We’re just about halfway through harvest here in Sonoma County. The sweet smell of fermenting grapes lingers in the air. Days are warm with nice breezes, nights are crisp and often downright cold. If you’re lucky—or unlucky, if you’re rushing—you might even spot a tractor on the road. Along with the buzz in the vineyards, there’s a healthy host of things to do around town. Here are two of our favorites this month.
Fitch Mountain rises like an icon behind Healdsburg, you can see it from just about everywhere in town. Roughly 173 acres of open space up there was protected in 2014 and turned over to the city in 2017. Today, locals continue to enjoy it’s trails and care for it by raising money at the annual Fitch Mountain Forever fundraiser. This year’s shindig is this Sunday, October 13 and will include an awesome lunch, local wines and brews, fantastic music featuring acclaimed Kim Carroll on keyboards and Matthew Szemela on the Fiddle, a hike, and fun kids activities. All proceeds go directly to a fund that will help to protect and preserve this beautiful treasure forever. Mill District is proud to be a sponsoring partner of the event. (Photo below taken at last years gathering.)
Healdsburg’s annual Dia De Los Muertos celebration is one of the biggest parties of the year, attracting people from a variety of backgrounds and walks of life. The event includes everything from food and dancing to costume parties, arts and crafts, and a car show. This year’s celebration is scheduled for October 27; as always, it is sponsored by the City of Healdsburg in conjunction with the amazing Corazon Healdsburg. Festivities unfold in Plaza Park; they start at noon and usually last well beyond the 7 p.m. cut-off.