2019 Guide to Sonoma County Events This Winter

One of our favorite times to visit Wine Country is in the winter. It’s less crowded, but no less gorgeous, with its serene, misty wintertime beauty. And, despite the colder weather and grapeless vines, the area has no shortage of events and no shortage of fine wines. No matter if you’re traveling for the holidays or staying local, these winter events in Sonoma County have got just the right mix of wine, food, and festivities.

Sonoma Plaza Holiday

Courtesy of Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau

Sonoma Plaza

November 16 – December 31, 2019
Cost: Free

The Sonoma Plaza in the town of Sonoma is a national historic monument, an eight-acre park with stately trees and quiet, pedestrian pathways. From November 16 until the end of the year, these trees will be filled with more than a quarter-million lights (not to mention winter wonderland cheer) to usher in the holiday season. Come out November 16th in particular, as there will be a tree lighting ceremony and a Broadway performance by Transcendence Theatre Company, plus plenty of local food, wine, hot cider, hot chocolate, and cookies.

453 1st Street East, Sonoma, CA 95476, (707) 996-2109

Healdsburg Turkey Trot

Courtesy of Scena Performance

Healdsburg

November 28, 2019, 8:00 AM
Cost: $35 for adults, $25 for kids 6 – 18, free for children 5 and under

After some typical Thanksgiving gluttony, work it all off with friends and family at the Healdsburg Turkey Trot. You can walk or run the 5k through the Healdsburg Open Space Preserve – the most important thing is that you gather your loved ones and get moving. Prizes will be awarded to the first finishers, and also given for great costumes, so trot festive! In addition to getting your blood flowing (and working off some of those pumpkin pie calories), know that your entry is going to a good cause. Event benefits will go to the Drew Esquivel Scholarship, which supports students and athletes from the Healdsburg community in their dream to attend college. Spread that holiday cheer while getting in a bit of exercise.

333 Center Street, Healdsburg, CA 95448, (707) 395-0372

Cirque de Bohème

Courtesy of Cirque de Bohème

Cornerstone Sonoma

November 29 – 30 and select dates December 1 – 22, 2019, 1:00, 3:00
and 5:00 PM
Cost: $34 – $55 for adults, $27 for kids under 15

No need to go to Paris, or even Las Vegas, to see the spectacle that is a Cirque show. At Cirque de Bohème in Sonoma, you’ll find gravity-defying acrobatics, impressive balancing acts, and entertaining mimes in this performance inspired by the French circus tradition of the 1900s – think Moulin Rouge, but with a holiday twist. This fantastical event is sure to transport you to a magical world filled with enchantment, adventure, and wonder.

23570 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, CA 95476, (707) 933-3010

Holidays in Healdsburg: Sip, Savor, and Shop

Courtesy of Wine Country Walking Tours

Healdsburg Plaza

November 29 – December 31, 2019, 11:00 AM and 5:00 PM
Cost: $109 for the day tour, $69 for the evening tour

Offered for just five weeks each year, Holidays in Healdsburg: Sip, Savor, and Shop are guided walking tours of charming downtown Healdsburg. With festive decorations, joyful carolers, horse-drawn carriages, and a gorgeous Christmas tree, there’s already plenty of spirit in the air to add to your favorite holiday aromatics and flavors. The four-hour day tour takes you through three boutique wineries and two food stops, while the two-hour evening tour will have you sampling wine cocktails, holiday spirits, and savory bites at several of Healdsburg’s top restaurants.

217 Healdsburg Avenue, Healdsburg, CA 95448, (707) 433-6935

Transcendence’s Broadway Holiday Spectacular

Courtesy of Transcendence

Luther Burbank Center for the Arts

December 6 – 8, 2019, 2:00 and 7:30 PM
Cost: $34 – $134

This captivating holiday show is put on by Transcendence, the award-winning creators of “Broadway Under the Stars in Sonoma Valley.” With performers from Broadway shows such as WICKED, WHITE CHRISTMAS, MARY POPPINS, and MAMMA MIA, this holiday song and dance celebration is entertainment fit for the whole family. Expect holiday favorites as well as modern twists on some of the world’s most cherished songs during this fun, uplifting performance worth checking out.

50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95403, (707) 546-3600

15th Annual Lighting of the Snowmen Festival

Courtesy of Facebook: Cornerstone Sonoma

Cornerstone Sonoma

December 7, 2019, 4:00 – 8:00 PM
Cost: Free

Kicking off with a festival and lighting ceremony on Saturday, December 7, this cheerful display of decorative snowmen at Cornerstone Sonoma is a sight to see. The event began in 2004 after David Allen, who owns Artefact Design & Salvage, discovered hundreds of decorative snowmen at a factory in Boston that was closing, then decided to purchase them all to showcase at Cornerstone. Enjoy live music, kids’ activities, and wine and beer for the adults at this annual event, which has become a Sonoma Valley tradition the whole family will enjoy. This year will also include a Christmas tree lighting. If you miss the festival, the snowmen and tree will remain up through the end of December for all to enjoy.

