B.R. Cohn Charity Events Fall Music Festival

15000 Sonoma Hwy, B.R. Cohn Winery, Glen Ellen, CA 95442

Description: Benefiting a variety of charities, this fall favorite offers top-notch live music over two afternoons. A manager of the Doobie Brothers, founder Bruce Cohn frequently books appearances by the popular band; other past guests have included Michael McDonald, Little Feat, Willie Nelson, and the Rowan Brothers. The B.R. Cohn Winery Amphitheater hosts the event, and pricey VIP tickets come with additional perks from the winery. Know that you're supporting great causes as you open your wallet for this weekend music extravaganza.
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Music in the Vineyards

various locations, Napa, CA 94581

Description: Showcasing chamber music in intimate winery settings, this month-long August event provides a pleasing blend of concerts, lectures, recitals, and rehearsals. Afternoon and evening concerts by nationally-recognized artists-in-residence take place on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the month; intermission wine tastings are extra incentives to attend. Additionally, events during the week, like performances of new chamber music and open rehearsals, are occasionally free to the public ­ call for details.
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Napa Fourth of July Festival

3rd and Main Sts, Veteran's Park, Napa, CA 94559 707-256-9529

Description: This family-friendly event features entertainment and refreshments from afternoon into evening, all in a pleasant park setting. Celebrate our nation's independence with jugglers, carnival games, inflatable jump houses for little ones, a climbing wall, local vendors and musicians, wines and local brews, and of course, a spectacular fireworks display. Best of all, the day's festivities are free ­ a great reason to bring the whole family or a large group of friends. The celebration typically attracts around 8,000 revelers.
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Napa Valley Mustard Festival

various locations, Napa, CA 707-944-1133

Description: More than an event honoring the humble yellow condiment, Napa Valley Mustard Festival is nothing less than a two-month celebration of the senses. Art exhibitions, cooking competitions, a golf tournament, a marathon, and many more activities entertain locals and draw tourists to Napa in the winter months. Naturally, the bright swaths of yellow-gold blossoms that carpet much of Napa this time of year appear in the festival's photography and oil paintings, and culinary creations usually incorporate the pungent spread, but there's plenty to do for those who like their cheeseburgers plain, too.
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Sonoma County Harvest Fair

1350 Bennett Valley Rd, Sonoma County Fairgrounds, Santa Rosa, CA 95402

Description: Oenophiles, rejoice! This three-day festival raises a glass to all things wine with events like the World Championship Grape Stomp and a fascinating demonstration showing how to construct a wine barrel. Other events include an art exhibition and sale, hay rides, live jazz, a haunted house, and pumpkin carving. Wine tastings take center stage, and samples from over 500 wineries await sipping and savoring. A large exhibition of apples can also be found, honoring another of autumn's favorite comestibles.
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Sonoma County Showcase Weekend of Wine and Food

9015 Westside Rd, MacMurray Ranch, Healdsburg, CA 95448 707-573-0974

Description: Enjoy the best food and drink Sonoma County has to offer at this annual showcase, whose proceeds go to local charities. Highlights include the Appellation Experience, which features tastings and wine education seminars led by trained viticulturists, as well as the Taste of Sonoma County, an expo of gourmet nibbles from area restaurants and of samples from the best local labels. An "Iron Chef"-style cooking contest rouses the crowd's competitive spirit, as does the annual barrel auction, where attendees get a foretaste of (and bid on) as-yet-unbottled vintages.
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Sonoma Plein Air

2 E Napa St, Sonoma Plaza, Sonoma, CA 95476

Description: En plein air, a term popularized by the Impressionists' penchant for painting outdoors, is a style that remains a favorite today with collectors and buyers. Sonoma's September festival brings nationally-recognized artists to the region to paint the magnificent landscape. A ticketed dinner and contest take place one day; on Saturday, the last day of the event, the public exhibition and sale of works created during the week takes place. A great opportunity to pick up a unique piece of Sonoma that doesn't come in a bottle.
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Sonoma Salute to the Arts

2 E Napa St, Sonoma Plaza, Sonoma, CA 95476

Description: Lauding all forms of art ­ visual, performing, literary, culinary, and wine-related ­ this summer festival has delighted Sonomans for over 20 years. Friday night's opening gala, the event's popular kickoff, combines wine, live music, and hors d'oeuvres; later, patrons enjoy the unveiling of the weekend's art exhibit and competition. Saturday and Sunday afternoons are all about food and wine tastings, while evenings focus on musical performances and art displays. An "Art-for-All-Ages" mural encourages everybody to get creative by inviting people to add their own touches to the ever-evolving work.
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Wine Country Film Festival

various local towns, Napa, CA 94559 707-935-3456

Description: Big-name stars rub shoulders with locals and tourists at this critically-acclaimed festival, now a Napa Valley fixture for over two decades. Films from an amazingly wide array of countries bring the world to the wine country, and many of them educate while they entertain. The well-loved "Films al Fresco" series screens offerings in gorgeous vineyard settings, allowing festival-goers to enjoy the temperate summer weather. This being Sonoma County, wine and food are also part of the mix ­ tastings and cooking demonstrations are concurrent with many of the screenings. Local towns participating in the festival include Napa, Los Carneros, Sonoma, and American Canyon.
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