Southern Sonoma Country Life

Spring Events at McEvoy Ranch

Saturday, May 4th 
Spring hillsides are blooming and gardens are loving the sunshine after the long winter’s rains. McEvoy Ranch's Garden Manager, Patty Hawkley, makes the most of the bounty of the season by creating inviting wreaths placed around the Ranch. You can too! Join the team at McEvoy for this special spring wreath making workshop led by Francesca Perez of Francesca’s Flowers & Gardens in Santa Rosa. 

$150.00 Click here to register.

 

Sunday, May 12th
In honor of Moms everywhere McEvoy Ranch is setting aside normal tours and tastings for the day to celebrate moms with a special patio party.

What better way to celebrate Mom than surrounded by the beauty of an organic olive oil ranch and vineyard? Tear your Mom to this special Patio Party and enjoy a buffet of ranch nibbles, tickets for four wine tastings, live music, special sale prices on oil & natural beauty products and optional tours throughout the day. What a great way to celebrate, relax and soak up the sunshine and views.

 

$60.00 Click here to register.

 

Blossoms, Bees & Barnyard Babies — Sonoma County Farm Trails, Spring Tour April 27th & 28th

RSVP is required to receive event map.
Click here to join the fun !

Petaluma Arts Center April Session of The Ideas Lounge Series Features Molly Best & Timo Rivetti on The Arts & Managing the Art of Real Estate in Petaluma, Lagunitas Lounge, April 18th

 

The Idea Lounge
Thursday, April 18th
Lagunitas Lounge
Doors open at 6:30.  Program starts at 7

For the Arts: Molly Best "The Art of Managing an Arts Center"
For Life; Timo Rivetti "The Art of Real Estate"

Molly Best is thrilled to be surrounded by the talent that fills the Art Center.  She is now the PAC’s operational manager and has been busy getting up to speed over the last couple weeks. 
 
Having grown up in Petaluma and now raising her children here, she is very invested in helping her local community grow creatively.  She is an artist, a baker and in a past life, a butcher. 
 
You may recognize her from her days at the Tea Room Cafe or Thistle Meats.  She is no stranger to Petaluma and PAC is proud to welcome her as the newest member of its team. 

Timo Rivetti is a passionate practitioner in the art of real estate in Sonoma County. He enjoyed a diverse career background in his native UK and California prior to earning his reputation as a skilled Petaluma-based property negotiator and dealmaker. 

Timo credits his propensity for creative thinking and out-of-the-box ideas and solutions as the common thread that ties together his rich and varied past career experiences to his ongoing success as one of the region's consistently top performing real estate brokers. Born to Italian immigrant parents in Peterborough, UK, Timo left home at 16, attending Eastbourne Art College with a focus on photography in his late teens. 

This led to an introduction to the vibrant art and music scene in Brighton, England. Timo managed bands in his 20s, the most successful of which, Curiosity Killed the Cat, rose to number one in the British music charts. Timo brokered a deal in which he and the band worked with Andy Warhol at The Factory in New York, producing a music video. 

Numerous start-up opportunities followed on both sides of the Atlantic, with a brief move into the advertising industry bringing him to San Francisco in 1990. Timo tried his hand in various internet companies prior to the birth of his third son in 1998, the year he took the plunge and studied for his real estate license. 

After being in the business for over two decades, Timo has built a wide network of community connections and is focusing much of his attention on working with others in visualizing how to broker deals that better life in Petaluma for all. A long time soccer coach and hobby winemaker, Timo was a founding member of the Petaluma Gap Winemakers Association. He is married to Southern Sonoma Country Life editor & freelance writer/author, Frances Rivetti. Timo and Frances raised their three sons in the area.

