After years at Depot Park, the Rio Linda-Elverta Country Faire has a new home for 2026, with two days of live entertainment, heritage events, family attractions, food and more than 160 vendors.
By John Todd | Rio Linda Online
The Rio Linda-Elverta Country Faire is moving.
After years of taking place downtown at Depot Park, the community’s signature annual celebration will make its debut at the historic Dry Creek Ranch House on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 19 and 20.
The new location at 6852 Dry Creek Road gives the Country Faire room to spread out across the Ranch House’s cool, grassy grounds and surrounding farm property. Instead of being concentrated in the middle of town, this year’s Faire will offer families a more spacious country setting with shade, lawns, farm animals, hayrides and the historic farmhouse serving as the backdrop.
Because the Faire will not be visible on M Street as it has been in previous years, organizers want residents to remember the new location: The 2026 Rio Linda-Elverta Country Faire will be held at the Dry Creek Ranch House, 6852 Dry Creek Road—not at Depot Park.
The 13th annual Faire will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. Admission is free.
Breakfast will be served from 7 to 11 a.m., giving early arrivals a chance to begin the day before the grounds fill with families, vendors, musicians, community groups and some of Rio Linda’s most distinctive traditions.
For many residents, the Country Faire is the community’s most important annual gathering—a weekend when local history, agriculture, volunteer service, small businesses and generations of Rio Linda-Elverta families share the same ground.
This year’s program includes live entertainment, food trucks, more than 160 vendors, the Rio Linda Grange Zucchini Races, chicken races, historic Ranch House tours, hayrides, a horseshoe tournament, a community showcase, farm animals, a free children’s Fun Zone, a bicycle giveaway, pirates, raffles, a watermelon-eating contest and more.
A New Country Setting for the Country Faire
For years, anyone traveling through downtown Rio Linda on Country Faire weekend could hardly miss the activity at Depot Park.
That changes this year.
The move to the Dry Creek Ranch House places the event in a setting that more naturally reflects the agricultural history and rural heritage of Rio Linda and Elverta. The historic farmhouse, mature trees, grass and open farm property provide a cooler and more spacious environment for the Faire’s growing list of vendors, attractions and activities.
The new grounds will allow the Faire’s different areas to spread out, including separate spaces for vendors, food trucks, entertainment, the children’s Fun Zone, farm animals, the community showcase, zucchini racing and other competitions.
Visitors should plan to travel directly to 6852 Dry Creek Road rather than going to Depot Park. Parking areas will be accessible from the main entrance, with designated areas reserved for vendors, coordinators and entertainment participants.
A Country Faire Built Around Community
The Country Faire is designed as a showcase of the organizations, businesses, churches, service clubs, craftspeople and volunteers that keep Rio Linda and Elverta connected.
The vendor areas have sold out, with organizers reporting approximately 160 craft, food and informational vendors. Visitors can expect handmade jewelry, clothing, toys, soaps, woodworking and other locally produced goods, along with food trucks, community information booths and local businesses.
The grounds will also include a community showcase featuring art, baking, photography and other work created by area residents.
Celebrating the Historic Dry Creek Ranch House
The Ranch House is more than the Faire’s new address. It will become part of the experience.
The Rio Linda-Elverta Historical Society will offer Ranch House tours on Saturday, allowing visitors to step inside one of the community’s most recognizable historic properties and learn more about the people and agricultural traditions that shaped the area.
Free hayrides will travel through the grounds Saturday and Sunday. Organizers describe the rides as a family-friendly journey through the history and scenery of the Dry Creek Ranch House property.
For longtime residents, the setting offers a direct connection to Rio Linda’s rural past. For newer families, it is an opportunity to understand why the Ranch House and its surrounding land remain so important to the community.
The relocation also gives the Country Faire a setting where visitors can slow down, sit in the grass, enjoy the shade and spend the day on a working piece of Rio Linda’s agricultural landscape.
The Rio Linda Grange Zucchini Races
One of Rio Linda’s best-known traditions will become a centerpiece of the Country Faire when Rio Linda Grange No. 403 presents the 2026 Zucchini Races on Saturday.
