What's happening this week in Sebastopol?
So many big events: Sebastopol Community Awards, Farm Trails Weekend, Community Talent Showcase, and much more
Macular Degeneration and Falling
Monday, Oct. 7, 2 pm to 3:15 pm, at Sebastopol Area Senior Center, 167 North High St., Sebastopol. $10.
Macular degeneration is a common eye condition in seniors that can affect one’s ability to read, drive and stay active. Join Doc Mintz, retired Sebastopol optometrist, for a presentation on the diagnosis and treatment of macular degeneration. Doc will be joined by Glenn Minervini-Zick, who is learning to meet the challenges of this condition. Register.
Sebastopol's 49th Annual Community Awards Celebration
Tuesday, Oct. 8, 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm, at Russian River Vineyards, 5700 Hwy. 116 N., Forestville.
This annual event celebrates the best of Sebastopol, including Citizen of the Year, Business of the Year, Volunteer of the Year and many more. Join the Sebastopol Chamber of Commerce in the Russian River Vineyards garden for appetizers, local wine and beer and a celebration of our wonderful community! Please RSVP. Register here.
Beginners Fall Birding at the Laguna Uplands Preserve
Wednesday, Oct. 9, 8:30 am to 10:30 am, at Laguna Uplands Preserve, 6700 Palm Ave., Sebastopol.
Are you new to birdwatching or just curious to try it out? Then enjoy this beginners birding walk exploring the Laguna Uplands Preserve in Sebastopol. Slowly meander along the mostly flat trail as it winds through open oak savannah, grasslands, and down to the Laguna floodplain. Reserve your spot.
Horticultural Garden Tours with Michael Alliger and Michael Stusser
Thursday, Oct. 10, 9:30 am to 12 pm, at Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary, 209 Bohemian Hwy., Freestone. $25.
A two-hour-long guided tour of the Osmosis meditation garden will be conducted by Osmosis founder Michael Stusser and tree pruning expert Michael Alliger. This garden makes extensive use of stone, water and deer-resistant plants to express the tranquil feeling of a Japanese style design. Get tickets.
Paying for College with Scholarships - Workshop #1
Friday, Oct. 11, 4 pm to 5 pm, at Sebastopol Regional Library, 7140 Bodega Ave., Sebastopol. Free.
Join scholarships advisor Becca Lippman for three interactive workshops that teach students and parents how to find, apply for, and manage scholarships. For grades 9-12. Pre-register to receive a reminder email. Becca demystifies the complex networks and application processes related to scholarships and introduces an approach towards navigating merit and community-based scholarships. Only a few spaces left. Register now.
Diwali Indian Cheese and Wine Pairing at Naidu Wines
Friday, Oct. 11, noon to 4 pm at Naidu Wines, 2567 Blucher valley Road, Sebastopol. $75.
As the festival of lights approaches, experience an enchanting culinary journey throughout October, leading up to Diwali. Celebrate the season with a unique Indian cheese and wine pairing experience, where rich flavors and exceptional wines come together in perfect harmony, in collaboration with Sach Paneer. This special tasting will include curated wine pairings to complement each artisanal cheese and chutney, and we will be offering it the entire month of October. Reserve your tasting.
Macbeth at Music to my Ears
Saturday, Oct. 11, 12, 13 at varied times at Music to my Ears Theater, 104 N. Main St., Sebastopol. $15-$20.
Step into the chilling world of Macbeth, reimagined within the confines of a 1950s mental hospital. In this unique adaptation, the timeless story of ambition, power, and madness is intensified by the eerie, sterile environment of the institution. Witness as Macbeth’s psychological descent unfolds in a setting where the lines between reality and fiction are dangerously blurred. Prepare for an unforgettable experience that will leave you questioning the nature of reality and the depths of the human psyche. Get tickets.
Leveraging Home Landscapes for Climate Change
Saturday, Oct. 12, 2 pm to 3:30 pm, at Sebastopol Regional Library, 7140 Bodega Ave., Sebastopol. Free.
Learn about the actions home gardeners and professional landscapers can take to become part of the climate solution, sequester carbon in the home garden, and prevent ecosystem decline. Register now.
