Stumped on what to do when it gets damp and gray outside? Here are our 10 suggestions on how to make even a rainy day in Sonoma County a little brighter.
A cozy cafe escape
Order a cozy cup of joe and lounge at your local coffee shop. We recommend the Aztec Mocha with double espresso, Valrhona chocolate, chiles, spices, vanilla, organic cane sugar, rose water and steamed milk from Flying Goat Coffee in Healdsburg (300 Center St. and 419 Center St.). Or the seasonal pumpkin spice chai from Avid Coffee (formerly Acre Coffee) with locations in Santa Rosa (2365 Midway Drive) and Petaluma (21 Fourth St.).
Here are some more favorite coffee shops. Prefer tea? We’ve got you covered with the best tea rooms in Sonoma County.
Get lost in a good book
Sonoma County has some incredible independent bookstores for your book-browsing adventures, including Levin & Company in downtown Healdsburg (306 Center St.) and Treehorn Books in downtown Santa Rosa (625 Fourth St.). Or stop by your local Sonoma County Library branch. Sonoma County Library cardholders can access e-books, audiobooks, thousands of magazines and movies from the comfort of their couch through the library’s online resources.
Retail therapy
Go cozy sweater shopping at one of Sonoma County’s boutiques. Boho chic Ooh La Luxe with shops in Santa Rosa and Petaluma, Robindira Unsworth in Petaluma (115 Petaluma Blvd. N.) and The Loop in Sonoma (461 First St. W.) make stylish layering easy. For more local retail therapy, check here.
Strap on your skates
Go ice skating at Snoopy’s Home Ice, the Redwood Empire Ice Arena in Santa Rosa. Then have a cozy drink at the Warm Puppy Cafe. Regular public skating sessions are available middays, evenings and weekends, along with “Parent and Puppy Practice” sessions and “Toddlers On Ice.” 1667 W. Steele Lane, Santa Rosa, 707-546-7147, snoopyshomeice.com
For a limited time, the city of Petaluma opens its Luma Ice skating rink at the Petaluma Fairgrounds. Now in its second year, Luma Ice is offering tractor rides and a holiday jump zone in partnership with Mickelson Christmas Trees (located nearby). Open Dec. 10, 2025, through Jan. 6, 2026. 175 Fairgrounds Drive, Petaluma, 707-778-4380, lumaice.com
Soup’s on
Order a warm bowl of delicious soup at one of Sonoma County’s restaurants. Favorites include the matzah ball soup with barbecue chicken thigh and ramen broth from Bird & The Bottle in Santa Rosa, and the Spicy Tan-Tanmen ramen with Sapporo noodle, pork belly chashu, spicy ground pork, six-minute egg, charred cabbage, woodear mushrooms, mustard frills and scallions from Ramen Gaijin in Sebastopol. Find more top soups here.
Indie darlings
Catch a film at Rialto Cinemas in Sebastopol (6868 McKinley St.), Sebastiani Theatre in Sonoma (476 First St. E.) or the new True West Film Center in Healdsburg (371 Healdsburg Ave.). In addition to traditional movie concessions like popcorn and fountain drinks, True West offers moviegoers a curated list of local wines and select menu items from neighboring partner restaurants, such as Acorn Cafe, El Milagro, Lo & Behold and Troubadour.
Warm up with hot yoga
Take a hot yoga class at Energize Hot Yoga in Santa Rosa (522 Wilson St.), Sonoma Like It Hot in the town of Sonoma (721 West Napa St.), Yoga Hell in Petaluma (1484 Petaluma Blvd. N.), or one of the many other local yoga studios that offer Bikram yoga and other hot classes.
Cold brews, warm pubs
For a cool IPA and a warm environment, head over to one of the many breweries in Sonoma County. All of the Lagunitas staples are available on tap at the Petaluma brewpub, as well as harder to find styles. Flagship classics include Little Sumpin’, Lagunitas Pils, Hazy IPA and Brown Shugga. While you’re waiting for the annual release of Russian River Brewing Company’s Pliny the Younger, imbibe in the Elder IPA that remains on tap year-round at the Windsor and Santa Rosa brewpubs.
Enjoy a soothing spa day
Treat yourself to a day at the spa. There are plenty to choose from in Sonoma County, including Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary in Freestone (209 Bohemian Highway), Kenwood Inn & Spa (10400 Sonoma Highway), Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa (100 Boyes Blvd.) and Hotel Healdsburg Spa (327 Healdsburg Ave.).
Discover the classics
Listen to classical music at Weill Hall or Schroeder Hall at Sonoma State University’s Green Music Center in Rohnert Park. The state-of-the-art concert halls serve as a home for Sonoma Bach and the Santa Rosa Symphony. The Sonoma County Philharmonic, an all-volunteer orchestra, presents free and low-cost concerts throughout Sonoma County.
Jenna Fischer and Maci Martell contributed to this article.
