El Dorado County Fair is a registered non-profit 501 (c) (3)

Office Hours: Monday - Friday 9am - 4pm

Annual Fair

RV Camping

El Dorado County Fair Logo

Annual Crab & Chowder Gala

Celebrating 21 Years of Crab, Chowder & Community Spirit.

Join Us for a Deliciously Good Cause!

21st Annual Crab & Chowder Gala

Join us for a beloved tradition—our Annual Crab & Chowder Gala Fundraiser! This lively event features fresh Dungeness crab, hearty clam chowder, live music, raffles, and community spirit, all in support of maintaining and improving the El Dorado County Fairgrounds. Your participation helps preserve a historic local treasure while enjoying a night of delicious food and fun.

The First Dungeness Crab of the Season

Bring your dancing shoes and dance the night away to live music by Dream and the Dreamer!
Enjoy the evening with a no-host bar and explore over 100 exciting raffle items.
We ♥ our generous community of donors—your support makes this event truly special!

Sponsor a Table

Sponsor a table for eight or ten for your friends, family members, customers, clients, or business associates, and enjoy front-row seating, live music by Dream and the Dreamer, a bottle of wine for the table for eight and two bottles of wine for the table for ten, a reserved table with your business or family name displayed, and a social media shoutout. Plus, savor our delicious homemade salad, pasta, fresh bread, clam chowder & fresh Dungeness crab (the first of the year).

Crack Some Crab
& Have some Fun

Dine-in: Mark D. Forni Building

  • Doors open at 5:30
  • Band starts at 6:00
  • First course served at 6:30
  • Dinner includes: Salad, Pasta, Clam Chowder, Bread, and Fresh Dungeness Crab
  • Tickets: coming soon

Sponsor a Table of 8 for your group

  • Table for 8: coming soon
  • Table for 10: coming soon

Proceeds benefit the El Dorado County Fair Association, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization.

Sorry, No Refunds.

Tickets Coming Soon

Is this your first crab feed? Read our Crab Feed Do’s and Don’ts such as:

  • Crab Crackers and tools
  • Butter
  • Matches
  • Bibs to be provided
  • Crab Hats

Don’t worry, if you forget, we will have Crab Crackers and Butter warmers available for sale while supplies last, and next time you’ll be prepared.

We purchase enough crab based on tickets sold, so that everyone has plenty to eat. Please do not take any crab home.

Download the 21st Annual Crab and Chowder Gala Flyer coming soon.

Get to Crackin’!

Red crab clip art
Setting up for the Annual Crab & Chowder Gala.
Mark D. Forni Building Setup for the Annual Crab & Chowder Gala.
Crab Gala Goers enjoying their feast of crab.
Guests at the 19th Annual Crab & Chowder Gala enjoy a delicious feast of crab.
2023 Miss El Dorado County - helping out at the Annual Crab & Chowder Gala.
2023 Miss El Dorado County - help out every year at the Annual Crab and Chowder Gala with the opportunity drawing.
Crab Gala Raffle Items
There are always over 100 Crab Gala Raffle Items to add to the fun.

Thank you for supporting our annual fundraiser!
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we are not a county department—which means we rely on year-round rentals and our Crab Feed fundraiser to help generate the revenue needed to maintain the El Dorado County Fairgrounds.

We’ve proudly operated at our current location on Placerville Drive (Old Highway 50) since 1939, and as you can imagine, the cost of maintaining and updating our aging infrastructure is significant.

It’s our honor and responsibility to preserve this community space for generations to come. Please consider donating or attending our fundraiser, and join us in our mission to serve and celebrate our community. ♥

WE ♥ DONATIONS!
Big thanks to our amazing partners for contributing to our Raffle — we couldn’t do it without you!

For more information about sponsorship and donation opportunities, or any other information, please email fair@eldoradocountyfair.org or call 530.621.5860.