Steelhead Fest moves off the plaza

Re-tooled event to be held at Lake Sonoma
The annual Healdsburg Wild Steelhead Festival is undergoing a few changes this year, but will return the second Saturday in February with many of the same family fun activities.
The name is different, the location has changed, but the event will look very similar to past year’s festivals with a trout pond, food trucks, kids art projects and educational exhibits.
Now simply called the “Steelhead Festival,” the free event will move off the plaza and will be held this year at the Visitors Center at Lake Sonoma.
“It makes sense, now you can see the fish swimming up the ladder at the Steelhead Festival,” said Festival Director Liz Keeley.
“It’s still a free event, it’s all the same thing, it’s just going to be up at Lake Sonoma this year,” she said.
The free event will be held Saturday, Feb. 9 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will feature activities at the Visitors Center. It will be held rain or shine, as always, and Keeley said booths will be moved indoors to the newly remodeled center if it rains.
There will be more than 25 educational exhibits and the very popular trout pond, where dozens of children have caught their first ever fish, will return for young anglers. Also popular in previous years, the fly fishing demonstration pond with tips from the pros, is returning.
A live steelhead display and art projects for kids will be included.
New this year, there will be a chance for event-goers to try their hand at archery and the Bird Rescue Center will be at the event with a live osprey feeding demonstration.
This year’s event is being sponsored by the Friends of Lake Sonoma. Organizations including Trout Unlimited, Russian Riverkeeper, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Army Corp of Engineers, Sonoma County Water Agency, Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods, Gold Ridge RCD, Sonoma County Mycological Society, the Free Bookmobile and others will have informational booths at the event.
Live music will be provided by Rosetown Ramblers and local brews can be purchased from Bear Republic Brewing Company and Lagunitas Brewing Company, as well as wine from Truett-Hurst. Food trucks include Chicago Style Hot Dogs, Paella and Ultimate Souvlaki.
For more information about the Steelhead Festival, please visit www.lakesonoma.org  or contact Festival Director Liz Keeley at 484-6438.
Proceeds from the Steelhead Festival, sponsored by Friends of Lake Sonoma, will benefit interpretive and visitor programs of the US Army Corps of Engineers at Lake Sonoma.