Top Events in Winter 2019-2020
Parties, parades, and pastries are seasonal highlights in Wine Country.
Celebrate the season at Calistoga’s annual Lighted Tractor Parade.
Photo by Tim Carl
Wine and Food Affair
November 2–3
Multiple locations, Sonoma County
Alexander, Dry Creek, and Russian River Valley wineries present wine-and-food pairings. $35–$95. wineroad.com.
Napa Valley Film Festival
November 13–17
Multiple locations, Napa Valley
Enjoy food and wine, as approximately 80 independent films are screened. $25–$695. napavalleyfilmfest.org.
David Sedaris
November 14
Luther Burbank Center for the Arts
50 Mark West Springs Rd., Santa Rosa
One of the most popular humor writers in the United States brings his sharp satiric wit to Wine Country. $39–$55. lutherburbankcenter.org.
Santa Train
November 18–27 and November 29–December 23
Napa Valley Wine Train
1275 McKinstry St., Napa
Take a journey to the North Pole, complete with music, games, cocoa, and cookies. $60. winetrain.com.
Gingerbread Ranch Decorating
December 1
Long Meadow Ranch
738 Main St., St. Helena
Decorate holiday cookies that will adorn the ranch. $20–$35. longmeadowranch.com.
Tree Lighting and Celebration
December 7
Robert Mondavi Winery
7801 Saint Helena Hwy., Oakville
Ride in a horse-drawn carriage, sample wines, participate in caroling, and enjoy the twinkling lights on the tree. $25. robertmondaviwinery.com.
Calistoga Lighted Tractor Parade
December 7
Downtown Calistoga
Tractors, vintage trucks, and other large vehicles head down the main street of Calistoga decked in lights. Free. visitcalistoga.com.
Holiday Open House
December 7–8
Frances Ford Coppola Winery
300 Via Archimedes, Geyserville
Shop for wines to serve at holiday events, courtesy of Coppola and Virginia Dare Winery. Free. francisfordcoppolawinery.com.
New Year’s Eve Masquerade Ball
December 31
Castello di Amorosa
4045 Saint Helena Hwy., Calistoga
Walk the red carpet in formal attire, savor a four-course dinner and dessert bar, then dance the night away. $395. castellodiamorosa.com.
Santa Rosa’s Countdown Downtown
December 31
Courthouse Square, Santa Rosa
Enjoy live music, sip local pours, and ring in 2020 with the community at Sonoma County’s biggest New Year’s Eve party. Free. santarosacountdown.com.
First Day Hike
January 1
Location TBD, Sonoma Coast
Get an early start on your New Year’s resolutions with a coastal hike, hosted by Fort Ross State Historic Park. Free. fortross.org.
Napa Lighted Art Festival
January 11–19
Downtown Napa and Oxbow District
Embark on a walk to view 10 to 15 lighted works of public art. Free. cityofnapa.org.
Napa Truffle Festival
January 17–20
Westin Verasa Napa
1314 McKinstry St., Napa
Culinary demonstrations, scientific talks, and a truffle marketplace. Free–$495. napatrufflefestival.com.
Great Sonoma Crab and Wine Fest
February 1
Sonoma County Fairgrounds Hall of Flowers and Grace Pavilion
1350 Bennett Valley Rd., Santa Rosa
A reception, silent and live auctions, and crab-feed dinner. $125. sonomafb.org.
Whose Live Anyway?
February 13
Luther Burbank Center for the Arts
50 Mark West Springs Rd., Santa Rosa
Live improvised comedy from the current cast of the Emmy-nominated series Whose Line Is It Anyway? $39–$59. lutherburbankcenter.org.
Cloverdale Citrus Fair
February 14–17
1 Citrus Fair Dr., Cloverdale
Enjoy a carnival, live music, baby derby, cabaret, queen pageant, and more. $5–$8. cloverdalecitrusfair.org.