Established in 2016, the Idea Lounge is an exciting series of talks with a twist! Two speakers: one from the arts, one not. The audience uncovers what they have in common, revealing connections between art & life. The Idea Lounge is part of PAC Out of the Box, a series featuring collaborative activities that take place literally and figuratively outside the walls of the Arts Center and outside the typical art exhibition. Now in its 5th season, the Idea Lounge has featured speakers of all paths of life, presenting on a variety of topics.

The Idea Lounge is produced by Petaluma Arts Center. Interested in speaking at a future event?

Contact Molly Best at mbest@petalumaartscenter.org

Celebrate Earth Day: Get back to nature in Sonoma County

 

 

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Discover  more of the amazing bounty offered by land and sea as Sonoma County celebrates Earth Day this year with events, festivals, volunteer opportunities, or by simply getting outdoors and breathing in the glorious spring air.

There's so much to do and see here that Earth Day — Monday, April 22nd — is more like Earth Month. Start a week early with a events at Quarryhill Botanical Gardens, Alexander Valley Vineyards, Windsor Earth Day and Wellness Festival, or a tour at Safari West.

Near the actual day, there are opportunities to volunteer for a beach cleanup or take in an art exhibit that showcases climate change. Celebrate the weekend after and experience Earth Day on stage, an annual family friendly festival in Santa Rosa. 

Earth Day is a time to connect with the land and with each other in the great outdoors that we're so thankful for – all 1,576 square miles of it. More than 60 regional and state parks make Sonoma County one of California's most diverse natural destinations. Hike among towering redwoods; watch for whales, otters, or sea lions along rugged Pacific coastline; paddle through the inviting cool waters of one of three rivers, and get to know neighboring small towns.

Find more outdoor activities at www.sonomacounty.com/outdoor-activities.

Earth Day events:

Quarryhill Earth Day Celebration
April 13
The peacefulness of the Quarryhill Botanical Garden that stretches over 25 acres — home to more than 25,000 rare and endangered plants — provides the ideal setting for celebrating the many ways we can conserve and protect our planet.
Quarryhill Botanical Garden, Glen Ellen
www.quarryhillbg.org
www.sonomacounty.com/sonoma-events/quarryhill-earth-day-celebration

Earth Day Tour at Alexander Valley Vineyards
April 13
Celebrate Earth Month at Alexander Valley Vineyards with a special tour hosted by owner Harry Wetzel, IV, focusing on the decades of sustainability at AVV. The 1.5-hour tour will look at the environmental, economic, and social elements of sustainability that have been implemented since 1962 at Alexander Valley Vineyards.
Alexander Valley Vineyards, Healdsburg
www.avvwine.com
www.sonomacounty.com/sonoma-events/earth-day-tour-alexander-valley-vineyards

Windsor Earth Day and Wellness Festival
April 14
This earth-friendly and health-friendly event on Windsor Town Green features entertainment for all. Pick up spring produce and food at the Windsor Farmers Market. There will be children's games, activities, and crafts, health and wellness booths, and more!
Windsor Town Green, Windsor
www.townofwindsor.com/339/Earth-Day-on-the-Green
www.sonomacounty.com/sonoma-events/earth-day-and-wellness-festival

Earth Day at Safari West
April 14
Have an Earth Day adventure at Safari West! Once a year, the whole world comes together to celebrate the wildlife and wild places that make the planet wonderful. This Earth Day, Safari West is inviting a bunch of friends to help make the Sonoma Serengeti that much more special. Discover amazing organizations fighting to conserve species the world over! And of course, enjoy a safari adventure all your own.
Safari West Wildlife Preserve, Santa Rosa
www.safariwest.com/calendar/earth-day
www.sonomacounty.com/sonoma-events/earth-day-safari-west

Earth Day Beach Clean Up
April 20
Join Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods and Partners for their annual Earth Day Clean Up of North Jenner Beach and the Lower Russian River in Jenner, which is part of Sonoma Coast State Park. Come join the Steward Ship, partners and communities to clean up the river and beach, by sand and kayak. 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Jenner Visitors Center, Jenner
www.stewardscr.org/events/earth-day-registration
www.sonomacounty.com/sonoma-events/2019-earth-day-beach-clean

