Christmas Culinary Celebrations
Don’t look now, but it’s almost Christmas. It may be too late to come up with the perfect celebration, but maybe not—several area restaurants have created special menus and events for the last big holiday of the year.
Start off early on Christmas Eve with...
Here Comes the Twilight Parade!
Marching bands, fire engines, pickup trucks and flatbeds—along with colorful dancing troupes and campaigning politicians—will march through town on Thursday to kick off the 75th anniversary of the Healdsburg Future Farmers Country Fair, or HFFCF...
The Man Behind the Hot Wildfire Tracking App
When asked how Watch Duty stands out from other wildfire apps, John C. Mills’ answer was simple: accuracy and immediacy. “We don’t speculate,” he said. “We disseminate information directly from professionals. If a first responder says a fire will reach a community in 17 minutes, we relay that information without delay. That’s our commitment to transparency.”
Giving a big hand to the Geyserville Sculpture Trail
Agraria is a 7.5 ton (or larger) hand created by environmental artist Larry Kirkland of Portland, Oregon, and installed at the mall in December 1996. A full 12 feet long, six feet tall and three feet wide, it was carved from a single marble block twice its size from Carrara marble in Torrano, Italy, where Michelangelo got his stone. It's now at a new home in Geyserville...
Turkey Trotters Run for Fun, Funds
Thanksgiving Day gets off to an early start in Healdsburg, and Nov. 23, 2023, was no different. Almost 3,000 participants registered for the fundraising Turkey Trot benefit, “plus lots of kids in strollers and dogs,” according to Susanne Esquivel. “The youngest Trotter was two...
Valorizing Valette for its Wine
When one thinks of celebrations at The Matheson in downtown Healdsburg (the town’s de facto club room), one usually goes straight to the top, literally the top-floor Roof 106 brasserie and bar where all manner of shindigs have occurred over the years. However, this year’s release of Valette Wines, which shares a proprietor with The Matheson, was a decidedly ground-floor affair.
‘Thanksgiving Trotters’ Raise $100,000
The 14th annual Turkey Trot got underway on a brisk but clear Thanksgiving morning, as more than 3,000 runners competed in what’s become known as the Live Like Drew challenge. It was a younger-than-normal crowd: Of the 2,679 who finished the 5k loop, half of the top 10 finishers were in their teens,...
Connoisseur Chef Valette Uncorked
Dustin Valette is a true Wine Country chef. His roots run deep in Sonoma County, and growing up here imparted a genuine appreciation for great food and wine upon him. He took time to explore the globe, but then returned to where it all began and to where his family ties were tethered....
Reach out to touch Healdsburg history
Up the steep flight of stone steps to the Healdsburg Museum’s double-door entrance is a pathway to possibilities—the promise of old worlds made new. Starting last Saturday, that ascent leads to a magical gateway into Healdsburg itself, past and present, with a new multi-media...
Singing the Heart’s Song With Jendala
Mark Themig, a close friend of Jen’s in recent years, was in a position to coordinate both city and community resources for the ceremony. “I think it was exactly what Jen would have wanted and enjoyed herself,” he said of the April afternoon gathering at Villa Chanticleer.
Arts & Entertainment
From tragedy to farce on local stages
This coming weekend sees three shows hit the floorboards, with another in the wings. From Cloverdale to Windsor, and back to Healdsburg.