Fun foodie events around Sonoma County

Harvest Fair Time! The big event this weekend is, of course, the annual Sonoma County Harvest Fair, taking place from Friday through Sunday. This is the fair’s 41st year.

The fair celebrates Sonoma County food, wine and agriculture and offers everything from grape stomps and chef demonstrations to olive workshops, live music, cooking competitions, a marketplace, pumpkin carving, a classic car show, an art show, a wine label competition and more.

New this year is the Wine Clearance Blow-Out Sale, a special Monday event when all remaining wines will be sold at 20 percent off.

For complete details and ticket prices, visit harvestfair.org.

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The Coast in October: Bodega Bay is gorgeous in the fall and there are two upcoming events that warrant the drive. First is the final $1 Oyster Night at Gourmet au Bay (913 Highway 1, Bodega Bay) of the year, where Northwest Catering begins shucking at 4 p.m. and continues until the oysters are gone.

They also offer other nibbles and wine is available for purchase.

On Tuesday, Oct 6, Gourmet au Bay hosts another session of its ongoing “Science Uncorked” series, which features presentations by and discussions with scientists from the nearby UC Davis Bodega Marine Lab.

Happy Hour starts at 5 p.m. and the presentation begins at 6 p.m. Wine is $5 a glass, beer $3. Other dates this year are Oct. 20, Nov. 3 and 17 and December 1 and 15.

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Calabash! This Sunday, Oct. 4, Food For Thought (6550 Railroad Ave., Forestville) presents the 15th Annual Calabash, a Celebration of Gourds, Art and the Garden. It takes place from 1 to 5 p.m. and is co-presented by the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center.

At the heart of the event is the silent auction of art, gourds transformed in breathtaking ways by dozens of artists. The event also includes tours of Food For Thought’s extravagant gardens, a sale of handcrafted garden art and book art and special pieces from the organization’s antique shop, located in south Sebastopol.

Throughout the event, volunteers wearing whimsical hats decorated with tiny gourds circulate through the crowd with delicious nibbles. There is plenty of Sonoma County wine, too. Live music played on hand-made gourd instruments provides the event’s entertainment.

Tickets are $45 in advance and $50 at the door. Snag yours at fftfoodbank.org, by calling 887-1647 ext. 101 or by emailing KarenG@FFTfoodbank.org.

Food For Thought provides food and nutritional services, along with other services, free of charge to hundreds of local men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS and other critical illnesses in Sonoma County.

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‘Tis the Season of Pumpkin Patches: Fall pumpkin patches are opening throughout the county, many open daily, some with special events and others with options for birthday parties and other private events.

Muelrath Ranches Pumpkin Patch (3800 Walker Ave., Santa Rosa) opened last weekend and will be open daily through Halloween. Their attractions include free hay rides, a pumpkin cannon, a pumpkin slingshot and a huge array of products and decorations for sale, including 21 varieties of pumpkins, mini pumpkins, winter squash, ornamental corn, corn stalks, sunflowers, gourds, hay bales and more.

On Friday and Saturday nights from 6 to 9 p.m., the ranch hosts “Campfire in the Corral,” with roasted hot dogs and marshmallows, hot cider, cookies and a night-time hay ride. Admission is $12 per person; kids 3 and under attend free.

There is an antique hot dog cart through the day on weekends.

Admission to the pumpkin patch is free of charge whenever the ranch is open. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. For more information, visit muelrathspumpkins.com. For reservations for special events and for Friday and Saturday evenings, call 585-2195. Please note that animals are not allowed; leave your pampered pup, no matter how well behaved, at home.

The Santa Rosa Pumpkin Patch (5157 Stony Point Rd., Santa Rosa), which launched its 2015 season on Sept. 26, is open Sunday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. This location includes the county’s largest corn mazes, eight acres of pumpkins, a hay bale pyramid and maze, tether ball, trike races, farm animals, hay rides and more.

