A la carte: Harvest Fair this weekend

SONOMA COUNTY: Harvest Fair, wine tastings start Friday

The Sonoma County Harvest Fair is Friday through Sunday with plenty to explore, including award-winning wines, cooking demonstrations and the grape stomp.

Now in its fourth decade, the fair offers a bounty of more than 150 wineries, beer and cider makers, and culinary treats from the region’s artisans.

Heads up, wine lovers. This year, the Grand Tasting experience at the Sonoma County Harvest Fair is a three-day affair. Last year, the event was only Friday night, but it was expanded this year to give people more time to taste through award-winning wines and food. The tasting pavilion will be open Friday, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Grand Tasting tickets are $55, with a three-day pass $125. Gate admission is $5. The event is at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, 1350 Bennett Valley Road in Santa Rosa. For more information, visit www.harvestfair.org or call 545-4200.

SONOMA: Williams-Sonoma opening Saturday

Chuck Williams couldn’t ask for a better birthday party - a grand opening this Saturday in Sonoma for his landmark Williams-Sonoma store and cooking school. The celebration coincides with the founder’s 99th birthday.

Williams-Sonoma will kick off the celebration with a free pancake breakfast for the general public at the Sonoma Plaza from 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

The new store is at 605 Broadway, the original shop and residence where Chuck Williams worked and lived in 1956 when he founded Williams-Sonoma. In addition to the cooking school, other features of the store include: 1) a museum exhibit of Williams’ iconic finds from Europe; 2) a showroom where customers can receive free decorating advice; 3) an edible garden and outdoor kitchen and pizza oven.

The flagship store moved to San Francisco in 1958, but now that the store is paying homage to the city of Sonoma, officials are declaring Williams’ birthday, Thursday, as “Chuck Williams Day.”

FORESTVILLE: Shone Farm Fall Festival

Shone Farm’s Fall Festival is Oct. 11, offering people a glimpse of authentic farm life.

The event, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., is a free, family-friendly affair to celebrate the farm’s 42 years of history, with activities that range from milling demonstrations, apple pressing, hayrides and tours of the Santa Rosa Junior College’s 365-acre farm.

The Russian River Valley farm has been used as a field laboratory and teaching resource for SRJC’s agriculture and natural resources students. It’s located at 7450 Steve Olson Lane near Forestville, approximately 12 miles from the SRJC campus. For more information, visit www.shonefarm.com.

HEALDSBURG: Pinot on the River grand tasting

If you’re a pinot noir fanatic, pen this in your calendar: Pinot on the River is Oct. 26 on the Healdsburg Plaza. The 11th annual Grand Tasting event will have 100 wineries pouring from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and it will benefit Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma County. The cost is $75 in advance and $100 at the door. For more information, visit www.pinotfestival.com or call 433-0433.

JENNER: Fort Ross-Seaview Wine Festival

Tickets are available for the Fort Ross-Seaview Wine Festival Oct. 18 in Jenner. The tasting features some top producers including Flowers, Siduri, and Williams Selyem. Your palate will also enjoy the view. The festival takes place on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Festivities include a Grand Tasting ($35) and a Grand Luncheon ($125). The second annual event is at the Fort Ross State Historic Park, 19005 Coast Highway. For more information, visit www.fortross-seaview.org.