Reflectivity - Artists on Climate Change + Four Elements Festival
April 20
Healdsburg Center for the Arts presents the exhibit Reflectivity - Artists on Climate Change, April 20 - June 2. In addition to the opening reception on April 20, Reflectivity will feature the Four Elements Festival, a one day street festival and celebration of Earth Day. The Four Elements Festival will be on Plaza Street from 1-5 p.m. with art activities for kids, Sonoma State's Center for Environmental Inquiry, Symmetry Arts tree stilt walkers, guest speakers, and live music.
Healdsburg Center for the Arts, Healdsburg
healdsburgcenterforthearts.org
www.sonomacounty.com/sonoma-events/reflectivity-artists-climate-change

Earth Day on Stage
April 27
Santa Rosa's 10th Annual Earth Day Festival is a free, family-friendly festival that brings the community together through fun activities, live performing arts, and inspiring exhibits that raise environmental awareness. Don't miss out on this opportunity to celebrate the Earth with great people, local food, beer and wine.
Old Courthouse Square, Santa Rosa
www.srcity.org/2139/Earth-Day-OnStage
www.sonomacounty.com/sonoma-events/santa-rosa-earth-day-festival

Top Pick — An Exciting Night of Shakespeare Shorts at The Phoenix Theater, Petaluma, Saturday April 6th, 2918

The Petaluma Shakespeare Company and Shakesprints are hosting a community event to bring Shakespeare to the people and his universal themes to our youth through a fun scene competition- A Night of Shakespeare Shorts- Scene Competition at the Phoenix Theater on Saturday, April 6th 2019 at 8pm. Join me there! 

In a nutshell jr. high, high school, college students and young adults from all over the Bay Area are set to compete to win $500 for Best Scene of the Evening, $100 for Best Comedic Scene and $100 for Best Dramatic Scene by performing a short scene from one of Shakespeare’s plays.  

They will be adjudicated by a panel of Shakespeare savvy judges from the Bay Area including Sheri Lee Miller from Spreckles, and Beth Kellerman Fouts from Marin Shakespeare.  

MC-ing the evening fresh from England, John Langdon, Petaluma’s Shakespeare expert will enlighten the audience through the Bard’s works with music by local musician Chris Newton and special guest performance by the talented film/stage actor Jeffrey Weissman.

There will be a free slice of birthday cake for everyone who attends in light of Shakespeare’s birthday month and a People’s Choice Award given for Best scene chosen by the audience.  Tickets are $10 Adults/$5 Students and can be purchased at the door and online at www.thephoenixtheater.com or www.brownpapertickets.com 

 

 

Please Join Me and Our Good Friends at Petaluma's Flower Casita in Theatre Square for Evening Conversation and an Exclusive Preview Reading from the Manuscript of My Debut Novel Big Green Country — 6.30 pm Thurs March 28th, 2019

Join me amongst the blooms and greenery at beautiful Flower Casita (formerly known as Second Street Flowers) in Petaluma's Theatre Square for conversation and an exclusive evening preview reading from the first chapter of my debut novel, Big Green Country, an impeccably-researched, fact-to-fiction narrative placing women at the center of the cannabis story.

Former San Francisco career tech worker, Maggie puts aside her own close-to-crippling mid-life problems when she takes to the road in an unexpected journey behind the Redwood Curtain in search of her missing 18-year-old niece, Mia and Jazmin, the teenager's undocumented best friend. The two have been missing in the remote forest land of the Emerald Triangle during the winter months following the teens' first harvest season as cannabis trimmers.

Maggie and her rapidly assembled crew of would-be rescuers leave coastal Sonoma County on what proves a catastrophic road trip along  the storm-bashed Russian River and through the Redwood Curtain in search of the missing trimmigrants.

