FAIR FUN AFTER DARK

For those who love long days and languorous nights, summer evenings are the pinnacle. When the Sonoma County Fair comes to town, central Santa Rosa becomes the city's heart, its lights and sounds a burst of sensory overload. In central Santa Rosa, the night air is filled with the din of caliope music and screams emanating from carnival rides. The sky is illuminated by thousands of colored lights, and crowds bustle through a neighborhood that at other times of the year is dark and sleepy.

Through Aug. 12, the fairgrounds will teem with nonstop food, fun, exhibits, music and horse racing from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., but come sundown it will take on a whole new magical air. For more details and a full schedule of events, visit sonomacountyfair.com.