Sonoma County serves up an eclectic mix of events in February: from craft cocktails at the first Wine Country Distillery Festival to carnival rides at the Cloverdale Citrus Fair to tattoos and blues at the Flamingo Hotel.
Wine Country Distillery Festival, Rohnert Park, Feb. 9 from noon to 4 pm: The first Wine Country Distillery Festival will pair more than 15 local craft spirit-makers with local bites, a cocktail competition, a raffle benefitting Social Advocates for Youth (SAY), and live music from Petaluma’s Miss Moonshine and Boonville’s The Real Sarahs. This is a 21-and-over event, so call your babysitter and get ready to try some of the best craft beverages Wine Country has to offer. General admission tickets are $50, or $45 if you buy two, and designated driver tickets are $10. Day of tickets are $60 and are available online and at the door until 2:30 p.m. Sally Tomatoes, 1100 Valley House Drive, Rohnert Park, tickets. (Stock photo)
Fifteen local craft distillers, including Griffo Distillery, will participate in the first Wine Country Distillery Festival on February 9. (Courtesy photo)
Lake Sonoma Steelhead Festival, Geyserville, Feb. 9 from 10 am to 4 pm: This free, family-friendly event celebrates the threatened steelhead trout with wildlife and conservation exhibits hosted by more than 50 organizations. Attendees can take a stream tour, fish for trout (for ages 5 to 15), partake in a silent auction and enjoy live music from the Blue Rock Band. The event will also feature archery, art projects, food trucks, Dry Creek Valley wines, Bear Republic beer, a bubble show and live birds of prey. Milt Brandt Visitor Center, Lake Sonoma, Skaggs Springs Rd, Geyserville. (Photo by John Burgess)
Viewing the early stages of hatchery development at the Lake Sonoma Steelhead Festival. (Photo by John Burgess)
Bodie Billes, 3, left, of Lafayette and his sister Fiona, 5, look for aquatic invertebrates in creek water at the 2016 Lake Sonoma Steelhead Festival at the Milt Brandt Visitors Center. (Photo by John Burgess)
Cloverdale Citrus Fair, Cloverdale, Feb. 15-18, varied times each day: Beginning as a typical country fair in 1892, this quaint event has blossomed into a fun, elaborate annual tradition. Located at Cloverdale Citrus Fairgrounds and running through President’s Day weekend, this all-American celebration boasts a variety of exciting attractions, including a parade, cabaret performances, a queen pageant, carnival rides and games, a petting zoo, live music from local bands, and art- and agriculture exhibits, General admission is $8 and senior and children’s tickets are $5. 1 Citrus Fair Dr, Cloverdale, tickets. (Photo by John Burgess)
Carnival rides coming up at the Cloverdale Citrus Fair. (Photo by John Burgess)
Annual Santa Rosa Tattoos and Blues, Santa Rosa, Feb. 22-24 from noon to 9 pm: Now in its 28th year, Tattoos and Blues is the second longest running convention of its kind in the United States. The artsy three-day event will take place at the retro Flamingo Conference Resort & Spa in Santa Rosa and include contests, live blues bands and world-renowned tattoo artists, such as Espi, who has more than 29,000 followers on Instagram. Day passes are $15 and a three-day pass for the whole convention is $30. 2777 4th St, Santa Rosa, tickets (Photo by Kent Porter)
Angel Gallardo of American Classic Tattoo adds a shade of blue to a tattoo on a client's thigh during Izzy's 23rd annual Santa Rosa Tattoos and Blues in Santa Rosa, on March 1, 2014. (Photo by Alvin Jornada)
Chinese New Year Celebration, Santa Rosa, Feb. 23 at 5 pm: Celebrate the Year of the Boar with the Redwood Empire Chinese Association and surrounding community this Lunar New Year at the Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Building. The festive night will feature traditional holiday food, lion dancing and a parade with a 250-foot dragon. Adult tickets are $25 and tickets for children aged 3-10 are $10. 1351 Maple Ave, Santa Rosa. (Photo by Alvin Jornada)
Max Armstrong, 6, and other young members of the Redwood Empire Chinese Association (RECA) help ring in the Year of the Rooster with song and dance during RECA's Chinese New Year celebration at Veterans Memorial Hall in Santa Rosa. (Photo by Alvin Jornada)
Get ready for a festive February as Sonoma rounds up its best booze, bites and bands to celebrate what makes this county great. A variety of festivals will honor local wildlife and the community in ways that are educational as well as entertaining. With a month full of feasts, contests and parades, there’s an event for all ages and tastes. Click through the gallery for details.