Be amongst the first to be introduced to the story behind Big Green Country, which is still in manuscript form. Please join us for this informal gathering at 6.30 pm, prompt, on Thursday, March 28th, 2019. 

Flower Casita is located at:

140 2nd Street, Suite 116
Petaluma, CA 94952

Monday - Friday: 10am - 6pm
Saturday: 10am - 6pm
Sunday : Closed

Experience Life in New Orleans of the 1800s With a Visit to the 1850s House Museum

Amongst the pageantry, music, decorations, masked balls and parades of Mardi Gras, a festive table is an integral part of the carnival party. There are many versions of the traditional Mardi Gras King Cake, though the classic French Galette des Rois — puff pastry with frangipani filling is one of the most delicious and decadent, served with an old-world punch after a tasty crawfish boil, platters of Creole crab cakes, shrimp and grits, dirty rice . . .  

Wherever I find myself on my travels in the U.S and abroad, I make a point to seek out museum homes that have been preserved or meticulously recreated to offer a glimpse into the history of a specific place and how its inhabitants actually lived their daily lives. And so I was happy to discover Louisiana State Museum's The 1850 House in New Orleans open during my first visit to the Big Easy, a couple of weeks prior to Mardi Gras. The formal dining room was decked out in the colors of the season, purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power.

The 1850s House offers a a glimpse of upper-middle-class life in antebellum New Orleans, the most prosperous period in the city’s history. 

This particular house doesn’t represent one specific family, though is does reflect mid-19th century prosperity, taste and daily life in New Orleans. The house is furnished with art and décor of the era including a set of John Slidell’s china, Old Paris porcelain, New Orleans silver and notable paintings and furnishings that, taken as a whole, transport visitors back in time.

The 1850 House is part of the Lower Pontalba building. Built on opposite sides of Jackson Square, the Upper and Lower Pontalba buildings were designed and financed by the Baroness Micaela Almonester de Pontalba, whose father, Don Andrés Almonester y Roxas, was a Spanish colonial landowner who helped finance The Cabildo, St. Louis Cathedral and The Presbytère.

Inspired by the imposing Parisian architecture the Baroness favored, the distinctive rowhouses were designed to serve as elegant residences and retail establishments on the lower floors. The Pontalba family sold the Lower Pontalba Building in 1921 to philanthropist William Ratcliffe Irby, who bequeathed it to the Louisiana State Museum in 1927.

To put its timeline into perspective, La Nouvelle-Orléans was founded by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville of the Mississippi Company in 1718. The French colony ceded to Spain in 1762 with France regaining power, on paper in 1802. In 1794 the nearby St. Louis Cathedral was built on the site of an earlier Catholic cathedral. It is the oldest Catholic cathedral in the United States. Louisiana became a state in 1812 with New Orleans its first capital. Napoleon sold a huge swath of the Northern territories to the U.S. in the Louisiana Transfer in 1803. 

New Orleans reached around 102,000 or double its 1830 population by 1840. By this point, New Orleans was the wealthiest city in the nation, the third-most populous and the largest city.

In 1849 the state capitol was relocated to Baton Rouge. According to GoNola: "In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Carnival in New Orleans was an informal celebration by individual families. Some folks would take to the streets, going from house to house, to celebrate.

The Spanish, who controlled Louisiana from 1763 to 1803, were much more conservative than the french. They discouraged public drinking and celebration. That let up a bit after Napoleon sold Louisiana to the Americans. By 1830, public celebration on Mardi Gras became an organized parade in Mobile, Alabama. People in New Orleans took to the streets, but in a more disorderly fashion. Beginning in 1837, New Orleans had parades, but they were rowdy, almost riotous. By the 1850s, the city leaders considered closing down public celebration of Carnival."

It was in 1857 that a small group of businessmen, three of whom were from Mobile, took steps to “save” Carnival. The men from Mobile were familiar with  “secret societies” and formed a similar group in New Orleans, naming it the Mystic Krewe of Comus. A tightly-organized, two-float parade was held on the night of Mardi Gras, 1857. Afterwards, the Krewe held a private bal masque.

