It’s National Dairy Month, and Ferndale isn’t just a dreamy getaway—it’s also an authentic working dairy town. Here are five ways to experience it for yourself, all year round:
Learn from local farmers, such as At The Bluff or Foggy Bottoms Boys. From in-person tours and farm stays to immersive social media, you can get an up-close look at dairying here on the lush redwood coast. You might even get to feed a calf!
Bonus: Strike up a conversation with a local at one of Ferndale’s coffee or breakfast spots. There’s a good chance you’ll meet a farmer (they wake up early)!
Take a drive. You’ll see cows grazing on verdant pastures as soon as you cross Fernbridge and enter Ferndale on Highway 211. Once you’re in town, take a drive out Grizzly Bluff Road (heading east from the Victorian Inn at Main Street and Ocean Avenue) or Centerville Road (heading west) for even more gorgeous views of the Eel River Valley and its farmland. To add in some local art and history, pick up a copy of the 2023-2024 Ferndale Enterprise Souvenir Edition (found at most Main Street merchants) and follow the Barn Quilt Trail found on page 30.
Attend the fair. The Humboldt County Fair in Ferndale, set for August 17-27, 2023, showcases the best of local dairy cows and other livestock, with both adult and youth (4-H and FFA) exhibitors competing. You can often find the District 1 Dairy Princess scooping ice cream there, too! (Plus, look out for the Dairy Princess in Ferndale’s Fourth of July Parade and holiday Lighted Tractor Parade.)
After touring the fair’s livestock barns (look for newborn calves!), head to the carnival or enjoy the horticultural and handiwork contests, food, music, and live horse racing. (Note the fair will be closed Monday, August 21.)
Visit the Ferndale Museum. The nonprofit Ferndale Museum at 515 Shaw St. is a treasure trove of local history. Did you know that by 1890, there were 11 creameries operating in the immediate Ferndale area? No wonder we’re nicknamed the Cream City. Be sure to snap a pic in front of the dairy mural on your way out.
(Want to go even deeper? Become a museum member to receive the bimonthly “Our Story” magazine, featuring richly reported stories and photos on Ferndale’s past.)
Shop and dine on Main Street. You'll find the bounty of Ferndale’s dairy industry up and down Ferndale's shopping and dining district (the entirety of which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places). Look for locally produced milk, cheese, and ice cream at Valley Grocery or inquire about locally sourced ingredients wherever you dine. Stop in at Farmer’s Daughter for dairy-themed apparel (and free cheese curd samples!). Or visit one of our many galleries, such as the Ferndale Arts Gallery co-op at 535 Main St., to see how agriculture has influenced the region’s artists.
Have you experienced any of these Ferndale highlights yourself? Are you hoping to? Do you have another dairy-themed favorite thing to do in Ferndale? We want to hear from you! Get in touch at info@visitferndale.com or tag us on social media at @VisitFerndale.
And whether it’s your first, fifth, or fifteenth trip to Ferndale, we look forward to welcoming you next time you’re here. Explore visitferndale.com to learn more.