Sonoma County farm events to enjoy this fall

There are lots of harvest-inspired events this fall that will put you close to the folks who plant, grow, pick and deliver our tasty, Sonoma County produce and meats. Here are a few to put on your calendar now so you won't miss them later.

PETALUMA: Dance, pig roast at Tara Firma

Tara Firma Farms will celebrate summer with a Pig Roast and Barn Dance from 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, July 30, at the Petaluma farm. Dinner features a smoked whole hog, beer butt chicken and lots of farm-to-table fixin's. Afterwards, guests will dance under the stars to the local music of the Blue Rock Country Club. Cost is $40. brownpapertickets.com. 3796 I Street Extension.

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SEBASTOPOL: Take a bite of the apple fair

Old-fashioned farm fun will be dished out at the Gravenstein Apple Fair from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 13 and 14 at Ragle Ranch Park.

Known as “the sweetest little fair in Sonoma County,” the family event includes live music, local food and beverages, a pie-eating and apple pie-baking contest, a chef's tent, an artisan cheese tent, a do-it-yourself tent, plus all kinds of “life on the farm” activities, from cow-milking to sheep shearing.

Admission to the benefit for the Sonoma County Fair Trails is $15 ($10 if you bike), $12 for seniors and veterans, $10 for kids 6 to 12. Advance tickets, at a discount, are available at Harmony Farm Supply, all Oliver's Markets and Copperfield's Bookstores, through the Sonoma County Farm Trails office and online at gravensteinapplefair.com.

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SANTA ROSA: National Heirloom Expo returns

Once again, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds will host the three-day National Heirloom Exposition, a world's fair of “pure food,” from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sept. 6-8 at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds.

The three-day extravaganza showcases all kinds of heirloom produce and heritage poultry, colossal pumpkins and giant dahlias, folk and bluegrass music, chef's demos and kids' activities, plus speakers on everything from “Extreme Tomato” breeding to “Growing Amazing Peppers from Around the World.”

Special events this year include a global seed exchange, talks by young food activists, a seed and garden art exhibit curated by the Hudson Valley Seed Library and a sanctioned National Fiddlers' Contest.

Tickets at the gate are $15 for one day or $30 for a three-day pass. Children are free. 1350 Bennett Valley Road.

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SANTA ROSA: Double, double, toil and bubble

The Farm to Fermentation Festival, a celebration of kombucha, beer, pickles and all things bubbly, will be held from 11 am. to 5 p.m. Aug. 27 at the Finley Community Center.

The afternoon includes sampling from vendors, workshops, a VIP Libation Lounge and fermented root beer floats.

Ticket prices vary from $20 for early bird general admission to $45 for VIP tickets, including cider, mead, beer and wine in the Libation Lounge. To reserve, go to eventbrite.com. Finley is located at 2060 West College Ave.

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HEALDSBURG: Quivira hosts summer dinners

Guest chefs from all over the Bay Area will cook up a storm with our local bounty during Quivira Vineyards' Farm-to-Table Dinner Series at the Dry Creek Valley winery.

The multi-course dinners begin at 6 p.m. and cost $145, including wine pairings from Quivira.

Sophina Uong of Calavera in Oakland will cook Oaxacan-focused fare Aug. 13. Cuisine from Madera, the restaurant at the Rosewood Sand Hill Resort in Menlo Park, will be served Aug. 27.

For the final dinner, Mark Liberman of AQ in San Francisco will prepare a multi-course menu Sept. 18.

Quivira Vineyards is at 4900 West Dry Creek Road. quivirawine.com.

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PETALUMA: Food and field athletes

Get ready for some tongue-in-cheek fun as The Farmers Guild hosts the 2016 Farmer Olympics from noon to 7 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Petaluma Fairgrounds.

From squash bowling to hay bale stacking, competitive irrigation to synchronized grazing, the athletes will compete in inventive yet down-home events.

A Scarecrow Contest, an Ugly Produce Beauty Pageant and a “Farm Hack” maker fair round out the farm-themed games and activities. There will also be live music by the Vivants and the Hubbub Club, a full farmers market and plenty of local food and drinks.

Tickets are $15, $10 kids 6-12 and free for kids 5 and under. farmersguild.org.

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