Community Corner

3 Can't-Miss Events at the Sonoma County Harvest Fair

The annual Sonoma County Harvest Fair runs Friday through Sunday in Santa Rosa.

Lovers of wine, beer and food are expected to flock to the Sonoma County Harvest Fair this weekend, which runs Friday through Sunday at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, 1350 Bennett Valley Road in Santa Rosa.

Here's a quick look at three events to catch at the fair, which offers free admission and boasts wine tastings, chef demonstrations, food pairings and more:

1. Food, Wine and Beer-Tasting Pavilion - 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday ($50)


If the Sonoma County Harvest Fair has a flagship attraction, this is it. Each day of the event, attendees 21 and older can sample drinks and food from more than 150 wineries and numerous restaurants.

"Similar to the Grand Tasting format from past years, the new all-inclusive tasting ticket offers guests a chance to savor innovative cuisine from this year’s Professional Food Competition, paired with some of the area’s best wines," the fair says on its website.

Admission to the fair itself is free, but an all-inclusive ticket to the tasting pavilion is $50 per person.

2. World Championship Grape Stomp - finals at 4 p.m. Sunday (free)


This event pits teams of two–one bare-footed stomper and one juice-collecting "swabby"–against each other to see who can extract the most liquid from a barrel of grapes. It promises a $1,500 grand prize, which was claimed last year by Santa Rosa residents Kopa and Michelle Kaluahine, who ended up with 22.42 pounds of juice.

Qualifying events start at 12:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and lead up to the finals at 4 p.m. Sunday. A separate event is held for kids 13 and younger. See the full schedule here.

3. Mystery Ingredient Tortilla-Wrap Cookoff - 1 p.m. Sunday (free)


Amatuer cooks will be coached by celebrity chefs while they create wraps using a basket of mystery ingredients to be unveiled as the competition starts.

"The three finalists, Jessica Bode, Amy Meiers and Monica Train were chosen via popular demand on Facebook just a few short weeks ago," the fair said in a press release. "They will bring their own cookware but no pre-prepared foods. No foods at all, in fact. The dishes they create will be made entirely of items they see for the first time when the clock begins to tick."

The winner of the first-ever World Wrapped Cooking Competition will receive a $1,000 prize and new cookware.

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Sonoma County Harvest Fair - Friday, Oct. 4, through Sunday, Oct. 6
Friday: gates and marketplace open 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., tasting pavilion open 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: gates and marketplace open noon to 5 p.m., tasting pavilion open 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Sonoma County Fairgrounds
1350 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa

Free admission, tasting pavilion tickets are $50 per person.

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