This week's fun food and wine events in Sonoma County

SANTA ROSA: VegFest coming to the Luther Burbank Center

The third annual Sonoma County VegFest runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20, at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts.

Sponsored by the North Bay nonprofit Compassionate Living, the event will include local vendors, the first-ever North Bay Vegan FilmFest, cooking demonstrations, speakers and a kids' area.

Local vendors include Muir's Tea Room of Sebastopol, Gaia's Garden of Santa Rosa, Vixen Kitchen's vegan gelato, Miyoko's cashew cheese, Alive & Healing Tempeh and chocolates from Obsessive Confection Disorder and Sjaak's Chocolate.

Tickets are $5, at purplepass.com/SoCoVegFest. Kids under 13 are free. 50 Mark West Springs Road.

___

PETALUMA: Progressive dining around

The 11th annual Taste of Petaluma, a benefit for Cinnabar Theater, will be 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday in downtown Petaluma.

The culinary walking tour includes food and beverage tasting at 40 participating restaurants, galleries, shops, wineries, breweries and other food purveyors. Tickets are $40. To reserve, go to tasteofpetaluma.com. Check in at Putnam Plaza, 129 Petaluma Blvd. North

___

PETALUMA: Picnic party at Marin French

Marin French Cheese Company will throw its second annual Summer Picnic Party from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at the historic cheese factory located 10 miles west of Petaluma.

The whole family is welcome to attend; bring a picnic blanket and an appetite. Tickets are $12.50, kids under 12 free.

The afternoon includes the folk music trio No Pardon, plus food and beverage vendors from Devil's Gulch Ranch, The Fig Rig and Ultra-Crepes. Beer, wine and home-brewed iced teas round out the fare.

To reserve, go to marinfrenchpicnicparty.eventbrite.com. 7510 Point Reyes-Petaluma Road.

___

SONOMA: Olive Press wins Best of Show

The Olive Press of Sonoma has won the top award for olive oil in the Sonoma County Harvest Fair's 2016 Professional Food & Wine Competition.

The Olive Press Sevillano, a Spanish varietal grown in California, received a double gold medal in the “Delicate” category and also was named Best of Show.

The Olive Press also won a Double Gold for two other Spanish varietals: Arbequina and Picual, both in the “Medium” category for California grown olive oils. A total of seven Double Gold medals and eight Gold medals were given out this year.

Olive Oil is the first category to be judged in the annual competition, because the oils need to be tasted when they are fresh. For a complete list of medal winners, go to harvestfair.org.

___

SANTA ROSA: Ready? Set? Growl ...

The third annual Ready Set Growl Beer Festival will greet runners from the Santa Rosa Marathon from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 28, at Juilliard Park in downtown Santa Rosa.

Tickets are $35 for runners, $55 for nonrunners, and includes free food samples and unlimited tastes from more than 30 breweries. To reserve, go to thesantarosamarathon.com. 227 Santa Rosa Ave.

___

SANTA ROSA: Warm Puppy hosts pop-up dinner

The Warm Puppy Cafe at Snoopy's Home Ice will hold a pop-up dinner at 6 p.m. Friday, featuring dishes inspired by the Peanuts Cafe in Tokyo.

The menu includes a choice of four starters, three mains courses and three desserts. Tickets are $69, including tax and tip. Local wine and beer available. To reserve, call 546-7147. Seatings will be held every half hour. 1667 W. Steele Lane.

___

FORESTVILLE: “Fridays” features local food, wine

Backyard, Canneti Roadhouse Italiana and Twist Eatery will partner with Jigar Wines, Wine Guerrilla and Joseph Jewell Wines at 5:30 p.m. Friday for the debut of “Fridays in Forestville.”

The quarterly event promotes the bounty of the west county through food and wine pairings. Tickets are $30, $15 for food only. To reserve, go to FridaysinForestville.EventBrite.com.

___

SEBASTOPOL: Mycopia open house

Mycopia Mushrooms will hold an Open House and Farm Tour from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at the Sebastopol mushroom farm.

The tours will depart at 11:15 and 11:45 a.m., 12:15 and 12:45 p.m. Between tours, Dutton-Goldfield wines will be paired with samples of mushroom dishes. RSVP to lbacon@mycopia.com. Wear clean, closed-toe shoes. 2901 Gravenstein Highway North.

Staff writer Diane Peterson can be reached at 521-5287 or diane.peterson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @dianepete56.