Tomatoes and zucchinis abound. Time to make ratatouille? Or, take a break and email news to IDlewood 3…” at id*******@hb*****.com. “Hedda Healdsburg” wants to know all.
It was a good day to be green. The farmers’ market annual Zucchini Festival brought out zukes of all hues of green and a few yellow squash. It was, as M.C. Kip Miller declared, “The greatest spectacle at the farmer’s market!” Kip wore an appropriate scarecrow ensemble, with overalls, patchwork shirt and frayed straw hat, with a few lost crows sitting atop.
Decorated zucchini cars perched on hay bales, awaiting judging and the races. There were bead-bedecked ones, a spider and bug “buggy,” zukes as farm and forest scenes and a yarn covered dragon boat. One of the more natural ones had apple and canning jar lid wheels. Brothers Max and Matthew Rodrigues had two entries. Matthew’s had bright feathers. Max’s was a zucchini car bed with sleeping passenger. It was their first time entering and both won prizes.
Annie Gugel of Healdsburg turned her home-grown, odd-shaped squash into a whimsical mouse, complete with a nub of a carrot tail, grape eyes, succulent leaf ears and feathery carrot-top whiskers. Dani Wilcox entered a monster of a zuke, with onion wheels and a red pepper snout. There was a Chicken Little made from a brown egg shell.
One yellow squash became a giant bumblebee. Avi Shemper, age three-and-a-half, created a hybrid cricket-frog (a crog?) with celery stalk legs; Avi’s zucchini also won its race; hopping to the finish line in front of the rest. In the giant zucchini contest, the winner weighed in at 11.83 pounds. Hmmm, are your pumpkins plumping for the October Pumpkin Festival?
The 2018 Healdsburg Art Festival, presented by Healdsburg Center for the Arts, brought together musicians, artists and artisans, poets, actors and the community in a three-day celebration. In the Plaza, there were vendors, an art zone for kids and adults, live performances, food and a wine garden.
In the “jazz lounge” booth, Healdsburg Jazz Festival Executive Director Gina Riner advised that she has great ideas and plans to bring jazz into the community these next coming months. Stay tuned.
On a recent evening, Summer’s Market & Deli was the site of a town “Community Conversation.” Sponsored by the city, these are casual, outdoor neighborhood meetings where city directors and staff answer questions about, well, anything going on in the ‘Burg.
Healdsburg City Manager David Mickaelian and most of the city council members were there. Various department heads gave brief comments about their projects. Some highlights: the roundabout should be done in a few weeks and is not over budget; the popular Dia de los Muertos event will be on October 28 in the Plaza; an additional 109 parking spots are opening up downtown; Measure V monies continue to fund street paving; and there is an infill housing project planned for Kennedy Lane.
Audience inquiries ranged from dealing with uneven sidewalks, the Dry Creek interchange, the Montage project in the north and fire mitigation on Fitch Mountain. Swag bags were distributed with goodies, too. Upcoming conversations will be on September 20 in the Plaza and October 18 at Barbieri Park.
The Friends of the Library held their summer book sale. Bibliophiles could become embroiled in the cookbooks, discover the mysteries or be enchanted with the fiction. If you missed this sale, the next one will be in November. “In time for Christmas shopping,” one of the volunteers offered.
The fairies must not take the summer off. More fairy doors have popped up downtown. The most recent addition, located at the HealdsburgSenior Center, has an arched door with jeweled accent. At the Market 337 shop, there is a tiny screen door with a sign “Welcome To Our Cabin.” Taste of Tea has been visited with a bright blue “charmed” door.
Happy painted rocks have also been spotted around downtown and beyond. The rocks would be boulders to fairies, but perhaps the sprites have human helpers to distribute them.
Alley 6 Craft Distillery on Grove Street, near Dry Creek Road, got a nice mention in a recent issue of Sunset Magazine. The article, “Six Botanical Gins We’re Loving Right Now,” highlighted their Harvest Gin. If you haven’t been by yet, they have gin and whiskey tastings — and they give tours.
Marie Butler is a freelance writer and a full time Healdsburg resident for over 30 years. Growing up, she spent delightful summers at her family’s Del Rio Woods home and had an Idlewood phone number. She is the author of “Herbie – A Toy’s Adventures in Healdsburg,” and various articles about our area, including the recent “Healdsburg, bikers and bears” (Healdsburg Tribune, June 7, 2018).
