There are a few events planned for the third weekend in January 2026 in the Mother Lode.
Saturday at Bear Valley is the Winter Explosion Torchlight Parade & Celebration from 10 AM to 7:30PM. The event ends with a fireworks show. Sign-ups open at 1 PM at the kiosk in the Sunroom for the Torchlight Parade—an nighttime run down the slopes for advanced skiers and snowboarders only.
Saturday is the Motherlode Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, a free event for everyone to attend at 2PM in the Sonora High School Auditorium. The theme of this year’s event is “Liberty and Justice for All”. The 2026 program will feature a panel of local immigrants who will share their personal stories of coming from across the globe to make the Motherlode home. Musical guests from Alabama, Patrick and Carla Minor, will join local legends, Clan Dyken. The 90-minute program will be followed by a reception in the school library. The MLK Committee has presented annual programs, wholly supported by local donations, since 1996 in support of Dr. King’s stand on poverty, racism and social justice. View the event listing here.
Joshua Schuler, of Troop 343 in Murphys, oversaw installation of a flagpole at the Buena Vista Cemetery in Murphys. On Saturday at 1PM there will be a flag raising ceremony as detailed here.
Join Fourth Wall Entertainment for “Believe in Magic” will transform Main Street, San Andreas into an enchanting evening filled with wonder and excitement. There will be an Escape Room, local vendors, fun and games, warm beverages, and French Dip Sandwiches as detailed here.
Saturday in Calaveras is the Cal Co Fire 2026 Crab Feed. The event raises funds for Calaveras Consolidated Fire as detailed here.
Sunday’s Broadway and Beyond at Bret Harte Theater is sold out. The performance features hit songs, duets and scenes from some of Broadway’s most beloved musicals. Audiences will experience powerful scenes, iconic songs, and show-stopping duets performed by acclaimed artists Michelle La Jeunesse-Moughton, Nate Nathan, and Michael Roark on the stunning stage of the Bret Harte Theater. Hosted by Nick Munson of the San Francisco Opera, there will be an encore performance March 8th at 3:30 PM with tickets going on sale January 19th details are here.
There are two garage sales this weekend as listed in the Classifieds here.
January is Cervical Health Awareness Month, National Blood Donor Month, and Glaucoma Awareness Month.
The Firefall in Yosemite is coming up in February. When conditions are just right, there is an orange glow, which has the appearance of lava flowing at Horsetail Falls. There is no guarantee that it will be visible, but the viewing window is between mid-to-late February. While there will be parking restrictions, the park confirms that there will be no special reservations required as detailed here. Regular entrance fees will be in place.
The restaurant of the month in our dining guide is Mikes Pizza of Sonora. View the movie times at Angels Camp, Sonora Regal Cinemas is closed as detailed here, skiers and snowboarders check out local webcams here and the snow reports from open California ski resorts are in the weather section here.
Check out everything listed in our Events Calendar here. If you have a local community event use our event submission form here. Promote your business events in our classifieds, details are here.
Written by Sabrina Biehl.
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