The doors were thrown open and the holiday lights turned on as the city held an Open House at the new Foley Family Community Pavilion on Monday, Dec. 15, with hot chocolate and cookies and pretzels and speeches. There were plenty of congratulations to go around, and go around they did—even though the Pavilion is not expected to host its first event until March 2026.
Community Services Director Mark Themig opened the ceremonial part of the evening with the words, “Welcome to your Foley Family Community Pavilion.” The ribbon-cutting was scheduled for 5pm, but there were thanks and shout-outs to get through first. Themig emphasized the “friends and neighbors” angle, delivering a litany of thanks and appreciations to a wide swath of attendees.
First from the bench on the stage to speak was Courtney Foley, one of two daughters of billionaire Bill Foley to live in Healdsburg. It was thanks to their efforts that the family trust was able to set aside over $7 million for construction of the new Community Pavilion, and now the city structure bears the name of the foundation.
Then the farmers and market directors took over, including local farming sage Yael Bernier and early director of the Healdsburg Farmers’ Market Renee Kiff, whose Ridgeview Farm has been a cornerstone of the market since its inception. Next, current market director Janet Ciel expressed delighted with the certainty of moving from across the street into this resurrected ag hall.
Eventually the ribbon-cutting commenced, with the big scissors wielded by Mayor Evelyn Mitchell as her last official mayoral act (the City Council meeting followed across the street, and Chris Herrod came away with the gavel).
Almost lost in the evening was the unveiling of a new work of public art—an 880-gallon wine tank, labeled across its circumference with the history of agriculture in Healdsburg. These were some of the same historical photos and details that had decorated the scrims surrounding the construction zone for almost two years, now converted to a single circular mural of art linking Healdsburg’s roots to its new roof.
