The tiny town of Bodega is home to Sonoma County's shortest parade — and it's tomorrow!
"The Big Event" and other news from the town of Bodega
As a part of our ongoing Saturday Towns column, we’d like to introduce Eva Granahan, former Gazette columnist and the granddaughter of longtime North Bay journalist Andrea Granahan of the Bodega Bay Navigator. Eva is our new towns columnist for the town of Bodega.
Don’t blink, you might miss Bodega!
Visitors, don’t be shy -
stop in on your way by!
All ages here have a blast,
you don’t have to just drive past.
The Big Event is almost here!
Have you ever heard of The Big Event? Well, it happens the first Sunday of August out in Bodega—the small rural village on Bodega Highway, about a mile inland from the coast and Highway 1.
The Big Event happens in downtown Bodega on Sunday, Aug. 2, from 10 am to 5 pm. “Sonoma County’s shortest parade” starts at 10:30 am, closing down Bodega Highway for 10 to 15 minutes or so. People passing through to Highway 1 might enjoy the detour past iconic buildings, including the schoolhouse from The Birds.
Better yet, stop and join the historic town of Bodega for some small-town fun. Enjoy free parking and admission, plus BBQ plates, great drinks and treats for sale to benefit Bodega Fire, and a jumpy house for the kids. There will be music all day from two dance bands: Trainwreck Junction plays from 11 am to 1:30 pm, then The Hots play from 2 pm to 5 pm.
The Artisans’ Co-op Gallery is hosting a gallery-wide sale and raffle at 17175 Bodega Highway the same day and time. Many of the artisans pop up in front of the fire station during The Big Event. This craft fair is an iteration of what used to be known as its own “Artisans’ Day.” You can discover what new art is being crafted for you or someone you know.
Gold Ridge to rent and staff the Bodega Fire Station
As many of you know, most of the volunteer fire departments of West Sonoma County have consolidated into the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District. This includes the stations of Bodega, Freestone, Hessel, Twin Hills, Wilmar, Two Rock, Lakeville, Camp Meeker, Fort Ross, and most recently Sebastopol. Most of the other stations have been folded into the Sonoma County Fire District.
For the last year, the remote Bodega station hasn’t exactly been operational. However, at its most recent meeting, Gold Ridge agreed to lease the Bodega Fire Station for the next 15 years. They plan to staff it in the near future so it gets back up and running.
Until this last year, individual volunteer firefighters have “staffed” the independent volunteer fire department. Now many of these skilled volunteers (many of whom are professional firefighters) have taken jobs at other stations or districts. Luckily for Bodega, there haven’t been major fires or floods, like some busier years in the recent past.
The fire station is still owned and managed by Bodega Fire, a nonprofit organization that at a meeting earlier this year renamed itself “Bodega Community Fire Association.” Bodega Fire still manages the station itself, the adjacent post office and the town’s main hall, and the original historic station.
Now that it no longer runs the fire department, the board is in the process of rewriting the bylaws. If community members want to give input and approval before everything is legally finalized, you can review the proposed bylaws in their draft format at www.bodegafire.org.
Bodega Fire meetings occur every second Tuesday of the month at 7:30 pm. It’s open to the public and held at McCaughey Hall, 17184 Bodega Highway. There was a motion at the last meeting to put the addition of a public restroom for the hall on the next agenda. If you have input about this item, come to the meeting on Tuesday, Aug, 11.
Side note on the town’s central hall: you can reserve it for special meetings or events through the fire station office. Not only can you rent McCaughey Hall, but you could also separately rent chairs and tables to use at any other location of your choice.
That’s a big bench
In front of the Bodega Country Store, you may notice a beautifully handcrafted redwood bench. It’s too huge to miss. It’s essentially a giant log that’s been shaped to be more comfortable to sit on. I’m sure it will be used to view this year’s parade.
A key idea behind the bench is the sheer mass acts as an extra physical barrier between the building and the road. Five years ago this month, a car flew through the front of the store. Hopefully this new addition will deter another damaging accident.
It’s still the same Casino Bar & Grill
The Casino Bar & Grill is one of the central attractions in Bodega. Since 1949, it’s been a watering hole and local daily hub for news and support resources. Amazingly, they’re still completely cash-only. They do have an ATM if you don’t remember the paper.
Evelyn Casini was considered Bodega’s matriarch, and the town was at a huge loss when she passed in September 2024. She managed the café long after her husband, Art, passed away. She started working there as a young woman, and she was still bartending and cooking there 75 years later in 2024. She would’ve reached her 100th birthday milestone this October 1.
When the Casino announced they were closing for maintenance, there was a brief hum of concern: Were things going to change now that Casini was gone? The family closed for a full week back in April.
Rest assured, it was not at all a full remodel. All the same charm remains, just improved upon. As you can imagine, after 77 years in business, there were some much-needed repairs. Things like new red barstools and fresh paint brighten up the place.
Still stitching…
Last but certainly not least, the Bodega Quilters are at it again with some fresh eyes and ideas. The group, which has been stitching away since 1980, works together to produce a single quilt that is raffled off each year.
Keep your eyes out for this next season’s neighborly labor of love. All quilters—young and old, beginners to advanced—volunteer their time and talent. The raffle tickets are sold at events and markets all year to raise money for the Bodega Community Fire Association and the Bodega Land Trust.
The theme for this new quilt is “rural traditions.” As you can imagine, there are various interpretations of such a broad topic. The quilt will be finished near the close of this year and ready to display at the beginning of 2027.
If you’d like to dedicate some time and energy to this community project, please reach out by email to granahaneva@gmail.com, or contact us by phone if you know anyone who’s involved.
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