Though the parade caught on,  the Civil War and the Union occupation of New Orleans shut down public celebrations.  Twelfth Night Revelers would wait until January 6th, 1870 to parade again.

Carnival parades gradually spread into various neighborhoods of New Orleans. The need for crowd control and law enforcement economics forced the city to divert these widespread celebrations into more-standard routes. Whether it is Uptown, Downtown, or in the West Bank, carnival lives on and thrives in the New Orleans of today.

Open Tuesdays through Sundays, 10 am to 4.30 pm, at 523 St. Ann Street, New Orleans, admission to The 1850s House is a bargain at just $3 for adults and $2 for seniors, students and active military. Click here for more info.

Celebrating the Bard's Birthday in Sonoma County with A Night of Shakespeare Shorts, April 6th, 2019

 

“A Night of Shakespeare Shorts” is a celebration of short scenes from the plays of William Shakespeare in the spirit of a competition at the iconic Phoenix Theater, 201 E. Washington Street,  Petaluma, CA where Harry Houdini, Enrico Caruso, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Huey Lewis and Santana have performed.

A variety of short scenes from Shakespeare’s plays interspersed with music by local musicians will be performed by a variety of participants.  Scenes will be adjudicated by a panel of Shakespeare savvy judges and participants have the chance to win $500 for Best Scene of the evening, Best Dramatic Scene $100 and Best Comedic Scene $100. 

Shakespeare Shorts is hosted by The Petaluma Shakespeare Company, Shakesprints and The Phoenix Theater on Saturday April 6, 2019.

Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Performance at 8:00 pm. Tickets $15 under 18 and $20 adults. All tickets include a slice of birthday cake.  It’s early but we have to celebrate William’s birthday when we can!

http://shakespeareshorts.brownpapertickets.com

What inspired A Night of Shakespeare Shorts?

"We were having a cup of coffee with Crispin of Shakesprints, thinking of what to do to celebrate Shakespeare's birthday in April and how we could bring Shakespeare's work back to the people he intended it to be for, which is everyone," says Petaluma Shakespeare Company.  "There are not a lot of opportunities for young performers to perform so we decided to create one for them."

A Night of Shakespeare Shorts (April 6th, 2019) will be a celebration of Shakespeare's plays, giving young performers from all over Northern California a chance to perform, be seen by Bay Area Shakespeare savvy judges from Marin Shakespeare, ACT, SF Shakespeare, and others, a chance to win money and pursue their love of theater.

The Phoenix Theater has a long history of promoting youth in Petaluma and the once upon opera, now skate club and music venue offers the contemporary vibe which is perfect for Shakespeare in the 21st century.  The Phoenix has a music program for youth so Petaluma Shakespeare Company decided to collaborate together by interspersing the scenes with music by local musicians, giving everyone an opportunity to perform. Of course there will be birthday cake too!  I mean it is William's birthday after all. 

There are two ways to support this wonderful new program. Purchase tickets on the brown paper ticket link above and attend and/or secondly, be a star and pledge to the Night of Shakespeare Shorts Kickstarter fundraiser, to boost the coffers to raise $1,000 for production costs and cash awards to the top players. Pledge as little as $10 or $50 to $100 for VIP seating, beverages and being a part of something special in our community. 

CLICK HERE FOR A NIGHT OF SHAKESPEARE SHORTS KICKSTARTER FUNDRAISER

Located in Petaluma, California, Petaluma Shakespeare Company is a non profit 501(c)(3) dedicated to put Shakespeare's timeless works into the hands of 21st century performers. It us the only free Shakespeare theater group in Sonoma County and is supported by an annual fundraiser and through donations. Past seasons of Free Shakespeare By The River under the stars at The Foundry Wharf, has enable the group to provide the community with theater culture, strengthen community bonds through shared theatrical experiences and create more compassionate global citizens.  2019 will be its 5th season and the group is excited to bring forth Macbeth.  Past productions ofTaming of the Shrew,  As You Like It, Henry IV part I, and All's Well That Ends Well  have brought collaborators from all of the Bay Area to bring Free Shakespeare By The River to thousands of audience members of all ages. 

