Summer is unofficially here, now that we’ve passed Memorial Day. And while in the last few years, some of our beloved local festivals and events have struggled to adapt to changing conditions yet keep crowds coming, it seems this summer most if not all of the longstanding events, and newer ones, have returned.
We’ve gathered a list of 17 of the most prominent in Sonoma County, covering country music to food and wine. So make plans to get out with your friends, your kids or anyone else ready to enjoy long days and entertainment outdoors.
Many events have special discount pricing for early-bird tickets, which could run out fast.
Music
Railroad Square Music Festival: After a two-year hiatus, the Railroad Square Music Festival returned last year and is back again June 11 in Santa Rosa, with a lineup of Bay Area artists and family-friendly activities. The diverse lineup of nearly 30 acts includes local talent such as Banda La Congora, Tru Lyric, Sebastian Saint James, The Musers, Damion Square and Brittany Aquamarine. The event is free and entirely volunteer-run. At Santa Rosa Railroad Square off Fourth Street, railroadsquaremusicfestival.com
Country Summer Music Festival: This three-day country music extravaganza June 16-18 at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds will feature more than 20 artists — including Lynyrd Skynyrd, Eric Church, Brothers Osborne, Ella Langley, Halle Kearns and Lewis Brice. Single-day, two-day and three-day passes are available online, ranging from $99-$269, plus VIP add-ons and parking passes. 1350 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa, 707-837-3921, countrysummer.com
Healdsburg Jazz Festival: The 25th annual Healdsburg Jazz Festival will be a nine-day celebration of jazz, past and present, from June 17-25. Concerts will feature locally and nationally known jazz artists, including Dianne Reeves, Samara Joy, John Santos, Stella Heath’s Billie Holiday Project and more. Concert tickets can be purchased online and range from $25-$500 (including VIP passes). Various locations in Healdsburg, healdsburgjazz.org
Rodney Strong Summer Concert Series: Rodney Strong Vineyards and Luther Burbank Center for the Arts will present the 31st annual Rodney Strong Summer Concert Series all summer long, featuring Grammy-winning artists. The lineup includes Marc Cohn and Shawn Colvin starting at 6 p.m. on June 17; The Wood Brothers and ZZ Ward at 5 p.m. on July 15; Chris Isaak at 5 p.m. on July 30; and Larkin Poe at 5 p.m. on Aug. 26. Tickets range from $59 to $125 and can be purchased online at lutherburbankcenter.org, by phone at 707-546-3600 or in person at the Luther Burbank Center box office at 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. The concerts are held at Rodney Strong Vineyards, 11455 Old Redwood Highway, Healdsburg. 707-431-1533, rodneystrong.com/summer-concert-series
Petaluma Music Festival: The 16th annual Petaluma Music Festival featuring more than a dozen bands kicks off at 11:30 a.m. on July 29 at Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds. Local food and merchandise vendors will be on site as well as an artist booth for meet-and-greet sessions. General admission is $60, tickets for students 13-17 are $25 and children 12 and under are free with a paying adult. VIP tickets are $169 and include a shaded seating section and complimentary hors d’oeuvres and refreshments. Tickets will be available starting June 16 at The Next Record Store in Santa Rosa or at McNear’s Restaurant in Petaluma. All proceeds benefit music education programs at Petaluma public schools. Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds, 175 Fairgrounds Drive, Petaluma, petalumamusicfestival.org
Cotati Accordion Festival: Cotati’s annual Accordion Festival will have more than 30 artists playing accordion-centric music, from polka to zydeco, on Aug. 19-20 at La Plaza Park. Tickets can be purchased online and range from $17-$32. Kids 15 and under enter free when accompanied by a paying adult. La Plaza Park, Cotati, 707-664-0444, cotatifest.com
Food-centric
Santa Rosa Wednesday Night Market: Santa Rosa’s popular summer Wednesday Night Market series brings together local vendors and bands from 5-8:30 p.m. each Wednesday through Aug. 9. Live concerts are free to attend and a range of vendors sell food, drinks, art, clothes and more. A kids space is available with games, exhibits and interactive activities. Fourth Street and Old Courthouse Square, Santa Rosa, wednesdaynightmarket.org
Beerfest — The Good One: Sonoma County’s beer festival will offer tastings from more than 40 Northern California breweries and cideries from 1-4:30 p.m. on June 10 at Luther Burbank Center for the Arts. Net proceeds will benefit local nonprofit Face2Face, supporting people living with HIV. Tickets are $50-$65 and can be purchased on EventBrite. 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa, f2f.org/beerfest
