Glen Ellen Village Fair Returns Sunday

Community is the word in Glen Ellen, 7 miles north of Sonoma. Residents are finalizing their outfits for this weekend's parade and preparing to bake cakes and cookies for the 22nd annual Glen Ellen Village Fair.

Sunday is the day, as emblazoned on a sign across the front of the Jack London Saloon, the iconic watering hole in town, on the "S" bend in Arnold Drive.

The parade starts at noon and will last...well, no one is sure how long. Over the years, the parade has drawn a colorful collection of classic cars and fire engines, animals and musicians. According to the organizers' Facebook page, they are hoping to "break 12 minutes" with their 13 parade entries this year.

Food offerings will include tandoori and curry, Mexican, Mediterranean, Thai, Vietnamese, burgers, sandwiches, corn on the cob, wine and beer.

Wine barrel furniture, carved stones, felted hats, African baskets, singing bowls, handpainted silk scarves, decorated gourds and Guatemalan jewelry are among the items to be sold at more than 90 booths.

Face painting and pencil sketch portraits will be available, as well as balloon twisting and glitter tattoos.

A drawing will be held for a quilt created with this year's theme "FANtastic," showing patches with a fan-shaped design.

Glen Ellen is home to Jack London State Historic Park, named after the adventure author. London and his wife lived on what is now the park property in the early 1900s. A hall of history in the Jack London Village shopping complex offers a comprehensive view of Glen Ellen's past and the saloon is filled with posters from movies made from the author's books. The Village Fair will be in the area between Warm Springs Road and the saloon and is expected to last all afternoon.

Sonoma's radio station KSVY 91.3 FM will broadcast live from the event.