Tickets for 13th Annual California Artisan Cheese Fabulous Range of Festival Farm & Producer Tours and Seminars & Events (March 23 to 24, 2019) Now Available for Purchase

California’s premier cheese event, the California Artisan Cheese Festival, to be held March 23-24, 2019, at various locations in Northern California, brings together cheese enthusiasts for a weekend filled with cheese tastings, pairings, tours, seminars, a culinary competition, and cocktail and wine tastings. While the festival’s larger events like Cheese, Bites, & Booze! (where guests can nosh on tasty bites created by cheesemakers, chefs and cheesemongers’ and sip on regional artisan wines, ciders and spirits) and The Marketplace (where attendees are invited to taste, discover and purchase specialty items from over 100 artisan producers) are sure to appeal, it's the smaller events like the festival's Farm & Producer Tours and Seminars that provide festival goers intimate, immersive experiences with some of the most reputable and knowledgeable experts in the industry. 

The Festival’s 2019 Seminar Schedule is as follows:  

 Seminar 1: Red or White? Best Wines for the Cheeses You Love

Instructor: Janet Fletcher, author and educator

9:30 – 11 a.m.

$75 per person

Join the debate as to whether red or white wine is a better match for cheese with Planet Cheese publisher and educator extraordinaire, Janet Fletcher. Attendees will sample five cheeses alongside both a red and white wine while Janet shares some sensory research into wine and cheese pairings. 

Seminar 2: California Cheese: Old School to New School 

Instructor: Juliana Uruburu, cheese expert, Market Hall Foods

9:30 – 11 a.m.

$75 per person

California has a rich and dynamic history of cheesemaking. Juliana Uruburu leads guests on a tasting journey illuminating the connections between the Golden State’s storied old school and new school cheesemakers.

Seminar 3: Cheese, Beer & Cider

Instructor: Rachel Perez, American Cheese Society (ACS) Certified Cheese Professional®

1:30 – 3 p.m.

$75 per person

Unique beers and ciders are the pairing of choice for many cheesemongers as an alternative to wine. Rachel Perez guides attendees on a tasting journey demystifying the characteristics that make beer and cider so cheese-friendly. Guests will leave this session with a solid foundation of pairing principles and several foolproof beer, cider, and cheese pairings to try at home.

Seminar 4: A Taste of Cheese Science with The Cheese Twins

Instructors: Charlie & Michael Kalish, The Cheese Twins

1:30 – 3 p.m.

$75 per person

Having made cheese on more than a dozen dairy farms across Europe with some of the finest affineurs (professional cheese agers), Cheese Twins Charlie and Michael Kalish bring their savoir-faire home to California. This comparative tasting gives guests a crash course in the science behind cheesemaking and highlight how seemingly subtle shifts in pH, moisture, and aging result in staggeringly different cheeses. 

Seminar 5: Cheese & Cocktails: The Basics of Bitters, Booze & Cheese

Instructors: Vanessa Chang, American Cheese Society (ACS) Certified Cheese Professional® and Lassa Skinner, co-founder of Culture magazine

1:30 – 3 p.m.

$85 per person

Cheese mavens Vanessa Chang and Lassa Skinner demonstrate how a well-made cocktail can shake up preconceived notions of what goes with cheese. This dynamic duo will distill the basics of the various spirits, demystify the universe of bitters, and help identify cheeses to round out cocktails like Manhattans, Mai Tais. 

 

The Festival’s 2019 Farm & Producer Tours are as follows: 

Tour A: Point Reyes Farmstead & The Fork

9:15 a.m. – 3:45 p.m.

