Every spring and summer, announcements start coming out for annual festivals, many of them established decades ago.
You'll see notices for the 8th annual, or 20th annual, or 40th annual, celebration of music, food, wine or any number of other things.
But how often do you spot a brand new event?
There are several inaugural festivals coming this year, starting next month and continuing into next fall.
It's never too early to save a spot on your calendar, so here's an early sample:
Sonoma Country Music BBQ: What goes together better than country music and barbecue?
Multiple Country Music Awards winner Dierks Bentley, with seven No. 1 country hits to his credit, tops a roster that includes country singers Kelli Pickler and Joe Nichols and nationally known Santa Rosa songwriter and musician Pete Stringfellow, with 16-year-old singer McKenna Faith of Ukiah opening.
Also, 15 barbecue masters will serve hundreds of pounds of ribs, chicken and tip-tip, with top area micro-breweries serving their best beer.
When: 4 p.m. Saturday, June 4.
Where: Sonoma County Fairgrounds, 1350 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa.
Tickets: $45; $20 for children ages 6 to 12; $100 for VIP passes; $240 for six general admission; $540 for six VIP.
Information: sonomacountrymusicbbq.com.
Rootstock: The Great Gastronomic Wine, Street Food and Music Festival
This new event features wine tasting, gourmet street and the Best Bites Invitational Competition, as well as live music.
Guests include Heather Irwin of the BiteClub blog; Alan Kropf, editor-in-chief of Mutineer magazine; Ziggy, "The Wine Gal," of Wine Country Radio, and Bob Blumer, "The Surreal Gourmet" from the Food Network's "Glutton for Punishment."
The festival benefits Worth Our Weight, a nonprofit organization offering cooking and food preparation apprenticeships to teenagers and young adults.
When: 2-7 p.m. Saturday, July 16.
Where: Santa Rosa Vintners' Square, 1301 Cleveland Ave., Santa Rosa.
Tickets: $35 in advance online; $45 at the gate, if still available.
Information: rootstockfestival.com, 495-0831.
West of the West Wine Festival: Taste acclaimed pinot noirs, chardonnays and syrahs, dine at the "Whole Hog Feast," visit with winemakers and enjoy live music, when the West Sonoma Coast Vintners association shows off its creations.
When: Aug. 5-7.
Where: Occidental Center for the Arts, Union Hotel and wineries in the Occidental area.
Tickets: $20-$375.
Information and full schedule: westsonomacoast.com, 824-9000.
Flavor! Napa Valley Celebration of Wine, Food and Fun: This event is still a long way off, making its debut next fall, but tickets go on sale online next month, so it's not too soon to think about it.
The festival will feature longtime Napa Valley chefs and residents Michael Chiarello, Ken Frank, Jeffrey Jake, Thomas Keller, Christopher Kostow and Cindy Pawlcyn, as well as Food Network celebrities Tyler Florence and Masaharu Morimoto
When: Nov. 17-20.
Where: Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa, Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena.
Tickets: On sale June 20.
Information: flavornapavalley.com.
You can reach Staff Writer Dan Taylor at 521-5243 or dan.taylor@ pressdemocrat.com. See his ARTS blog at http://arts.blogs.pressdemocrat.com.
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