Join the street party in Railroad Square
An afternoon in the shade at Railroad Square.
The Press Democrat filePublished: Thursday, September 2, 2010 at 3:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, September 1, 2010 at 10:46 p.m.
Summer Nights in Railroad Square: Railroad Square's First Friday street party concludes this evening, with music by Orbo and the Long Shots and The Stratospheres. Both bands play for the duration of the fete, from 6 to 9 p.m.
Korbel Champagne Cellars is the featured winery.
If you have not attended one of these events, here's how they work. Fourth Street between Davis and Wilson streets is closed to traffic. The street is filled with retail vendors and purveyors of arts and crafts.
There's food available for purchase and plenty of tables and chairs for lingering.
The event is dog-friendly, so if you've been looking for a social event for your pup, this could be it.
Although the evenings have been well attended, they've not been so crowded as to be unpleasant. Parking has not been a problem, either, especially if you arrive earlier rather than later.
Now that we seem to finally have summer, why not go out tonight and celebrate in the street?
Happy Birthday, Rockers: On Sunday, Rocker Oysterfellers Kitchen + Saloon hosts its third annual Oyster & Fog Festival from 2 to 9 p.m. The festival marks the fourth anniversary of the opening of the restaurant, located in the charming Valley Ford Hotel in downtown Valley Ford.
The festival includes nonstop live entertainment, with The Mad Maggies, The Stratospheres, Mr. December and Way To Go Joes among the performers.
As always, there will be great food and wine available for purchase. Lagunitas brews will be available on tap. Cocktail offerings include hurricanes and margaritas, and there will, of course, be plenty of local wines. Among the featured foods are barbecued Tomales Bay Oysters, po'boy sandwiches (including roast beef “debris,” yum!) and seafood gumbo.
Admission is $10; kids six and under are admitted free. A portion of the process will benefit the Gulf Coast Fund for Community and Ecological Health; for more information, visit gulfcoastfund.org.
The Valley Ford Hotel is located at 14415 Highway 1, across the street from West County Design and the Valley Ford Market. For more information, call 876-1983.
Dessert & Martinis: The Sebastopol Center for the Arts is hosting its 21st Annual Benefit Auction & Party next Friday night from 7 to 10 p.m.
This year's fete features a no-host bar offering martinis, flirtinis and local wines. Pacific Market has donated a selection of local cheeses; all manner of scrumptious desserts are from Patisserie Angelica, Le Petit Cochon, Patricia Ryder & Friends and Christine Nelson.
The auction itself includes fine art, travel packages, wine and food experiences and more. Items will be available for preview and pre-auction bidding beginning from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. next Friday.
Several dozen local artists working in a variety of media have donated original art for the auction.
Some of the more intriguing auction items are a private behind-the-scenes tour of the University of California Bodega Marine Laboratory, a three-night stay in a three-bedroom home in Hanalei, Kauai, and dinner for eight at Sherrer Winery.
Tickets to the fundraiser are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. For tickets, call 829-4797 or visit sebarts.com.
Bourbon lovers, this is for you: Traverso's Market has just received its private collection bourbon, Four Roses Single Barrel, aged 10 years and 9 months. There are only 162 bottles ($59.99 each) and there are a lot of bourbon fans in Sonoma County so you'd better hurry if you are one of them. Michael Traverso describes this as one of the best barrels they have ever selected.
On Sept. 29, Traverso's will host another of its premium spirits tastings, with Jim Rutledge, master distiller at Four Roses since 1995. Among the bourbons to be presented at the tasting are Traverso's Private Barrel Selection, Four Roses Limited Small Batch Selection, Four Roses Single Barrel, Four Roses Small Batch and Four Roses Yellow Label.
Advance pre-paid reservations are required for the tasting, which will likely sell out well in advance. The cost is $50 per person ($35 if you're a member of Traverso's wine club) and includes the tasting, appetizers and a Riedel tasting glass.
For reservations, call 542-2530.
The event takes place at the Hyatt Vineyard Creek Hotel in Santa Rosa's Railroad Square.
Workings Girls Telling Tales: Tomorrow night, the wonderful Pegasus Theater Company hosts a gala opening of “The Oldest Profession” by Paula Vogel, a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, at the Rio Nido Lodge (4444 Wood Road, Guerneville).
According to Lois Perlman, one of the actors in the comic drama, it is a story of “five old prostitutes who sing.”
The women, in their 60s, 70s and 80s, discuss their bordello days in New Orleans' red light district, along with many other topics, from aging to the virtues of red beans and rice and raspberries served neat.
The play runs Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons through September 26. Fridays are pay-what-you-can nights; other performances are $20. Saturday night's gala is $25, which includes red beans, rice and other New Orleans-style goodies.
Tickets are available in advance by calling 583-2343 or by visiting pegasustheater.com. You may also pay at the door.
Animals under the stars: This year's Twiga at Twilight, an annual benefit for Safari West's Discover Africa program, takes place on Saturday, September 25, from 5:30 to 10 p.m. One of fall's best events, it always sells out in advance so if you want to attend, don't delay.
The gala begins with a Champagne reception, with special four-legged guests and a silent auction. A sit-down dinner under a vast tent comes next and then there's an animated live auction. Watching a bidding war for naming rights for a newborn giraffe was a high point at Twiga a couple of years ago. Animal lovers make for a lively time at Safari West.
After the dinner and auction, there's music and dancing.
This year's MC will be Liam Mayclem, a producer for and host of “Eye on the Bay,” on CBS. Steve Jaxon of KSRO's The Drive is the evening's special guest. Philip Claypool, known for blues and country music, will provide the evening's entertainment.
Tickets to Twiga at Twlight are $150; VIP tickets are $250. To make a night of it, you can reserve a safari tent and spend the night. For reservations, call 566-3667 or e-mail reservations@safariwest.com.
The Discover Africa program provides children of all economic backgrounds with an opportunity to tour Safari West.
Preserving the harvest: On Wednesday evening at 6 p.m., Wendy Krupnick of Santa Rosa Junior College will offer a demonstration about preserving summer's fruits at Sebastopol Hardware (660 Gravenstein Highway N., Sebasotpol).
There is no charge for the event but the store carries a full line of canning supplies so you might want to come prepared to purchase what you need.
Wendy is an excellent teacher, with a focused passion supported by solid, practical knowledge. Whether you're a beginner or simply want to perfect your preserving techniques, you'll enjoy and learn from her presentation.
Michele Anna Jordan hosts Mouthful, the Wine Country's Most Delicious Hour, on Sunday evenings at 7 p.m. on KRCB 90.9 & 91.1 FM and at krcg.org. E-mail Jordan at michele@micheleannajordan.com.
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