Participants build small racing vehicles using a zucchini or other summer squash as part of the body, decorate them and send them down the Grange’s racing lanes. Youth and adult divisions are open, with awards for speed, creativity and other categories.
Building tables are scheduled to open at 9 a.m. for participants who need help constructing a racer. Decorating judging begins at approximately 10 a.m., with competitive racing during the morning, the grand finale scheduled for noon and free-play racing continuing into the afternoon. One promotional schedule lists the attraction through 3 p.m., so families interested in competing should arrive during the morning.
Participation is free, including the Build-a-Racer workshop.
The races are presented by Rio Linda Grange No. 403, with support from Elite Service Experts Home Plumbing, Rio Linda Veterinary, the Rio Linda-Elverta Quilt Trail Project, The Key Shop and More, Elder Craftsman ECHO Program, Project Sustenance, Floor Coverings International, Pioneer Feed and Pet Supply, Tummy’s Sub Shop and Ginza Sushi & Grill.
The Rio Linda Arch’s 100th anniversary is also being recognized in connection with this year’s Zucchini Races.
Chicken Races Join the Competition
Zucchinis will not be the only things racing at the Country Faire.
Chicken races are scheduled for 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. The races bring another piece of farm-country fun to a weekend built around Rio Linda and Elverta’s rural heritage.
Free Fun Zone for Children
Families can spend much of the weekend in the Faire’s free Fun Zone, which will operate from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
The area is scheduled to include a 25-foot rock-climbing wall, a toddler obstacle course, a 40-foot Extreme Rush obstacle course, a 20-foot lava slide and a six-piece inflatable carnival-game unit. Face painters, jump houses, games, a toddler area and other supervised activities are also planned.
Axe throwing is listed among the attractions, with activities intended to offer options for younger children, older children, teens and adults.
Free Bicycle Giveaway
Children will not be the only ones with a chance to leave the Faire on new wheels.
A free bicycle giveaway will feature bikes for children, teenagers and adults, ranging from 10-inch children’s bicycles to full-size adult models.
To enter, visitors must find the giveaway baskets associated with the individual bicycles and place their names in the basket for the bike they would like to win. Winners will be drawn Saturday at 3:30 p.m. and must be present to claim their bicycles.
There is no charge to enter.
Lisa Daggs Takes the Stage Saturday
Award-winning country and inspirational recording artist Lisa Daggs will headline Saturday’s live entertainment.
Daggs is scheduled to perform from noon to 1:30 p.m. She is celebrating 30 years with the Inspirational Country Music Association Awards and has been nominated for Entertainer of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Video of the Year, Music Evangelist of the Year and Producer of the Year.
Pirates—and Cannon Fire—Invade the Faire
The Rogues of the Golden Coast and the Pirates of Sacramento’s Crew of the Crimson Delta will bring a different kind of historical spectacle to the Ranch House grounds.
The pirate crews will appear during the Faire, complete with costuming, demonstrations and cannon fire at intervals throughout the day.
Families with young children or visitors who are sensitive to sudden loud sounds should be prepared for the cannon demonstrations.
Horseshoe Tournament
Elkhorn Moose Lodge and Chapter 206 will present a Country Faire horseshoe tournament Saturday near the Ranch House horseshoe pits.
Registration will be open from 8 to 10:30 a.m., with competition beginning at 11 a.m. The free tournament will use a double-elimination format with blind-draw partners. Awards will be presented for first, second and third place.
Additional information is available from Rachel Muehe at 916-549-9031.
Rio Linda Lions Collecting Used Eyeglasses
The Rio Linda Lions Club will be at the Country Faire collecting used eyeglasses for the Folsom Project for the Visually Impaired.
The Lions will accept prescription glasses, reading glasses, sunglasses and safety glasses. Donated glasses are collected, cleaned, sorted by trained volunteers and distributed locally and around the world to people in need.
Visitors are encouraged to bring unwanted eyewear from home. Even one pair can help restore someone’s independence and quality of life.