Irish Music in the Vineyard with New Wild Hog
Saturday, Oct. 12, 2 pm to 4 pm, at Reichwage Winery, 1689 Pleasant Hill Road, Sebastopol. $15.
Welcome autumn with enchanting vineyard views, sparkling cider and the beautiful layers of traditional Irish music. We’ll serve wine and cider by the glass or bottle and cheese and charcuterie boards for your picnicking pleasure! Bring Fido, a friend or just yourself for a relaxing afternoon with Reichwage’s friendly community. Parking is free and plentiful. Kid and pet friendly. Should weather disrupt outdoor plans, our Tasting Room has great acoustics for music. Get tickets.
Weekend Along the Farm Trails Fall Tour
Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 12-13, 10 am to 4 pm, at varied addresses. Free.
Enjoy Weekend Along the Farm Trails, when local farmers and producers open their gates and barn doors to offer a taste of life on the farm. Meet your farmers and buy directly from the source. Enjoy tours, tastings, and educational activities. Pick pumpkins, apples, and flowers. See farm animals. Attend workshops and demos on ranching, beekeeping, pollinator gardening, floral design, cheesemaking, and soap making. There will even be a pumpkin trebuchet! Sign up now to start planning your autumnal agrarian adventure! Registration is free but required!
California Native Plants Sale and Open House
Saturday, Oct. 12, 10 am to 1 pm, at Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa. Free.
Planting season for California native plant gardens is here. Celebrate autumn at the Laguna Environmental Center while learning about California native plants. Shop for new additions to your garden in the native plant nursery, then take a guided walk in the native plant demonstration garden at 11 am or noon. Register here.
Community Talent Showcase
Saturday, Oct. 12, 2 pm to 8 pm, at the Sebastopol Community Cultural Center, 390 Morris St., Sebastopol. $10.
Join the Sebastopol Community Cultural Center in the name of community and talent to share and experience a day of Sonoma County’s and the North Bay community’s music, art, comedy, crafts, fashion, and more. Adult talent show at 3 pm, Youth talent show at 4:45 pm. Suggested donation $10—no one turned away! Sign up to participate or get tickets.
An Evening with Tim Hunt
Saturday, Oct. 12, 4 pm to 6 pm, at North Bay Letterpress Arts, 925d Gravenstein Hwy. South, Sebastopol. Free.
Join North Bay Letterpress Arts for an evening of literature and conversation with North Bay native Tim Hunt, professor emeritus in Literature from Illinois State University, author of Kerouac’s Crooked Road: Development of a Fiction, The Textuality of Soulwork: Jack Kerouac’s Quest for Spontaneous Prose, and editor of the six-volume The Collected Poetry of Robinson Jeffers. Tim, a fourth generation Californian raised primarily in Sebastopol, is also the author of six collections of poetry, all Pushcart Prize nominees. Register now.
Rialto Dinner and a Movie: Rosemary's Baby
Sunday, Oct. 13, 5:30 pm, at Rialto Cinemas Sebastopol, 6868 McKinley St., Sebastopol. $76.
On October 13, the Rialto celebrates one of chef Michele Anna Jordan’s favorite films Rosemary’s Baby (1968), starring Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, and Ruth Gordon. A young couple trying for a baby moves into an aging, ornate apartment building on Central Park, where they find themselves surrounded by peculiar neighbors. What’s for dinner? Savory velvet mousse with nightingale epis, late summer tomato soup, leg of lamb with Turkish rice pilaf featuring rice, braised lamb, chickpeas, spearmint, rosemary, and cilantro served with pepperonata, a roasted sweet pepper salad. Surprise dessert. There's also a costume contest you can enter. Learn more.
For a more complete musical schedule for Sebastopol, see happeningsonomacounty.com and choose Sebastopol from the dropdown.
Want us to feature your event in “What’s happening this week in Sebastopol?” Submit your events to the Sebastopol Community Calendar. (This calendar is, sadly, currently malfunctioning, but I still see all submissions in my email.) This is one of the many resources I use to put this column together.