Mouthful: Beerfest coming to Santa Rosa

Heads Up, Beer Lovers: The 24th Annual Beerfest takes place this Saturday, June 6, at the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts (50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa).

Billed as “Beerfest - The Good One,” the gathering features several dozen breweries and a number of food vendors.

This year several hard cider vendors, including Foxcraft, Golden State Cider and Ace, are part of fete. Breweries range from the tiny Baeltane Brewing of Marin County to the legendary Anchor Brewing of San Francisco.

If you’ve been hearing about sour beers but have not yet tasted any, this is a great opportunity. These beers, typically light, tart and refreshing, are ideal for anyone who doesn’t have a taste for powerfully hoppy beers like double and triple IPAs.

General admission tickets are $50, which gets you admission from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., along with complimentary food tastings as long as they last. Food will also be available for purchase.

VIP tickets, now sold out, include entry from noon to 1 p.m.

For tickets, visit beerfestthegoodone.com.

All proceeds benefit the work of Face to Face, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the health and well-being of individual living with HIV and AIDS in Sonoma County. For more information, visit f2f.org.

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Celebrating Our Laguna: The Laguna Foundation’s 25th anniversary celebration, “Covered in Birds: Take Jack in Concert,” taking place this Saturday night is sold out but you can still honor our Laguna de Santa Rosa on Sunday, June 7, when Lisa Hung leads a bird watching walk, “Feathered Friends of the Laguna,” part of the foundation’s ongoing celebration.

The morning walk from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. will take you to a part of the laguna not typically open to the public. After the walk, guests will return to Heron Hall for a picnic lunch and a review of the birds seen.

Pre-registration for this event is essential. Members pay $35; nonmembers pay $45. To snag a seat, register at lagunadesantarosa.org. Complete details will be provided upon registration.

On Saturday, June 13, from 3 to 4:30, Paul Kaiser of Singing Frogs Farm will present “Farming For Mother Nature,” an exploration of the farming techniques that most benefit nature, including no-till organic agriculture. This presentation is free and made possible by partnership with the Laguna Foundation, LandPaths and Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District.

It takes place at Heron Hall at the Laguna Environmental Center (900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa)

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BLT Walks & Talks: This Saturday, June 6, Bodega Land Trust (BLT) 2015 Walks & Talks hosts a tour of the Bodega Marine Lab and Reserve. Participants will explore the 362-acre research reserve and laboratory facilities on the bluffs of Bodega Head, lead by one of the lab’s scientists. You’ll get close up and personal with sea urchins, star fish and more.

Cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. Be sure to be prepared for a short, outdoor trail hike.

Space is limited. If you want to participate, you must rsvp right away to walks@bodgalandtrust.org. You’ll receive parking information and other details by return email.

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Market Openings: Several farmers markets open this weekend, including the Occidental Bohemian Farmers Market on Friday, June 5, at 4 p.m. in downtown Occidental. This popular market was in jeopardy of not opening for its fourteenth season but the concerns of downtown merchants have been addressed and the market is opening as it has in previous years, on the first Friday of June. Market management asks that customers park legally, not block driveways, take home any trash they generate and use designated market restrooms, not restrooms of local businesses.

Other openings include Rohnert Park’s seasonal market, held on Fridays from 5 to 8 p.m. from the beginning of June through the end of August at 500 City Center Drive and the Kenwood Farmers market (200 Warm Springs Road) on Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. through September 13.

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June Aloha: On Saturday, Da Puna Bruddahs bring their breezy Hawaiian melodies to Legends (3328 Yulupa Ave., Santa Rosa) on Friday, June 5, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. There is no cover charge.

On Monday, June 8, the trio plays at Sweet T’s (2097 Stagecoach Rd., Santa Rosa) from 5 to 8 p.m. No cover here, either, but if you want a seat, it’s a good idea to arrive early as the Bruddahs have a loyal following, especially at this venue.

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Fork Roadhouse Dinners: Starting this month, Fork Roadhouse (9890 Bodega Highway, Sebastopol) is hosting weekly farm dinners. Although an official announcement has not yet been made, each Thursday dinner will feature just-harvested foods from a single farm throughout the evening’s menu.

Fork is an enthusiastic supporter of its purveyors, with a chalkboard listing sources of almost everything on the menu. Purveyors are also listed at forkcatering.com.

Fork Roadhouse serves breakfast and lunch on Thursday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. On Thursday, there’s a happy hour from 4 to 5:30 p.m. and dinner from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

The backyard patio, with its beautiful carved bench and long bar overlooking the creek, is lovely at this time of year.

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Plan Now: Certain local events sell out well in advance and it is worth looking ahead so as not to miss out. Two are on Ms. Mouthful’s radar this week.

On Saturday, June 20, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., wineries along the Route 116 corridor are hosting a light-hearted grilling competition.

Here’s how it works. Participating wineries - Balletto Vineyards, Dutton Estate, Ektimo Vineyards, Graton Ridge Cellars, Hanna Vineyards, Hook & Ladder, Jigar Wines, Martin Ray Winery, Occidental Road Cellars, Russian River Vineyards, Taft Street Winery and Wine Guerrilla - will offer something from the grill, with wine alongside, of course. Visitors vote for their favorite grill item and are automatically entered in a special contest.

General admission is $45; wine club members pay $35 and designated drivers pony up $10. For tickets, visit tasteroute116.com, where you’ll also find a map to all the wineries.

On Father’s Day, Sunday, June 21, Safari West hosts “Brews, Burgers, Brats and Big Daddies,” as it is also World Giraffe Day. There are two options. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., you can enjoy a morning feast and then enjoy a tour by both foot and bus. An afternoon tour takes place from 1:30 to 4 p.m.

There will be special presentations about giraffes, including about the nine subspecies, throughout the day.

Cost is $50 for adults and $25 for kids aged 4 to 12.

Last month’s Mother’s Day event sold out quite early so if you want to join in, email reservations@safariwest.com or call 566-3667.

Michele Anna Jordan has written 21 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.