As the Wine Road’s 40th anniversary continues, the next event — 40 Years of Cheers — is on Saturday, July 23rd, and everyone is invited. I’m super excited about this community-based festival. It will be like the street fairs and local community festivals I used to attend before they became commercialized or extinct.

Something for Everyone

Held in the Healdsburg City Hall parking lot and lawn, this down-home festival will have something for everyone of all ages and interests. Enjoy perusing the works of local artists—painters, jewelry makers, ceramicists, and more. Talk to local authors as they sign copies of their books. Wander through displays from the Healdsburg Museum and Sonoma County Wine Library highlighting local wine industry history with artifacts and photos. Rock out to live music with the Jacktones from 11 – 1:30 and What the Funk from 2 – 4. Be sure to wear your dancing shoes!

Two painting by artist Nancy Woods

Artist Nancy Woods will be showing these new paintings and many more.

Food & Wine

Come hungry as several local restaurants and caterers—including Mateo’s, Costeaux, The Wurst, and El Faralito—will have scrumptious fare available for sale. No Wine Road event would be complete without wine, and this one will have a wine tasting as well. Thirty-plus wineries will be pouring their favorites. The cost is five tastes for $10. Wineries will collect the tickets as they share a pour. The proceeds from the ticket sales will be donated to Becoming Independent, a local community-based service organization established over 40 years ago to help people with disabilities live meaningful and productive lives.

Red wine being poured into glasses

Enjoy wine tasting along with arts, crafts, games, live music, great food and more.

Activities for Kids, Too

Now for the best part—there will be activities for kids or those who are still kids at heart. Face painting and cork crafts will keep the young ones happy, and for the kid in us all, be sure to check out Knockerball™. If you’re not familiar with Knockerball™, you’re in for a treat. It is a single chamber inflatable ball that you can use to roll, do flips, play bubble soccer, and more. It has been described as almost defying gravity, and who wouldn’t want to do that!

Although tickets aren’t required, the Wine Road is requesting folks register on Eventbrite.

Kids playing with knockerballs

Be a kid again and enjoy a round of Knockerball!

The Who, What & Where

~ 40 Years of Cheer—a community festival
~ Healdsburg City Hall parking lot & lawn – 401 Grove Street, Healdsburg
~ On Saturday, July 23 from 11 – 4
~ Wine tasting is from 11:30 – 3:30
~ Tasting tickets are 5 tickets for $10, and proceeds will be donated to Becoming Independent
~ Food will be available for purchase at the event
~ Admission is free, but the Wine Road suggests you pre-register at Eventbrite, and you can also get more details on the Eventbrite page.
Hope to see you there.

Happy Sipping!

Posted by Rebecca Germolus

Rebecca Germolus, co-owner of Maximum Value Marketing, loves Sonoma County and playing along the Wine Road. Rebecca daily immerses herself in wine country by providing cost-effective marketing and writing solutions to wineries and restaurants.

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