23570 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, CA 95476, (707) 933-3010

Handmade Holiday Crafts Fair

Courtesy of City of Santa Rosa

Finley Community Park

December 7 – 8, 2019, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Saturday), 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM (Sunday)
Cost: $3, free for children 12 and under

More than 90 local artists will be on hand at this festive shopping event, where quality, handcrafted holiday gifts and unique home goods will be for sale. It’s a great opportunity to get a head start on your holiday shopping while embracing all the Christmas feels. There will be live entertainment, a kids’ craft area on Saturday, kettle corn, and plenty of snowmen and decorated trees for the perfect photo opp. Once you’ve checked everyone off your list, you can jump on Rosie the Trolley for a free ride to the Luther Burbank Home and Gardens Holiday Open House, happening the same weekend.

2060 West College Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA 95401, (707) 543-3737

Korbel Holiday Shopping Spree Weekend

Courtesy of Facebook: Korbel

Korbel Winery

December 6 – 8, 2019, 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Cost: Free

Need some last minute Christmas gifts? Or maybe you just don’t want to wait until Boxing Day to score some good deals? Stop by the Korbel Holiday Shopping Spree Weekend to pick up some of your favorite bubbly and keep the winter cheer going strong all season. Korbel Champagne Cellars will be running special sales at their Guerneville estate. Keep an eye out for Christmas carolers, as well as a special appearance from Santa Claus. Best of all – there’s no ticket fee to get in and start shopping, or to partake in a public winery tour and wine tasting. Their winery tour takes you through historic champagne cellars and a history museum, culminating in a tasting of their best bubbly.

13250 River Road, Guerneville, CA 95446, (707) 824-7000

Dickens Dinner Series

Courtesy of Madrona Manor

Madrona Manor

December 7 – 22, 2019, 6:00 – 9:00 PM
Cost: $110 – $210

Madrona Manor’s annual Dickens Dinner Series is back again. The Michelin-starred restaurant will be serving up an elegant pre-fixe, five-course menu, including pumpkin and truffle risotto, Dungeness crab salad, and osetra caviar, all with a thoughtful wine pairing for each course. Don’t be surprised when you see a troop of costumed carolers wander through the rooms, breaking out into an a cappella serenade of Jingle Bells at any given moment.

1001 Westside Road, Healdsburg, CA 95448, (707) 433-4231

Ramekins Annual Santa’s Brunch

Courtesy of Facebook: Ramekins Culinary School

Ramekins Culinary School

December 8, 2019, 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Cost: $69 for adults, $25 for kids 6 – 16, free for children 5 and under

Celebrate the season with a delicious, farm-to-table brunch that is sure to leave you happy and satisfied, starting with the complimentary spiked eggnog shooter upon arrival. From spiced pumpkin waffles and farm-fresh omelets to assorted salads and herb-roasted prime rib, this impressive spread is a delectable way to celebrate the season. There’s also a Christmas workshop for the kids with cookie decorating and ornament making, as well as pictures with Santa. Bring your appetite and your holiday cheer for a festive meal you don’t want to miss. Plus, if you bring an unwrapped gift to donate to Toys for Tots, you’ll get a complimentary drink ticket.

450 West Spain Street, Sonoma, CA 95476, (707) 933-0450

Holiday Open House at Sonoma-Cutrer

Courtesy of Sonoma-Cutrer

Sonoma-Cutrer

December 14, 2019, 12:00 – 4:00 PM
Cost: Free

Mix and mingle during this festive holiday affair, where award-winning Sonona-Cutrer wines will be paired with delectable bites and good cheer. Adding to the celebration will be special deals on wine — for all your gift giving needs — carolers singing your favorite tunes, and even croquet (with Santa!) for a fun afternoon in Wine Country.

4401 Slusser Road, Sonoma, CA 95492, (707) 237-3489

Winter Wineland

Courtesy of Facebook: Landmark Wine

Various Wineries in Northern Sonoma County

January 18 – 19, 2020, 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Cost: $40 – $50, $7 for designated drivers

Sometimes, with all the feastly holiday events in months past, life feels a little flat on the other side of the new year. Kick the celebration back into gear with the 28th Annual Winter WINEland in Northern Sonoma County. All participating wineries will highlight a vintage, varietal, or vertical tasting for the weekend, so it’ll be a great time to meet winemakers and taste limited production wines, new releases, or library wines.

– Sonoma Wine Country First Time Visitor Guide –

– 10 Things To Do In Sonoma This Winter –

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Author

Julia Chang

Julia Chang is a writer based out of San Francisco, California. In her early twenties, she made the transition from the eat-to-live to the live-to-eat type, and her waistline has suffered since. She works in tech by day and ekes out time to write about food and fiction on nights and weekends. She doesn’t sleep much. Follow her delirium on Instagram @onmywhimsy, and on Twitter @Jurichu.