Community of Esparto
As an entrance to the Capay Valley and Cache Creek recreation area, the community of Esparto is situated in a desirable and scenic locality. The Esparto area attracts people from as far away as the San Francisco Bay Area to gamble, fish, raft or taste wines. Esparto sees a fair share of travelers and visitors engaged in such pursuits as fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing. Esparto becomes a destination yearly when it hosts the local Almond Festival.
Esparto is also a significant source of county housing, with over 500 new housing units built or approved since 2001. As Yolo County's largest unincorporated community, with a population over 2,500, Esparto is the focus of significant county and community interest. The community is on the upswing of a renaissance, including planned streetscape improvements, new commercial investment, and downtown building renovations.
One of the biggest changes and largest potential for attracting visitors to Esparto comes from the increased visitation experienced by the Cache Creek Casino Resort. The casino resort is among the larger Indian casinos in California and the county's second-largest employer after UC Davis. The opening of the RH Phillips winery tasting and selling room in June of 1999 has also had an impact on the number of people traveling near or through Esparto.
