Lisa Ludwigsen
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Petaluma Bounty
At the end of a short road in west Petaluma that is more pothole than roadway sits Petaluma Bounty Farm, a thriving urban farm with a 20-year history. At first glance, it’s an unlikely spot for a farm, surrounded by railroad tracks, an apartment complex, and an old strip mall. In fact, it is a…
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Spring Farmers Markets
Find a Sonoma County Farmers Market Near You: Ourfarmersmarkets.org Nuestrosmercados.org Cloverdale Cloverdale Farmers Market cloverdaleconnect.com Downtown Plaza Tuesdays (Summer) 6:00-9:00pm Cotati Cotati Farmers Market ilovefarmersmarkets.org La Plaza Park Wednesdays (June–September) 4:30-7:30pm Forestville forestvillefarmersmarket.com Downtown Park Tuesdays (June–September) 4:00-7:00pm Healdsburg Healdsburg Farmers Market healdsburgfarmersmarket.org Foley Family Community Pavilion, 3 North St. Saturdays…
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Reuse and Restore
Sonoma Restorations creates beautiful heirloom pieces from repurposed wood. In a world where furniture is mass-produced and discarded far too easily, it feels good to collect pieces that come with backstories, ready to enhance a new chapter in your story. In the heart of Sonoma County, Sonoma Restorations transforms the history and heritage of wine country into handmade furniture, décor, and…
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Rare Bird: Glen Ellen’s Songbird Parlour
Sometimes the best restaurants feel a bit like a well-kept secret. Those places with thoughtfully prepared food, attentive service, and ambiance that encourages good conversation and genuine conviviality. Songbird Parlour in Glen Ellen is just such a spot. Tucked into historic Jack London Village, which dates to 1839, Songbird Parlour offers an elegant and sophisticated…
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All That Jazz
Healdsburg Jazz Festival is one of the Crown Jewels of Sonoma County’s Cultural Calendar Don’t let June sneak by without catching the Healdsburg Jazz Festival, taking place from June 12-21 in and around the wine country town. This is the festival’s 28th year, and surprisingly it manages to fly under the radar for many locals.…
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Dig in with Master Gardeners
The UC Master Gardener Program Offers Science-Based Solutions to Your Gardening Questions A flourishing garden—whether on a large lot, small patio, or even a community garden plot—holds enduring appeal for so many of us. We dream of picking fresh plump tomatoes or clipping lettuce leaves or flowers from our neatly maintained patch out back. It’s an…
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Urban Wild
Petaluma River Park For decades, a 35-acre industrial site on the McNear Peninsula in downtown Petaluma sat dormant. It was an abandoned peninsula surrounded on three sides by the Petaluma River. Today, that neglected spit of land is transforming into an ambitious public space: the Petaluma River Park. In 2020, a community-led grassroots effort raised…
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Calendar of Local Events
With the summer season quickly approaching, Sonoma County is heating up with some of its biggest annual festivals. From the high-end culinary scenes in Healdsburg to the classic fairground fun in Petaluma, here are the standout public events for May and June 2026. May 2026 Bodega Bay Fisherman’s Festival Saturday & Sunday, May 2–3Blessing of…
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Letter from the Editor
This time of year, our thoughts turn to the garden. Whether it’s food, flowers, or perfecting the landscaping, there is plenty to keep us humming in the yard. This summer, tired of battling gophers, deer, and turkeys, I’ve turned my attention to the front porch where I’m planting veggies in pots. Nice and safe where…
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Pacific Pact: An Island-to-Mainland Flavor Fusion
After long months of damp, dark, dreary days, Sonoma County folks welcome the arrival of spring. It’s like a big exhale after many months of anticipating the return of light and warmth. In days gone, sweet little spring greens were harvested out of the damp ground and eaten to stimulate digestion and encourage vitality after months…