Page 36 - Sonoma County Gazette July 2018

Summer FESTIVAL Time!
EAT your MEAT BBQ ~ Wine Country Big Q is back at the Sonoma- Marin Fairgrounds July 7, 1 – 5pm! This nationally sanctioned barbecue Festival and Competition draws 50 barbecue teams from across the West Coast to smoke ribs, brisket, pork, chicken, and more in a celebration of authentic barbecue.
The teams are competing for over $9,000 in cash and prizes! ...as well as a coveted spot in the big daddy national competitions: the American Royal World Series of Barbecue® in Kansas City, Missouri and The Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbecue in Lynchburg, Tennessee.
What is your favorite flavor? Sweet, savory, spicy – try them all.... YOU get to be the judge! Love beans? Try the Bold Bean Challenge – OR the Bakin’ for Bacon – yes even bacon dessert! Throughout this event there are Educational Seminars and Cooking Demos, and of course LIVE Music!
INFO: winecountrybigq.com
Love to Garden – Love Art? This one’s for you—Petaluma Art & Garden Festival on July 8th. This event showcases the work of local artists and offers an opportunity to sample local food, wines and craft beers along Kentucky Street downtown. There’s a Chalk Art Competition—Children’s activities, Live music on two stages - 11 am to 5 pm. It’s FREE free to attend, BUT you have to purchase a Tasting Package in order to partake in all the wine, craft beer, cocktails and food tasting. With 145 booths of unusual, unique, handmade items this event has something for everyone. Experts will be on hand from The Petaluma Garden Club and Sonoma County Master Gardeners to answer gardening questions. Figure out how to grow vegetables in tricky Petaluma adobe soil. Now THAT is a challenge!
This Event NEEDS Recycling Monitors! This years Music Festival will be our first attempt at a Zero Waste Recycling Event. Volunteers will work in pairs at the Recycling Stations to educate our guests about what sort of things go in which container. As a Volunteer, you receive a free ticket into the event (a $55 value!) and if you volunteer for more than one shift, you get lunch too!
Elite Volunteers—Elite Volunteers (those working 2 or more shifts) can pick up their Festival T-shirts at Volunteer Check-In. Lunch will also be provided for you. Lunch will be available starting around noon at Volunteer Check-In.
Extra Credit For Your School—A portion of the money donated to schools is based on the number of volunteers working for that school. When you fill out your shift request, you will have the opportunity to designate your chosen school. INFO: petalumadowntown.com/art-and-garden-petaluma
Rivertown Revival is HUGE around these parts—to celebrate the river that runs—well—INTO us! Not so much THROUGH us. With emphasis on the river, community, family, history, and creativity, the Rivertown Revival brings MANY local musicians playing in the Americana genre, $5 weddings (seriously folks—this may be the TIME!), art boat races, unique entertainment including aerial acts, children’s marionette shows, snake oil salesmen, and stilt walkers, alongside festive vendors, local food and drink,
a large children’s area and beautiful art make this a truly unique experience. This is an earth-friendly FAMILY event. Dress up in costumes at our Photo Booth. Paddle into the event if you want. July 14, 11a – 8p at McNear Peninsula, Steamer Landing Park, Copeland St., Petaluma INFO: rivertownrevival.com
Support SCHOOLS before the kids go back to them! Petaluma Music Festival on August 4th is one of the most highly-regarded music festivals on the west coast. More than 13 bands will be performing (just about every genre we can gather into one place at one time! PLUS a silent auction to raise money for our schools, a celebrity autographed guitar raffle, kid’s area, and local food and merchandise vendors. All at the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds and yes, this one doesn’t come cheap—it IS a fundraiser after all General Admission: $55 – $65 at the gate. INFO—Tickets etc: petalumamusicfestival.org
36 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 7/18
By the time you read this, the July 1st Penngrove Parade will be over. I am honored to be asked to be the Grand Marshall. Plans include a ride in a fire engine, a sash and badge, and perfecting my wave. I’m actually dumbfounded to be selected. Sure, I have been doing the public relations for Penngrove Social Firemen since 2010-ish, but I’ve only lived in Penngrove for 24 years and don’t even have a road named for my family! Thank you.
I visited a new Thai restaurant in the OSH center, in the former Namaste spot (1390 N. McDowell Blvd., Suite A). Lunn Yar Moe
is owned by Prani Yotklang. Because her husband died in the October fires, Prani
Lunn Yar Moe
has gone into business. The restaurant is named for a strong woman from Suranari, a province of Thailand. She was given a royal title because of her bravery during a 1826 invasion.
I was so taken with Prani’s story, I posted about it on social media, and the response has been CRAZY. Prani has been brave
in the face of her upheaval, and locals are coming in droves to support her. What a community we have.
Thank you, and p.s. the food is
wonderful. Open daily for lunch (‘til 3 pm) and dinner, (from 5 pm) on Monday through Saturday, 11:00am to 9:00pm. Don’t expect to find a digital presence, just go. Phone: (707) 753-4257
Penngrove Market is open and it’s fabulous!
Two local families conceived of and operate the store. They met through their children’s school, and with a combined 25 years of experience around grocery. Planning began in earnest when the 1882 building had a fire, May 2015. Owner Martin Sessi worked with the McDowell and Ferraro families to accommodate a real market vs. the minimal stores of the past.
I sat on the spacious patio with Shaina Ferraro, who handles marketing and front of house operations. Her husband, culinary director Joe Ferraro, is second generation Italian. He grew up in his grandmother’s kitchen, where she spoke and cooked Italian. Joe presides over the wood-fired Magnani oven to produce pizza, calzone and piadine. Very tasty, and with vegan and gluten-free options. Shaina explained that the building owner ensured the foundation could handle the 4,000-pound oven. The oven holds its heat in well, burning efficiently without turning the store, well, into an oven. I sniffed but didn’t smell wood fire smoke.
The demand for vegan foods has been stronger than Shaina expected. And due to a family member’s diet, the store is stocked with many gluten free products. “We’re hitting the balance point between the customer who wants a 6-pack and specialty items for allergy and sensitivity concerns,” she said. We’re still fine-tuning. We want people to talk with us.”
The light, bright store is chock full of local and healthy products. Breakfast options include hot breakfast sandwiches and an oatmeal bar. At noon, it changes over to a soup bar, offering either a vegetarian or vegan soup, and a meat soup. There are grab ‘n go sandwiches and salads, but no deli (or butcher) counter. “If people want a made-to-order sandwich, we send them over to JavAmore Café,” said Shaina.
You’ll find treasures in the cold cases: Rocky and Rosie chicken, fermented products, Eel River Organic Meats (grass-fed and finished). And interesting cheeses—from vegan to Achadinha Cheese Company (out Chileno Valley Road). Produce comes from Live Oak Farm.
PENNGROVE cont’d on page 37