Celebrations: 13 iconic Sonoma County festivities
Each of Sonoma County’s towns has its own unique way of celebrating the holidays. From lighted riverboats and twilight menorah lightings to posadas, processions and tractor parades, the season kicks off with a bang this weekend. Here’s what is ahead.
HEALDSBURG: Downtown Holiday Party
This Wine Country town kicks off the season in grand style the day after Thanksgiving (Nov. 28). Horse-drawn carriages take party-goers on rides through downtown Healdsburg, evoking the holiday spirit of the 19th century. When Santa arrives on an antique fire truck, kids shriek with delight.
Local merchants, restaurants and bars get into the act, too. In 2013, Barndiva restaurant roasted chestnuts over an open fire and offered “spirited libations.” Nearby stores gave away hot cider and cookies, while a shop on Matheson Street had a jazz trio perform. There will also be costumed performers, carolers and wine tasting.
Nov. 28, 4-8 p.m., downtown Healdsburg, 707-433-6935, www.healdsburg.com
GEYSERVILLE: Lighted Tractor Parade
It’s a 4-year-old boy’s dream: Huge tractors and trucks rumble down Geyserville Avenue on Nov. 29 . Last year, one truck had a friendly Santa on one side and the menacing green Grinch on the other. Honking fire trucks and big rigs with reindeer horns join the cavalcade of oversized vehicles bedecked with strands of colorful holiday lights.
It’s all part of Geyserville’s annual Lighted Tractor Parade, where Rudolph meets John Deere for an illuminated procession that impresses kids and parents alike. Don’t be surprised to see Mr. and Mrs. Claus pose for photos while the town lights its holiday tree.
Nov. 29, 7 p.m., 707-857-3745, geyservillecc.com
SONOMA VALLEY: Gingerbread House Contest
More than a dozen Sonoma Valley wineries compete each year for the title of best gingerbread house builder. The designs are creative, the details intricate. As wine tasters visit the wineries, they vote on which gingerbread houses they consider the best. Most of the abodes are about the size of a case of wine.
Though the prize for the winner is mostly bragging rights, the lengths to which wineries go to create gorgeous little edible houses is admirable. In 2013, B.R. Cohn created a gingerbread version of its winery building; Gundlach Bundschu baked a replica of what its winery looked like back in the day.
Nov. 29 to Dec. 31, Sonoma Valley wineries, 707-935-0803, sonomavalleywine.com
COTATI: Christmas Tree Lighting
Cotati celebrates the holiday season with three days of events in early December, the centerpiece a Christmas tree lighting on Dec. 5. Friends and families gather in La Plaza Park at about 6 p.m. and Santa arrives soon thereafter.
There will be music from local performers; last year, the Sonoma State University choir enriched the evening with songs. Kids can meet Santa at Cotati’s firehouse or onstage at La Plaza Park.
On Dec. 4, Cotati will have a pub crawl (nonalcoholic beverages available, too) starting at the 8 Ball Tavern (8 Charles St.) then continuing to the Cotati Yacht Club & Saloon (8099 La Plaza) and beyond.
On Dec. 6, the century-old Church of the Oaks (185 Page St.) hosts a candlelight concert; the paths to the church will be brightened by luminaria. ec. 4-6, 707-795-5508, cotati.org
SONOMA: Siren Announces Santa
In Sonoma, Santa stables the reindeer and hops aboard a classic fire truck to arrive at the town plaza on Dec. 5. Then he asks the kids in the crowd to help him light the tree on the balcony of City Hall.
Parents lean in as Santa asks each child what he or she wants for the holidays amid the spectacle of the colorfully lighted plaza. Don’t worry if it’s a chilly night: The local Soroptimists provide steaming cups of hot chocolate.
Dec. 5, 5:30 p.m., Sonoma Plaza, holidaysinsonoma.com
SONOMA: Snowmen Glow
Cornerstone Sonoma’s Lighting of the Snowmen Festival began a decade ago when David Allen, owner of Artefact Design & Salvage, one of the stores at Cornerstone Gardens in Carneros, stumbled upon hundreds of decorative snowmen at a Boston factory that was closing. He bought the snowmen, shipped them to Sonoma and started a tradition of lighting up the army for the holidays.
The glow begins the afternoon of Dec. 7, accompanied by live music, performances by the Sonoma Conservatory of Dance, and holiday films in the Olive Grove Cinema. There’s also face painting by Popo the Clown, grab-bag goodies and gingerbread men to decorate; Mom and Dad can visit the German beer garden.
The festival is free, but 2014 saw 1,700 people turn out, so there is a $5 charge for parking. Once the lot fills, there’s free parking at nearby Jacuzzi Winery, with shuttles to the event.
UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy: