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Gateway To Yosemite

Spend a day, spend the night, spend the weekend! Merced is a unique city, filled with warm, friendly people that will instantly make visitors feel welcome. Our city offers a wide variety of attractions, historical sites, accommodations and dining opportunities that are sure to please.

Unsure of where to start? Try the Merced Conference and Visitors Bureau and California Welcome Center, 710 W. 16th Street. Inside, our friendly staff will help you find information on all the exciting things to see and do in our vibrant community. Maps of the area, brochures, YARTS Bus tickets, and information on local hotel accommodations are all available. If it's souvenirs you are looking for, The California Welcome Center has them. T-shirts, books, hats, locally grown products and UC Merced merchandise are just a few of the great items you can pick up here.

Arts and Culture are thriving in this proud community. From the galleries at our Multicultural Center to the live performances at Playhouse Merced, there is sure to be something for everyone!

Try planning your trip around one the areas great events. The McLane Pacific Cycling Classic brings world class riders from around the globe to Merced each March. Rev up those engines for the Springtime Reunion Car Show. Car buffs will enjoy the selection on vintage and custom during this May event. Experience aviation history as vintage planes descend on the Merced Airport each June during the Merced Antique Fly-In. Bring the kids to The Big Valley Arts & Culture Festival. Special Project Stations" give families the opportunity create works of art together. Vendors and regional artists demonstrate and display their wares during this September event. Want to sing the blues? Come for the Central Valley Blues Festival, the largest of its kind in the valley.

While you're exploring Merced, venture out into its County. Go see the world's largest cheese factory, visit the best military air museum in the country or take your family to a space & science learning center.

And who can for forget, Merced is the Gateway to Yosemite. Whether summer, fall, winter or spring, Yosemite is a picture perfect destination for couples, families, or personal time.

You are invited! Come play, stay, and experience Merced!

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Welcome Center

The California Welcome Center Merced
710 W 16th Street Ste A
Merced, CA 95340

Phone: (209) 724-8104
Fax: (209) 384-2793
Email: bakerk@cityofmerced.org

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Eat, Dance, and Enjoy the Davis Farmers Market

Davis has one of the finest farmers' markets in the state, and for over 30 years residents have flooded Central Park between 4th and 5th Streets to hobnob with neighbors and pick through crate-loads of fresh fruit, veggies, flowers and baked goods.

The Saturday market (8 a.m. to 1 p.m. year-round) gets most of the attention, at least from the outside world, but the Wednesday market (4:30 to 8:30 p.m. in summer) offers perks you might not be aware of. For one, it’s less crowded. The Wednesday market also features Picnic in the Park. You buy your dinner from one of the vendors—whether Indian, Thai, or Mexican; burgers, organic salads, or fish kebobs—and select a beer from a local brewery. Then sit back and listen to live music: jazz, bluegrass, country, western swing, rock, Dixie, even a cappella doo-wop.

Davis is a family town, so there’s entertainment for the kids too. If they’re not dancing, they can marvel to magicians and jugglers, bounce around in jolly jumpers, or try their hand at a climbing wall.

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» Fairfield Visual Arts Association Juried Art Show
January 10, 2010 12:00 PM to March 31, 2010 3:00 PM

The 47th annual juried art show features more than 100 works of art. Some 400 artists, nationwide, submit entries representing all medium -- oil, watercolor, creative, fiber, textile, photography, and more. Entries are judged and displayed at the Fairfield Center Gallery at the Fairfield Center for Creative Arts and the exhibit is open Thursdays through Saturdays.

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