Top o’ the afternoon to you, dear Healdsfield! (As a big-city friend of mine loves to call us.) We’ve got a rare March heat wave ramping up today, one that’s supposed to endure straight through to next weekend — so now’s the time to put on your hot-weather game face, arm yourself with a few layers of sunscreen, take a giant huff of the season’s early jasmine blooms on your nearest fence or porch or secret garden… and spend some time in contemplation with this here local event log, to plan your outings for the week. Choose from shenanigans like:

But before we dive into this week’s calendar, I’ve got some exciting local event news for you. The lineup just dropped for the fourth annual “BloodRoot Ramble” music festival on the field outside Healdsburg’s Abel de Luna Community Center… and it’s a total nostalgia bomb for millennials like meee. Turns out the mid-’90s alt-rock band Spoon will be headlining this year’s festival on Saturday, June 6! I hadn’t even thought about Spoon’s music since back when I was in college — aka, pre-2010 — but it only took the first few opening bars of their hit song “The Underdog” to throw me into a one-woman mosh fit last night. Also playing the 2026 festival are Lucius, Devon Gilfillian, Tropa Magica and The Plastic Cherries. “This year’s lineup is unlike anything we’ve presented before, bringing together a mix of artists spanning rock, soul, Latin, and psychedelic sounds,” say festival organizers from the BloodRoot Wines team. “Each performance will be paired with the spoils of Sonoma County — abundant food, wine, and experiences that make The Ramble truly one-of-a-kind.”

Festival tickets start around $86, and much of the money goes to a gun safety charity run by former Arizona politician and shooting victim Gabby Giffords. In fact, Gabby came to town a few days ago to speak in front of an intimate crowd at Little Saint. She was invited by BloodRoot Wines owners Noah and Kelly Dorrance, who lost their own 9-year-old niece in a Nashville school shooting two years ago. Healdsburg Mayor Chris Herrod was in attendance, and posted some giddy pics with this Democratic Party darling after the talk. He wrote: “It was a great honor to welcome Gabby Giffords and her team here to Healdsburg. Her story, and her tireless work to end gun violence, is deeply inspirational.”

And in case you forgot, ANOTHER big music festival is happening in Healdsburg a few weekends before the Ramble, from May 15-17. For their seventh annual “Analog Reunion,” formerly known as “Cosmico,” local renaissance couple Anne Driscoll and Chris Schultz will bring artists like The Heavy Heavy and Gilligan Moss to the riverside Wildhaven Sonoma glamping site in the Alexander Valley. Weekend passes for that one start at $215. Almost feels like we’re turning into the Coachella of wine country… 🤠

OK, kids! I need your help with something. Let’s make sure every last soul who calls Healdsburg home — or used to, or wants to one day — knows about this community newsletter, and can use it as a resource to navigate life in town. Just send your people this link to subscribe. (Or forward them this email, and they can click the link themselves.) That way, we can all gather around one unifying source of truth, like a plaza fountain powwow on a sunny day. ⛲️