Mouthful: Fun ways to celebrate fall in the North Coast

Weekend Along FarmTrails: On Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., several dozen farms, ranches, tasting rooms and nurseries will celebrate fall with special activities, tastes, demonstrations, sales and more.

This self-guided tour embraces the entire county, from Freestone east to Sonoma and from Petaluma north to Geyserville.

To participate, visit farmtrails.org, where you’ll find complete details about each location, along with its address and an opportunity to register up until noon Friday.

If you don’t register by noon, you can still attend but you won’t get information by email; you’ll need to glean it from the website.

Admission is free, though a few locations have special workshops that include a small fee that can be paid on the spot.

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I Brake For Lake County Pears: The 23rd Annual Kelseyville Pear Festival takes place this Saturday, September 26, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., following a sold-out kick-off dinner and concert Friday night with Singing Cowboy Dave Stamey.

The festival itself starts with a pancake breakfast from 7 to 10 a.m. at the Kelseyville Fire House (4020 Main St.,). Over 100 vendor booths open at 9 a.m. and the festival’s parade kicks off at 9:30 a.m.

The Pear Pavilion will be open all day, with exhibits of pears, pear products, local history and agricultural displays and more. There is live music throughout the day at five locations.

There is no admission fee for the festival. All you need to do is show up, find a parking place and have a good time.

For a schedule and complete details, visit pearfestival.com.

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This Drinking Life: On Sunday, September 27, from 4 to 7 p.m., Mystic Theatre (23 Petaluma Blvd. North, Petaluma) hosts “Meet Your Maker: This Drinking Life,” a benefit for the Petaluma Animal Services Foundation. It’s an afternoon of storytelling, tasting and toasting, with dozens of vendors of local food, beer, wine and spirits. It is presented by the Petaluma Craft Guild

Highlights include live music, a round-table discussion hosted by Noah Bolmer of the Bottom of the Bottle podcast, a special tasting created by Seared Restaurant’s chef Joe O’Donnell and more, including special giveaways.

Admission is $25 and you must be 21 or over to attend. All proceeds benefit Petaluma Animal Services, which will be on hand outside the event with cuddly adoptable animals.

Tickets are available through mystictheater.com.

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Mac n’ Cheese Chops: Speaking of the Petaluma Animal Services Foundation, there’s another benefit coming up and if you have a special version of mac ‘n cheese, you may want to put it on your calendar.

The First Annual Mac n’ Cheese Challenge takes place on October 10 from noon to 4 p.m. at Herzog Hall at the Petaluma Fairgrounds. If you want to simply attend the festival, there’s no need to hurry. However, if you want to join the competition you must file an application and pay an entry fee by October 2.

There are two general categories, professional--restaurants, caterers or food-related businesses--and individuals; entry fees are $50 and $25, respectively.

Awards will be presented in five categories: Cheese only; with meat; with vegetables; with seafood and kid’s choice. All judging will be done by attendees; there are no professional judges at this event.

For complete entry information, visit petalumaanimalshelter.org or call Lane Morales at 293-4959or Katherine Wells at 293-0033.

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Saving Cheetahs: Dr. Laurie Marker, originally from Northern California and a long-time resident of Namibia, where her Cheetah Conservation Fund is located, returns to Safari West on Thursday, October 8, from 5 to 9 p.m.

Dr. Marker has done groundbreaking work on cheetahs, including finding ways to settle the conflict between cheetahs and Namibian livestock farmers. She is currently traveling in celebration of CCF’s twenty-fifth anniversary.

Her visit to Safari West includes a talk and presentation, a buffet dinner and silent auction.

Admission is $60 for adults and $15 for children aged 4 to 12. Proceeds benefit the Cheetah Conservation Fund. For reservations and to make a donation if you can’t attend, visit safariwest.org.

For more information about Dr. Marker’s work, visit cheetah.org.

Safari West is at 3115 Porter Creek Rd., Santa Rosa.

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A Little Secret for the Weekend: Wings Over Wine Country takes place this weekend with shows from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. For complete details and to purchase tickets, which range from $8 to $40, visit wingsoverwinecountry.org, where you’ll also find a schedule of events and other attractions.

If you’d prefer to see part of the show but not necessarily the entire event, here’s a tip: Woodenhead Winery (5700 River Rd., Santa Rosa) offers a great view of the action.

The tasting room has several picnic tables overlooking the valley, where you can enjoy your picnic lunch, savor some fabulous boutique wines and watch the whirling, twirling flying machines from a pleasantly shady spot.

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.