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ABOUT SONOMA VALLEY |
Located just 45 minutes north of San Francisco, the beautiful, 17-mile Sonoma Valley is a destination sought by visitors from around the world for its wine, food, and culture, and a community loved by residents and workers for its charm and vitality.
Sonoma is an incorporated General Law City within Sonoma Valley and governed by a five-member City Council. The remainder of Sonoma Valley comprises an unincorporated area that includes the communities of Boyes Hot Springs, Eldridge, El Verano, Fetters Hot Springs, Agua Caliente, Glen Ellen, Kenwood, Oakmont, Schellville, and Vineburg (see below for more information on these communities.)
| The climate and geography of the Sonoma Valley make it not only a delightful place to live year-round, but also one of the world’s great grape-growing regions. Averaging 29 inches of rainfall per year, it is one of the driest areas in Sonoma County. The Mayacamas and Sonoma mountain ranges on either side isolate the Valley, allowing in just enough coastal fog to cool the vineyards on summer nights. |
Year-Round
Farmers’ Market
Fridays 8:30 a.m. - noon, Depot Park, 538-7023
March (Third Weekend)
Heart of the Valley Barrel Tasting
Passport food and wine pairings at the wineries of Kenwood and Glen Ellen, 939-0708
April (Beginning of the Month)
Sonoma Valley International Film Festival
Celebration of independent filmmaking that captures the richness of the human experience, set amidst Sonoma’s epicurean pleasures of fine food, award-winning wine, and unparalleled natural beauty, http://www.sonomafilmfest.org/
April (Third Weekend)
April in Carneros
Annual open house for Carneros appellation wineries, 935-4310
April to October (during Daylight Savings Time)
Farmers’ Market
Tuesdays 5 p.m. - dusk, Sonoma Plaza, 538-7023
May (First Sunday)
Cinco de Mayo
Food, games, and entertainment celebrating Mexican-American culture, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sonoma Plaza, 938-5131
Vintage Car Festival
Wine, gourmet foods, and vintage cars, 5 p.m., Sonoma Plaza, 996-1090
June (First Sunday)
Ox Roast
Barbecue, art (also Saturday), and Sonoma Valley wines benefiting Sonoma Community Center, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sonoma Plaza, 938-4626
June (First Sunday)
Hit the Road Jack
2.3 mile/10K run benefiting local charities, 938-8544
July (Fourth of July)
Independence Day and General Mariano G. Vallejo’s Birthday
Sonoma Community Celebration
Parade at 10 a.m., followed by food, wine, games, and entertainment on Sonoma Plaza, plus fireworks at dusk at Vallejo home, 938-4626
July (Fourth of July)
World Championship Pillow Fights and Independence Day Celebration
Parade at 10 a.m., followed by chili cook-off, live music, and pillow fights, Kenwood, 833-2440
July (Third Weekend) – August (Second Weekend)
Wine Country Film Festival
Sebastiani Theatre and Jack London State Park, 996-2536
September (Labor Day Weekend)
Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction
Benefit for local nonprofits, The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa, Valley wineries, 935-0803
September (Last Weekend)
Valley of the Moon Vintage Festival
Oldest wine festival in California, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sonoma Plaza, 996-2109
October 25 - 30
Charles Schwab Cup Championship
ProAm golf tournament, Sonoma Golf Club, 939-4131
December (First Friday)
Sonoma Downtown Holiday Celebration
Santa’s arrival, tree-lighting, and more, 5:30 p.m., Sonoma Plaza, 996-1033
December (Second Weekend)
Christmas at the Mission
Candlelight
procession from Sonoma Barracks to Mission San Francisco Solano,
followed by nondenominational service at 5, 6, and 7 p.m., admission
free with reservations, 938-1519
December - February
Sonoma Valley Olive Festival
Multi-event celebration of valley olive crops and products, 996-1090
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CITY OF SONOMA 2010 11,100 |
COUNTY OF SONOMA 2008 494, 470 |
