Discover Fun August Activities in Butte County

August High­lights: August in Butte Coun­ty offers a dynam­ic mix of clas­sic car shows, thrilling races, the time­less coun­ty fair, free out­door movies, and refresh­ing escapes to cool­er moun­tain recre­ation spots. Dive into adven­ture or unwind before fall arrives.

Hit the streets for the Show & Stroll in Down­town Oroville on Fri­day, August 15, 2025. This free event wel­comes all ages to admire vin­tage cars and motor­cy­cles lin­ing Myers Street. Enjoy live music and spe­cial offer­ings from select par­tic­i­pat­ing down­town businesses.

It’s a per­fect way to con­nect with local cul­ture and enjoy a vibrant com­mu­ni­ty gathering.

• What: Vin­tage car and motor­cy­cle show with live music and local busi­ness specials.
• When: Fri­day, August 15, 2025
• Where: Myers Street, Down­town Oroville
• Cost: Free for all ages

Rac­ing fans have long flocked to Chico’s Sil­ver Dol­lar Speed­way for sprint car action on the quar­ter-mile oval, and the com­pe­ti­tion is at some of its fiercest dur­ing the Gold Cup Race of Champions.

Kick­ing off Wednes­day, August 20, 2025, this mul­ti-day rac­ing event also includes a con­cert, glow par­ty, and oth­er fun events on top of the high-com­pe­ti­tion rac­ing tak­ing place all week. Get ready for adren­a­line-pump­ing excite­ment and unfor­get­table moments.

• What: Mul­ti-day sprint car rac­ing event with con­certs and parties.
• When: Kick­ing off Wednes­day, August 20, 2025
• Where: Sil­ver Dol­lar Speed­way, Chico
• High­lights: High-com­pe­ti­tion rac­ing, concert

What is sum­mer with­out a trip to the coun­ty fair? Gri­d­ley hosts the annu­al Butte Coun­ty Fair, a four-day, some­thing-for-every­one event from August 21 – 24, 2025.

Afford­able entry is a license to fill up a day with activ­i­ty, from piglet rac­ing, ani­mal exhibits, and live­stock judg­ing to a range of rides span­ning a spec­trum of thrills. 

And, of course, no coun­ty fair would be com­plete with­out a few culi­nary plea­sures: fun­nel cake, hot dogs, Sno-Cones, and soft pret­zels are all ready to help nail that essen­tial late-sum­mer coun­ty fair vibe.

It’s an authen­tic slice of local life for all ages.

• What: Annu­al coun­ty fair with exhibits, rides, and clas­sic fair food
• When: August 21 – 24, 2025
• Where: Gri­d­ley
• Activ­i­ties: Piglet rac­ing, ani­mal exhibits, live­stock judg­ing, thrill rides
• Food: Fun­nel cake, hot dogs, Sno-Cones, soft pretzels

Grab a blan­ket or low-back chairs and get ready for Movies in the Park, a sum­mer tra­di­tion host­ed by the Chico Area Recre­ation and Park Dis­trict (CARD).

In August, enjoy Won­ka at DeGar­mo Park on Sat­ur­day, August 22, 2025. It’s a per­fect, relaxed evening for fam­i­lies and friends to enjoy the out­doors together.

• What: Free out­door movie screening
• When: Sat­ur­day, August 22, 2025
• Where: DeGar­mo Park
• Movie: Won­ka
• Bring: Blan­ket or low-back chairs

In the sum­mer­time, head­ing up High­way 32 to Butte Mead­ows can yield oppor­tu­ni­ties for fish­ing, hik­ing, and camp­ing with­out the intense heat that comes so nat­u­ral­ly in the valley.

Just out­side of For­est Ranch up the Deer Creek High­way, the creek itself offers a mul­ti­tude of shad­ed fish­ing and swim­ming spots. Over­look­ing the canyon, the eco­log­i­cal reserve and, clos­er to Chico, Upper Bid­well Park, the dri­ve itself is a breath­tak­ing one.

With a stop in Butte Mead­ows, it’s almost a rite of pas­sage to vis­it The Bam­bi Inn. It’s pret­ty much always open, whether for overnight vis­i­tors, hun­gry passers-through, or locals con­nect­ing with their community.

Dis­cov­er a refresh­ing nat­ur­al escape per­fect for active out­door enthu­si­asts or those sim­ply look­ing to unwind.

• What: Moun­tain recre­ation area for fish­ing, hik­ing, and camping
• Where: Butte Mead­ows (acces­si­ble via High­way 32)
• Activ­i­ties: Fish­ing, hik­ing, camp­ing, swim­ming in Deer Creek
• Local Spot: The Bam­bi Inn (for food, drinks, and lodging)

Whether you’re look­ing for a fam­i­ly-friend­ly way to spend a leisure­ly after­noon or if you’ve got explo­ration in mind, you’ve got plen­ty of cre­ative options this month.