerson Band, and Jeff Watson Band.

Vendor Booths and Special Activities for Adults and Kids

There will also be a number of food and craft vendors from 10:00 am - 8:00 pm, a barbeque cook-off competition, and from 10:00 - 3:30, lots of kids' activities and events, including crafts, hug-a-pets, gold panning, and games for kids.

Microbrewers

For those who enjoy a delicious beer, there will be microbrewery beer tasting with music to sip by provided by "J's House," Featuring the following microbrewers: New Belgium Brewery - Fat Tire, Lost Coast Brewery, Killian's Irish Red, Blue Moon Brewing Company, Alaskan Brewing Company, Rubicon Brewing Company, Sierra Nevada Brewery, Sacramento Brewing Company, and Lockdown Brewing Company.

Parking and Shuttles

There is limited on-street parking around the edge of the Village, but you can also park at several local parking lots and shuttle to the festival. Shuttles will run every 15-20 minutes from 10:00 am - 7:30 pm on Saturday, making stops at Fair Oaks Park (Fair Oaks Blvd and Madison Ave), Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church (on Fair Oaks Blvd, to the south side of Fair Oaks Park), New Life Community Church at Sunset Ave and Fair Oaks Blvd). You can also park at Scandinavian Design (4301 Fair Oaks Blvd at Winding Way) and walk across Sunrise. There will be handicap parking at Russ Monroe's Village Chapel (corner of Winding Way and Fair Oaks Blvd).

Come to the Fair Oaks Dog Walk - a fun day for all: adults, kids and pets. This year it will be on October 4. It is held every year on the first Saturday in October and features a beautiful two mile walk along the American River. There will be a live band, dog contests and games, free doggie treats and there will be water for the dogs and their people, and some food booths with yummy people food.

The walk begins at the Fair Oaks Village Park, crosses the old historic Fair Oaks Bridge, then follows the horse trail along the river, and ends up back at the Village Park - a truly beautiful route. The Village Park is just east of Sunrise Blvd and just south of Winding Way. There is street parking, and a number of spaces at the Community Center on the east side of the park.

The event finishes with a raffle, giving out dozens of prizes donated by local businesses. There will be booths and vendors with fun items to buy, and some of the vendors will also be giving prizes.

There are rules for participation, but they are simple and common sense. There is also a nominal registration fee of $10 for the first dog and $5 for each additional dog you want to bring. You can find the rules, the registration form, and some photos of previous dog walks at http://www.fairoaksdogwalk.com/fodw/Registration.html, or you can register the morning of the event. On site registration begins at 8:30 am and the walk will start at 9:00. If you would like to purchase a 2008 Fair Oaks Dog Walk T-shirt, they are $15 and you can pre-order and pick them up the morning of the event or buy them at the event if supplies permit.

The proceeds from the registration fees will benefit the Fair Oaks Chamber of Commerce, and two other non-profit groups: Fair Oaks Responsible Dog Owners Group (FORDOG) www.fordog.org and Teaching Everyone Animals Matter (TEAM) www.sacanimalshelter.org.

If you don't own a dog but you just want to join the fun, come on out. It's always an enjoyable day.

Below are some facts about Fair Oaks for your information. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about our beautiful Fair Oaks and what it is like to live here. I think I can answer your questions and make some suggestions about what to see and do here.

Please know that I treat all of my clients with kindness and respect. I understand that making a move and investing in a home are major life decisions and should be handled with care.

A great way to enjoy the hot summer evenings in Fair Oaks is to spread a blanket at the Village Park, have a nice picnic, and listen to the wonderful concerts in the park. You can bring your own food or buy pizza or ice cream (or both!) at the park.

It's free, it's fun, and enjoyable for the whole family! There is a different band each week.

Every Thursday night beginning at 7 pm, from June 12 to August 28, 2008.

The full schedule is at www.fairoakschamber.com, but a few of the bands include:

Lightning Hand (classic and original blues and rock)

North Market Street Jazz Band (Dixieland jazz)

Sister Swing (1940s Andrews Sisters)

Polly's Hot Paupers (Hot Chicago style jazz)

Past Due and Playable (Acoustic bluegrass, swing, humor)

There are also other dance bands, rhythm and blues groups, swing, jazz, popular dance music, Broadway, popular, patriotic, and other styles. Check the schedule for when your favorites will be playing, or just come on down and enjoy it all, every Thursday all summer.

The stage is behind the community center in the park. It is a beautiful setting in the beautiful village of Fair Oaks. (7997 California Ave).