$150 per person

Attendees of this tour will spend a day at Giacomini Dairy to discover what makes Point Reyes so special. Visitors start their day with a tour of the farm, meet the cows and learn about the farm’s history. Following the tour, guests head to The Fork, Point Reyes Farmstead’s education and culinary center for a focused cheese tasting and end the day with a three-course lunch and cooking demo with Chef Matthew Accarrino of San Francisco’s Michelin-starred restaurant, SPQR.

Tour B: Pennyroyal Farm Tour

10:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m.

$120 per person

Start your day with a guided walking tour at Pennyroyal creamery and vineyard to learn more about the integrative farming methods behind Pennyroyal’s handcrafted cheese and wine. Following the tour, enjoy a seasonal multi-course lunch prepared from the bounty of the kitchen garden as well as farmstead meat and cheese. Pennyroyal Farm cheesemaker Erika McKenzie-Chapter and It’s Not You, It’s Brie Author and Educator Kirstin Jackson will lead a delicious and instructive seminar that poses the question, “If it grows together, does it go together?” while leading a tasting that explores the cheeses, wine, beer, and cider of the Anderson Valley.  

Tour C: North Capitol Area Tour

8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

$150 per person

This tour explores the North Sacramento Valley cheesescape beginning with a tour of Pedrozo Dairy and Cheese Company, to meet Tim Pedrozo, a third-generation dairy farmer and self-proclaimed “accidental cheesemaker.” After Pedrozo, the tour will head to Orland Farmstead Creamery, followed by lunch and a talk with Rumiano Cheese Company, California’s oldest family-owned cheese company.

 Tour D: Hop to It! 

10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

$150 per person

The Santa Rosa area is home to an amazing community of talented brewers and delicious beers. This all-day tour starts at Russian River Brewing Co., crafters of legendary Pliny the Elder, with a cheese pairing from Beehive Cheese Co., followed by a stop at the Barrel Brothers Brewing Co. to taste hops and malts alongside chocolates by neighboring Volo Chocolates. Seismic Brewing Co. is the next stop on the tour to taste brews paired with cheese from a local cheesemaker and concludes with a visit to Old Possum Brewing Co., one of Santa Rosa’s newest breweries. 

Tour E: Farm Forward 

8:30 a.m. – 3:45 p.m.

$150 per person

This tour travels west of Petaluma to Toluma Farms, home to a herd of goats, a flock of sheep, and Tomales Farmstead Creamery. Guests will have the opportunity to tour the organic pastures, meet the goats and sheep, taste an array of cheeses, and enjoy an incredible brunch spread from Daily Driver SF, California’s newest creamery. The tour will continue with a stop at AppleGarden Farm to meet owner Jan Lee, learn about cider apples, and taste the fruits of their labor. The day concludes at Marin French Cheese, the country’s oldest continuously operating cheese company to taste their signature cheeses, including Brie and Camembert. 

Tour F: Dairy Divas 

8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

$150 per person

This tour begins at Cowgirl Creamery in Point Reyes Station where attendees will taste their way through a flight of Cowgirl Creamery and witness a curd-making demonstration before heading over the hill to DeBernardi Dairy, home to Two Rock Valley Goat Cheese. Attendees will stop for lunch before heading to Achadinha Cheese Company where Jim and Donna Pacheco, with help from their four children, milk goats and make cheese inspired by their family legacy and the Old World traditions of Portugal. 

Tour G: Stars of Sebastopol – Sold Out

8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

$150 per person

Start the morning off at Wm. Cofield Cheesemakers, one of California’s newest creameries known for its fresh cheese curds, clothbound cheddar, and Stilton-esque blue cheese. Next, attendees will visit Bohemian Creamery and meet Lisa Gottreich, one of the region’s most creative artisan cheesemakers, followed by a stop at The Barlow where Chef Duskie Estes, a regular guest on the Food Network and self-professed cheese lover, will prepare a delicious multi-course lunch inspired by cheese and locally-sourced ingredients. The tour will conclude with a visit to Spirit Works Distillery for a guided tasting though its local spirits alongside pairings from Cypress Grove Cheese. 

