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Healdsburg
January 22, 2026

New Raven Play ‘Inspired by True Events’

old family portrait
This weekend’s opening marks the culmination of 10 years of research, inspiration and introspection for playwright Francine Schwartz, now 75, along with a lifetime of memories. That decade began in 2014 while she went through family possessions in the family home, cleaning things out because her mother had moved into assisted living...

SIP Samples Songwriting Talent This Week

Singer-songwriters
Those who have experienced Songwriters in Paradise have a difficult time coming up with an elevator pitch to describe it. It’s intimate. There’s great music. There is delicious food, and of course there is premium wine. But there’s more than that. “It’s magical … it’s...

Reach out to touch Healdsburg history

Pomo baskets in exhibit
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...

Suspicious Blaze Engulfs Wicked Slush

A Feb. 27, a fire erupted at the former Wicked Slush business on Healdsburg Avenue that did considerable damage to the structure—for almost 50 years the location of canoe rental businesses and, more recently, the Wicked Slush ice cream café.

Jendala’s Journey Ends at Home

Jendala in Minnesota
 “A much-loved member of the community died a few days ago,” seemed insufficient. It couldn’t quite capture the spirit or impact of Jennifer Utsch, who died early Wednesday morning, Feb. 19, in hospice care in Tucson. Healdsburg responded with a spontaneous gathering.

Slidin’ Back Into Town

A little-known country song of recent years begins with the words: “I shook the hand of the man who shook hands with the King.” It’s about being close enough to greatness to touch it—at least second hand. Roy Rogers has touched the hand of so...

Getting to Know ‘A Complete Unknown’

Actors portray Joan Baez and Bob Dylan in move 'A Complete Unknown'
From its casting to its settings to its all-important musical choices, James Mangold’s A Complete Unknown is an electrifying, irresistibly engaging portrait of one of America’s unique originals, Bob Dylan. Covering the years from Dylan’s 1961 arrival in New York City from Minnesota to the time just before his serious 1966 motorcycle accident, the film depicts the artist’s life and times in sumptuous detail...

Centenarians Celebrate in Healdsburg

Four centenarians get a birthday cake
Senior-home staffers threw a joint birthday party for the Big Four last Friday afternoon, on the final day of February. They branded it a “centenarian celebration.” The first two birthday girls wheeled into the snug party lounge were Healdsburg natives Marge Lampson and Marge Barnard, who remember attending public school together in Healdsburg.

Día de Muertos celebrates 9th year in the Plaza

Despite the weekend’s rain, Corazón Healdsburg’s ninth annual Día de Muertos celebration brought around 2,500 community members into the heart of downtown Healdsburg for a vibrant and heartfelt tribute to loved ones who passed during the past year.

Healdsburg Happenings, Feb. 20

Image from the short film 'Brat'
"The Shape of Things," a play by Neil LaBute, will be performed on stage at The 222 on two successive weekends, Feb. 21-23 and Feb. 28-March 2. It’s billed as a “fascinating study into the nature of love and art, and what happens when the two collide.” Tickets from free (18 and under) to $105 (gold level seating).
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Arts & Entertainment

Gabrielle Cavassa at Healdsburg Jazz

Healdsburg stakes claim as year-round jazz destination

This year brings the second Healdsburg Winter Jazz Festival, which starts Thursday, Jan. 29, at the Harmon Guest House’s Merritt Hall and concludes Sunday night, Feb. 1, at the Healdsburg Community Church. It once again showcases a diverse line-up of jazz talent, genres and venues. A total of six programs are being presented at off-beat stages, with a suitably wide-ranging menu of music.
Ralph Fiennes

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