North Coast Wine and Food Festival: Celebrate the best of the region’s wine and cuisine at this festival sponsored by The Press Democrat and featuring 25 top local chefs and 90 award-winning wines, from 1-4 p.m. on June 17 at Luther Burbank Center for the Arts. General admission is $95 per person, and designated driver tickets are $50 per person. VIP tickets are $160 per person and include early entrance at noon and access to the VIP Lounge. Purchase tickets online or in person at the Luther Burbank Center box office. 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa, 707-521-5231, northcoastwineandfood.com
Taste of Sonoma: The Sonoma County Vintners presents the Taste of Sonoma wine and food festival at Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate & Gardens from noon to 4 p.m. June 24. Guests can taste wines from more than 100 wineries, eat at food trucks (included in the ticket price) and attend guided wine seminars and garden tours. General admission is $200 until June 23 and $220 on the day of the event. VIP admission — which includes access to the VIP Club Reserve area, a wellness spa lounge and a special wine and food pairing — is $245 until June 23 and $265 on the day of the event. Purchase tickets and add-on experiences on EventBrite. 5007 Fulton Road, Fulton, tasteofsonoma.com
Bodega Seafood Art & Wine Festival: The 27th annual Bodega Seafood Art & Wine Festival will feature live entertainment, kids activities, local cuisine, wine and beer tastings and a craft and fine-art marketplace. The weekend event will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Aug. 26 and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 27 at Watts Ranch in Bodega. Adult tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the gate. Tickets for seniors, military and first responders are $15 in advance and $20 at the gate. Tickets for youth ages 12-18 are $10 in advance and $15 at the gate, and children under 12 enter free. Part of the proceeds will benefit Stewards of the Coast & Redwoods. 16855 Bodega Highway, Bodega, bodegaseafoodfestival.com
County fairs, arts and crafts
Sonoma County Pride: A month of pride activities is in store for the county, with the main festival kicking off at noon Saturday, June 3, in downtown Santa Rosa on Courthouse Square. The 38th annual Sonoma County Pride Celebration will include live music, exhibits, local vendors, a pride artwalk and a pre-festival pride parade from 11 a.m. to noon along Fourth Street and Mendocino Avenue. The festival is free to attend; check online for more information on other ticketed Pride Month events. 2665 Santa Rosa Ave., Santa Rosa, sonomacountypride.org
Head West Marketplace: The Head West outdoor marketplace features live music, food, dozens of local merchants and community booths one weekend each month through December at The Barlow in Sebastopol. The kid- and pet-friendly marketplace is free to attend, with food, drinks and merchandise available for purchase. Summer dates are June 10-11, July 8-9, Aug. 12-13 and Sept. 9-10. 6770 McKinley St., Sebastopol, headwestmarketplace.com
Sonoma-Marin Fair: The Sonoma-Marin Fair, from June 21-25, will feature live concerts, carnival rides, exhibits, a junior horse show and Petaluma’s trademark World’s Ugliest Dog Contest, plus local food and merchandise vendors. Gate admission is $22 for people ages 13-64 and $15 for seniors (65 and older) and children ages 4 to 12. Tickets can be purchased online. 175 Fairgrounds Drive, Petaluma, 707-283-3247, sonoma-marinfair.org
Rivertown Revival: Petaluma’s 12th annual Rivertown Revival will celebrate community and the surrounding river at Steamer Landing on July 22-23. The festival will include water activities, live local music, food and drinks, interactive art and a children’s play area. Tickets range from $5-$40 and can be purchased online. Steamer Landing Park, Copeland Street, Petaluma, rivertownrevival.com
Sonoma County Fair: This year’s county fair is a Jurassic jubilee that will have animatronic dinosaurs, carnival rides, live concerts, a flower show, the NorCal Brew Fest, rodeos and horse races, a monster truck derby and more, from Aug. 3-13. General admission is $15 for people 13 and older and $12 for children ages 6-12. Fair tickets can be purchased online, including tickets for specific events. 1350 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa, 707-545-4203, sonomacountyfair.com
Gravenstein Apple Fair: The 50th anniversary of Sebastopol’s renowned Gravenstein Apple Fair will be a weekend full of lively fair fun and apple treats from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Aug. 12-13, at Ragle Ranch Regional Park. Festivities will include live music, apple-themed contests, kids activities, farm exhibits, local vendors and all the apple foods you can eat, down Apple Alley. Advance general admission tickets are $23 for adults and kids 13 and older, $10 for children ages 6-12 and free for kids 5 and younger. Purchase tickets online. Ragle Ranch Park, 500 Ragle Road, Sebastopol, 707-837-8896, gravensteinapplefair.com