Festivals, Feasts & Fairs

SONORA--More than just a wee bit of entertainment is planned for the pre-St. Patrick’s Day celebration next Saturday and March 16 at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds, 220 Southgate Drive. The Celtic Faire will have cable-knit sweaters, coats of arms and more for sale. There will also be storytellers, music and jousting matches on horseback. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday; $10 adults, $8 children 7-12 and adults 55 and older; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, $8 adults, $6 children 7-12 and seniors. (209) 536-1792.

VENTURA--Irish eyes will also be smiling at the 9th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Irish Festival next weekend. The parade will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday on Main Street. The festival will follow 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. in Mission Park. Vendors will sell corned beef and cabbage, imported Irish beers and coffees, as well as crafts. There will also be Celtic music and dancing. The festival is noon-4 p.m. on March 16. $1 for adults; free for children 12 and under. (800) 333-2989.

YORBA LINDA--On March 16, the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace will salute the late First Lady Pat Nixon on the anniversary of her birth. She would have been 85. Visitors will be admitted free for the regular programs, plus a 2 p.m. concert of music popular during the Nixon Administration. 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. (714) 993-5075.

NAPA--The Marketplace, the main event of Napa Valley’s Mustard Festival, is next Saturday and March 16 at the Napa Valley Exposition, 575 3rd St. Local restaurants, microbreweries, wineries and others will set up booths for tastings. The festival also includes horse-drawn carriage rides, plus jazz, R&B; and world-music performances. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. $7 adults; $2 children 12 and under. (707) 259-9020.

CAYUCOS--”Mardi Gras on the Beach” is the theme of this year’s March 22 Seafood Festival, which will award prizes for Mardi Gras masks at 2 p.m. The revelry includes an oyster-eating contest at 1 p.m., R&B; and rock music, and about 50 vendors selling seafood and other fare, plus arts and crafts. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Along Oceanfront Avenue from Cayucos Drive to D Street. (805) 995-1200.

Call listed phone numbers for directions.