Tour H: Local Legends

8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

$150 per person

Rise and shine at Nicasio Valley Cheese Company, California’s only organic farmstead creamery with a tour and tasting of its award-winning cheeses followed by a visit to Marin French Cheese, the country’s oldest continuously operating cheese company, which will celebrate its 154-year anniversary in 2019. Guests will continue on to Valley Ford Cheese & Creamery to enjoy a delicious cheese-focused lunch, tour and tasting of Valley Ford cheeses, crafted with milk from the family’s nearby herd of Jersey cows.

Tour I: The Milky Whey

8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. 

$150 per person

Attendees start their morning outside Petaluma at the Pacheco Family Dairy for a tour of the farm while learning why the Pachecos transitioned from a traditional cow dairy to a goat dairy; complete with a tasting of the farmstead cheeses. Next, the tour will head to Nicasio Valley Cheese Company, California’s only organic farmstead creamery, to taste its award-winning cheeses that capture both the essence of this 1,150-acre family ranch and the legacy of the family’s Swiss-Italian heritage. Guests will stop along the way for lunch before heading to Lagunitas Brewing Company just in time for happy hour to taste a selection of their innovative local brews paired with cheeses from Sierra Nevada Cheese Company.

 ***Note: Bus transportation is provided by Pure Luxury Transportation for all tours except Tour B and Tour C (Tour B does not include transportation, Tour C transportation is provided by North Valley Shuttle.) Start and end times and tour departure pick-up and drop-off locations vary. All sales are final, and events takes place rain or shine. A more detailed list of the tour descriptions can be found at https://www.artisancheesefestival.com/tours.

Following the educational seminars and tours, guests can opt to end their day participating in Cheese, Bites & Booze!, Saturday night’s grand tasting event held inside the Jackson Family Wines Aircraft Hangar at Sonoma Jet Center. This delicious competition features cheesemakers, chefs and cheesemongers’ creating their “best bites” of California artisan cheesy goodness. Guests sample the amazing creations while sipping on regional artisan wines, ciders, spirits, and beers at this light-hearted walk-around tasting event. Tickets for Cheese, Bites & Booze! are $80 per person (21 and over only, no children will be admitted). 

 

Don't Miss The National Parks Plein Air Project by Petaluma Artist Mary Fassbinder January 29th through March 23rd at Petaluma Arts Center

Sixty plein air paintings of each of the U. S. National Parks are the product of an extraordinary 72,000 mile, 3 ½ year journey by Sonoma County artist and gallery owner Mary Fassbinder and the centerpiece of an exhibition at the Petaluma Arts Center opening late January, 2019.

“The National Parks Painting Project by Mary Fassbinder & Guest Artist Davis Perkins” exhibition will run from January 29th through March 23rd, with the public opening scheduled for Saturday, January 26th, 2019 at 5:00pm.

“This project forced me to push, crawl, climb –you name it, through my own set of obstacles and most importantly to trust the outcome,” Mary recalls of the many challenges she overcame.  “It truly was a rite of passage”

Mary Fassbinder feels more strongly than ever that, “this is a crucial time in the preservation and conservation of our national treasures. I sincerely hope these paintings will be an inspiration to generations to come.”

Joining Mary at the Petaluma Arts Center will be Davis Perkins, a California landscape painter with an exhibition featuring his landscape paintings from around the world.  Dave Perkins, who has had an exciting career as smokejumper, firefighter, and paramedic, received a degree in Fine Arts from the University of Oregon. In 2015 he was selected as a Signature Member of the Oil Painters of America.  He exhibits his work in galleries and other art venues in Northern California, while continuing his life of travel and public service.