Make Sonoma County Your Holiday Home Away From Home
Sonoma County, California, October 18, 2021 – The most rewarding holiday experiences are those that help us reconnect – with friends, with loved ones, and with the seasonal spirit. Holidays in the heart and soul of Sonoma County invite you to restore your sense of well-being through a blend of enriching experiences.
Note: Sonoma County is open to welcome visitors while some safety restrictions and protocols may be in place. When planning your visit, please review What to Expect When Visiting Sonoma County Wine Country.
Get Together: Family Reunions or Friendsgivings
After many months of being alone, the vast vineyard acreages and redwood groves of Sonoma County set the scene for the perfect holiday with friends and family. Settle into luxurious hotels and resorts, where guests discover a home away from home. The Vintner’s Resort’s spacious suites open up to the estate vineyards, offering a gathering place for friends and family to conviene. Leave the holiday cooking up to John Ash & Co., whose holiday menus feature seasonal, locally sourced dishes paired with wines from the region. Art House Santa Rosa is a newly opened hotel offering apartment style rooms where travelers can entertain guests in their living room space with local restaurant’s holiday takeout specials, homemade dishes with farmers market ingredients, and beverages purchased at winery tastings and holiday events.
Get Lifted: Catch the Holiday Spirit
Stroll the charming plazas and quaint towns as ceremonial holiday lightings take place: the lighting of the historic Sonoma Plaza, the Geyserville Tree Lighting and Tractor Parade, the Sebastopol Tree Lighting & Holiday Celebration, and the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree Grove in Windsor. For a unique and memorable holiday celebration, take a trip to the theater for the Cirque Música Holiday Spectacular or find a spot along the Petaluma River the Saturday after Thanksgiving for Santa’s riverboat arrival. And if ringing in the new year is your favorite part of the holiday season, be sure to join in the unique celebration at the Charles M. Schulz Museum for Happy New Year, Charlie Brown!
Take in the season’s beautiful features and catch a concert while enjoying a glass of wine and a late autumn sunset at Gundlach Bundschu, California’s oldest family-owned winery. Trek to the rugged mountains of the world-famous Emerald Triangle in Northern California and attend the Emerald Cup, proudly continuing an 18-year tradition of celebrating the cannabis plant, the culture surrounding it, and the farmers who bring it to harvest each year. Check the Sonoma County Events page for the latest events.
Get Merry: Eat, Drink, Play
Kick off the season of eating and drinking with the 23rd Annual Wine & Food Affair, November 5 – 7 in the Alexander, Dry Creek, and Russian River valleys, featuring Sonoma County wineries preparing delicious food paired with the perfect wines. For those seeking a truly unique wine experience, taste the full life cycle of a wine in “barrel to bottle” flights from Dutton Estate Winery on December 4. Or take part in a walking wine tour; the Holidays in Healdsburg in November or December feature a guided tour of charming downtown Healdsburg with private seated tastings.
If you’re looking to take care of your holiday shopping while in Sonoma County, stop by the Sebastopol Center for the Arts annual Holiday Pottery Sale, Head West at the Barlow’s outdoor marketplace, or Healdsburg Holiday Craft Market.
Get Outdoors: Wellness and Adventure as New Year’s Resolutions
After a trying year in 2021, take a new twist on New Year’s resolutions by setting goals that improve your well-being and happiness. If a little mind, body or spirit restoration is your resolution, consider kicking off 2022 with an indulgent and rejuvenating trip to Sonoma County; go glamping at Autocamp Russian River or stay at the Farmhouse Inn tucked in the forested Russian River Valley, then visit Sugarloaf Ridge State Park to try forest bathing or a yoga hike. On Fridays, enjoy a guided forest bathing experience at Red Car Winery’s naturally farmed Zephyr Vineyards in Freestone’s redwoods. Perhaps you’re looking to cross off a few thrill-seeking adventures from your bucket list; get an early start in 2022 by ziplining through Sonoma Canopy Tours for an unforgettable view or go whale watching as north-to-south grey whale migration starts along the coast. Or if you’re looking to pick up a new skill, build an itinerary around the many unique hands-on classes across Sonoma County, including cheesemaking and mushroom foraging.
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About Sonoma County
Sonoma County Tourism is the region’s official Destination Stewardship Organization. Through a multi-channel sales and marketing program, the organization promotes Sonoma County as a global visitor and meetings destination, where diversity thrives, and everyone is welcome. Leveraging the region’s unmatched assets, wine, culinary, wellness and sustainability continue to define its character. Pre-pandemic, tourism generated $2.3 Billion in visitor spending, $194 Million in tax revenue and employed more than 23,000 Sonoma Countians. Post-pandemic, SCT will work with partner businesses to rebuild the tourism economy, regain critical revenue and re-establish a vibrant workforce. For more information, visit www.sonomacounty.com
Sonoma County Tourism Media Contacts
Birgitt Vaughan , Director of Public Relations
Anna Yan, Public Relations Manager
[email protected]
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