Admission varies based on what you’d like to do. If you want to spend hours exploring everything, you’ll pay $18. Foods and drinks are available for purchase, as well. There will be special activities each weekend through Halloween.

You can also simply stop by to purchase pumpkins and other decorations. For more information, visit santarosapumpkinpatch.com.

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Dining with Writers: As of press time, there were still tickets available for Saturday’s special dinner at Spinster Sisters (401 South A St., Santa Rosa), which features chef Cat Cora and her new book, “Cooking As Fast As I Can: A Chef’s Story of Family, Food and Forgiveness” (Scribner, 2015).

Cora is probably best known as a star of the Food Network and the first woman chef to win the network’s Iron Chef competition. She presides over seven restaurants, a line of shoes for chefs, a line of cookware, two retail lines of food and more. She is the founder of Chefs For Humanity and lives in Santa Barbara with her wife and their four sons.

The evening starts at 6:30 p.m. and you must register right away at bookpassage.com. Admission is $95 per person, which includes a signed copy of the new book. Reservations, which are required, are available at bookpassage.com.

This event is part of an ongoing series hosted by Book Passage of Corte Madera and Spinster Sisters. On Nov. 17, Dining with Writers will feature yours truly and two new titles, “The Good Cook’s Book of Salt & Pepper” and “The Good Cook’s Book of Oil & Vinegar.”

Of special note is an appearance by Jacques Pepin on Monday, Oct. 12, at Dominican University (50 Acacia Ave., San Rafael). Pepin, one of the most beloved figures in the world of food, will be in conversation with Tyler Florence and the focus will be on “Heart and Soul in the Kitchen,” Pepin’s newest book. Admission is $45, which includes a signed copy of the book. This event is part of the ILS Lecture Series. Upcoming authors include Isabel Allende on Nov. 4, Gloria Steinem on Nov. 10 and Patti Smith, in conversation with Dave Eggers, on Nov. 18.

For complete details about “Dining with Writers,” “ILS Lecture Series” and other Book Passage events and to register, visit bookpassage.com

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Corners of the Mouth: On Oct.1, Chroma Gallery (312 South A St., Santa Rosa) kicked off “Corners of the Mouth: The Art of Nourishment,” which continues through Nov. 14.

The exhibition focuses on art work featuring food, drink and other forms of nourishment, with several special events. The first is an artist reception on Friday, Oct. 2, from 5 to 8 p.m.; it is a part of the monthly First Friday open studios and galleries in the Santa Rosa Arts District.

Included in the exhibition are paintings, photography and sculpture inspired by agriculture, the environment and more.

On Wednesday, Oct. 28, Richard Heinberg will present a lecture and presentation on the post-carbon world; the evening is a benefit for the Post Carbon Institute. On Nov. 6 from 5 to 8 p.m., Chroma Gallery will host a benefit for the Redwood Empire Food Bank, with live music, other entertainment and an opportunity to support the important work of the food bank.

For more information about Chroma Gallery, Corners of the Mouth and other upcoming events, visit chromagallery.net.

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Schug Celebrates 35 Years: On Saturday, Schug Carneros Estate Winery (602 Bonneau Rd., Sonoma) celebrates its 35th Anniversary with Schug Oktoberfest, in honor of founder Walter Schug’s German roots.

The fete begins at 11 a.m. and continues until 3 p.m.

Admission is $45 for the general public, $35 for wine club members and $10 for kids over 12. Kids under 12 not only attend for free; they also receive a pumpkin.

The price includes a wide range of fun, with Federweisser, a newly fermenting white wine served from the barrel; Zwiebeikuchen, a traditional German onion tart; current release wines; a bean bag toss; a cork craft corner and raffle prizes throughout the day.

For tickets, visit schugwinery.com and follow the prompts.

Michele Anna Jordan has written 24 books to date, including the new “Good Cook’s” series. Email Jordan at michele@saladdresser.com. You’ll find her blog, “Eat This Now,” at pantry.blogs.pressdemocrat.com.