Lifestyle

t goes without saying that the first Thanksgiving was nothing like the holiday dinner we celebrate today. Right? Truthfully, it wasn’t all that different. Except we've got wine.

The 29 pooches that entered in the 2024 Howl-O-Ween pet parade, sponsored by the Humane Society of Sonoma County, showed why they’re beloved by their people as they showed off costumes, wigs, novelty rigs and, in at least one case, their stripes.

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....

With the onset of spring last week—despite the cold and rain—Healdsburg is beginning to wake up from its sleepy winter months and get back in gear as the food/wine/music destination city it has become, with five significant celebrations coming to town in the coming months.

While in normal times cooking a big meal at home is possible if not enjoyable, this year’s ballooning guest list makes it all but essential to call in reinforcements and pick up a Thanksgiving meal in advance, in order to be ready for the holiday.

“Every time I go to Vineyard Plaza in Healdsburg I notice multiple parked vehicles with engines idling. I see people eating lunch, waiting for a pizza order, talking on the phone, listening to the radio while their car pollutes the air and makes noise,” wrote Steve Davy on Nextdoor. Some people have had enough...

Now, the core crew of 200 or so Edge Esmeralda participants who walked, biked and boarded around town this month—plus hundreds of others who dropped in for shorter stints—are preparing to vacate their Healdsburg hotel rooms, or wherever else they found to crash. And plenty of locals are left wondering what just happened, if anything at all...

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...

One of the world’s largest collections of nutcracker dolls gazes down on breakfast diners at Healdsburg’s Costeaux French Bakery this time of year, promoting the holiday spirit at the 100-year-old bakery. From mid-November into mid-January, hundreds of the small wood effigies of spirits, tin...

Space for vendors has always been a concern for the Farmers’ Market organization and the vendors themselves. “I’ll confess to not being a fan of it initially,” Janet Ciel said. “I realized it would be challenging to put vendors up there (on the stage area), as they can’t drive a car onto it. Everything will have to go up via stairs or a ramp.” But as she’s become used to the space, she’s recognized its potential.