The collection is part of the Lions’ longstanding “Gift of Sight” service work and gives Country Faire visitors a simple way to help someone beyond the fairgrounds.
Beer Garden Hosted by The Rio Pub
The Rio Pub will host the Country Faire Beer Garden, featuring Draft 916 and Knee Deep Brewing Company.
Specialty cocktails are expected to include the Horse Feather, Strawberry Funnel Cake and Watermelon Paloma. The planned beer and canned-beverage selections include Knee Deep products, Michelob Ultra, Coors Light, Corona and High Noon, along with Bloody Marys, house-made Bloody Marys and micheladas.
The Beer Garden gives adult visitors a place to relax while remaining close to the Faire’s entertainment and activity areas. Age restrictions will apply.
Help Shape Improvements at Central Park and the Horse Arena
The Country Faire will also give residents an opportunity to help shape the future of two important community facilities.
The Rio Linda-Elverta Recreation and Park District is preparing for major improvements at Central Park and the horse arena. District representatives will be at the Faire throughout the weekend to share information, answer questions and gather ideas from the people who use these facilities.
Residents are encouraged to stop by and explain what should be added, repaired or upgraded. The district wants to hear what would make Central Park and the horse arena better for local families, equestrians, recreation programs and future community events.
This is an opportunity to offer input while plans are still being developed—not after the decisions have already been made.
Visitors can meet with park district representatives Saturday and Sunday at the Country Faire’s new location, the historic Dry Creek Ranch House at 6852 Dry Creek Road.
Sponsors Keep the Tradition Alive
An event of this size depends upon organizations, businesses, families and public partners willing to invest in the community.
Country Faire sponsors recognized by organizers include Calvary Lutheran Church, P.H. Grange, Artistic Impressions by Suzanne Woolf, the Davis family, Upstate Roofing, the Rio Linda-Elverta Historical Society, River Ridge Realty, CHS/HAFA, Women of Moose, The Rio Pub, the office of Sacramento County District 4 Supervisor Rosario Rodriguez, local Masonic supporters, The Grotto and the Sheets family, SMUD, UNI Products Inc. and Timing Systems CHR Software.
Their support helps keep admission and many of the Faire’s family attractions free.
The organizations leading individual activities—including Rio Linda Grange No. 403, the Rio Linda Lions Club, the Rio Linda-Elverta Historical Society, Elkhorn Moose Lodge, Women of Moose, The Rio Pub, the Rogues of the Golden Coast and Pirates of Sacramento—also contribute the volunteers, traditions and local knowledge that give the Country Faire its identity.
More Than a Weekend Event
The Rio Linda-Elverta Country Faire is an entertainment event, but its importance reaches beyond two days of food, music and games.
It is one of the few occasions when the community’s history, rural roots, service organizations, local businesses, churches, artisans, performers and families are all visible in the same place.
Children can climb a rock wall, race a zucchini and watch chickens run. Adults can browse work from local craftspeople, compete in horseshoes, visit the Beer Garden or reconnect with neighbors. Families can ride through the Ranch House property, tour the historic home and introduce another generation to the traditions that make Rio Linda and Elverta distinct.
For a community that values its independence and its history, the Country Faire is not simply another date on the calendar. It is a yearly statement about who lives here, what they have built and which traditions they intend to carry forward.
This year, those traditions will have a new home—one with grass underfoot, shade overhead and the historic Dry Creek Ranch House standing at its center.
Country Faire at a Glance
Important location change: The Country Faire has moved from Depot Park to the historic Dry Creek Ranch House.
What: 13th annual Rio Linda-Elverta Country Faire
When: Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 19 and 20, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Breakfast: 7 to 11 a.m. both days
New location: Historic Dry Creek Ranch House, 6852 Dry Creek Road, Rio Linda
Admission: Free
Featured Saturday events: Zucchini Races, Ranch House tours, Lisa Daggs, horseshoe tournament and the 3:30 p.m. bicycle giveaway
Both days: Vendors, food trucks, live entertainment, Fun Zone, hayrides, chicken races, community showcase, farm animals, pirates and more
Information: RLCountryFaire.com
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