Hello again, esteemed community. I’m back in your inbox on this soft and stormy Friday for a quick jaunt through the land of local events. You might be relieved to hear that this week’s Healdsburg Event Log is looking a lot more sane than the past couple I’ve sent; indeed, we seem to be entering that quieter time before Christmas (and through to New Year’s) when the calendar takes a giant exhale, and our loved ones draw nearer, and our days start to blur together into one big, melty end-of-year reflection puddle. And not a moment too soon, says the bashful country Christmas mouse who lives inside me and has been wanting nothing more than to curl up in front of the fireplace and forget about time and space and duty forever. In other words, I’m not mad about it! But just in case of cabin fever, there’s still some real sweet stuff on the calendar through end of December, like…
A few relaxing rituals to usher in the winter solstice
Our final farmers market of the season, rife with fresh foods and fine crafts for gifting
Where to see the most Santas and nutcrackers in one place
Where to eat out on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
A post-holiday group “hangover run” on nearby trails
Some rad shows coming up at the Elephant, like a funky house set by a local DJ on Boxing Day
Plenty more excuses to leave the house and/or take a breather from family, as needed ☔️
You’ll find all that below. But before we peer into our future, let’s dip into our recent past for a recap of the best and brightest holiday events held here in town over the past week, as has become Healdsburg Event Log tradition. This time, we’ll take a look at the Hanukkah candle-lighting in the plaza on Monday, as well as the giant toy giveaway at Healdsburg’s community center last weekend, presented by a super-fly fleet of vintage cars. Both felt like important ones!
The annual candle-lighting in the Healdsburg plaza on Monday night, marking the start of Hanukkah, took on new weight after news came in that morning of a horrific antisemitic attack on another first-day-of-Hanukkah gathering in Australia. (Because they’re one day ahead of us.) In turn, the Healdsburg Police Department sent extra officers to watch over our local ceremony, according to our new mayor, Chris Herrod. Chris wrote online: “Now, more than ever, it’s important that we come together and support each other in community. Here’s wishing all who celebrate a joyous, peaceful and meaningful Hanukkah!” Vice Mayor Ron Edwards was in attendance as well. He wrote: “After today’s events in Australia it was nice to see a good number of our residents come out in support.” And Councilmember Ariel Kelley, who is Jewish, wrote: “In moments of grief and fear, may the light of Hanukkah brighten our hearts and strengthen our shared commitment to inclusion, safety, and compassion for all.” Check out more beautiful photos of the ceremony from Healdsburg Tribune photographer Rick Tang. (Photo: Ron Edwards via Facebook)
Two nights earlier, last Saturday, another local photographer — the great Tenay Macmillan — says she “stumbled headlong into the most heartwarming community Christmas scene” playing out at our Abel de Luna Community Center. Aka, the annual “Noche de Paz” event thrown by Corazón Healdsburg, which city officials say drew hundreds this year. Here’s how Tenay describes the setup on the blacktop that evening: “A mix of floodlights and twinkle lights drenched the entire sport courts, which were filled with Christmas table-clothed tables, Poinsettias, and activities, ranging from volunteer led bingo (of sorts), cookie decorating, and face painting. A long line of steaming food tables, I was to find out, were offering hot chocolate (courtesy of Black Oak Coffee Roasters), exquisitely seasoned tacos (courtesy of Carnitas Pistache), and Pozole.” And over at the far end of the courts, there was a line of tables filled with toys for each age group — plus “a row of amazing bicycles” raffled off to kids who had dropped tickets into bags hanging from the bikes. Tenay also says “moms in attendance were given a ‘shopping ticket’ for a room that housed new clothes and shoes.” Then there was the row of classic cars all lit up for the holidays, of course, as local car clubs were involved in collecting all these toys for kids from Healdsburg, Windsor, Cloverdale and Geyserville. (See Corazón’s full list of the event’s donors and sponsors here, along with some more great pics from Rick Tang.) Tenay tells me that, growing up, her own family “needed this sort of community and did not have it.” She writes: “What I super loved about the whole thing was it just felt like a community festive event — not a charity drive. … No one wants to feel less than, or less able to provide for their own, no matter the reason (and there are so many right now). Corazón Healdsburg creates so much good in our community; it was amazing to see all these local business turnout to support them in their goal to brighten everyone’s holidays. Although I could not show it in photos, hundreds of little kids’ (and adults’ too) smiles added to the lights.” (Photos: Tenay Macmillan)
Y’all might be getting tired of hearing me say this, but it has to be done: Please keep telling everyone you know about The Healdsburg Newsletter! Here’s where people can subscribe. Or I suppose you could take matters into your own hands and gift the members of your inner circle their own all-access paid subscriptions as a holiday surprise, like the mensch that you are. (Just click “Gift” at the top of this page.) And even if you don’t do any of that — from the very deepest depths of my heart, I want to thank everyone who’s reading this for all your support so far. You’ve made my dreams come true this year. And I can’t wait to carry on as Healdsburg’s designated town crier in 2026. 🫡
AND CHECK OUT MY SPONSOR
Fun gift idea — a river trip to look forward to next summer 🦦
Even if you’re not usually a big gift-card giver, hear me out: How sweet would it be to see someone you love unwrap one of these adorable gift cards from Healdsburg river adventure company River’s Edge Kayak & Canoe this holiday, and see them light up with the promise of a magical trip down the Russian River once the long and sunny days return next summer? Great way to get us all through winter, IMO! River’s Edge is owned by lovely local couple Kim and Dave Lockhart, who also happen to own the legendary Monte Rio Theater & Extravaganza downriver. They’ve won “best adventure tour” in the Healdsburg Tribune’s “Best of Healdsburg” issue for the past two years in a row, for the various trips they run out of the River’s Edge home base at Memorial Beach — including a peaceful 5-mile paddle ideal for families with kids, and a more rugged all-day paddle starting way up in the Alexander Valley, with tons of rare wildlife and pristine stretches.
To give one of these excursions as a present this year, you can check out the trip options here, then go load up a gift card with the approximate cost of the trip. (To check out, just click “Book Now” at the top of the gift card page.) And to make this deal extra sweet, River’s Edge is currently offering 20% off any purchase you make between now and Christmas; enter the code SANTA2025 at checkout to get the discount. Once you’re done, you'll have the option to either email the card directly to your recipient or print it out and make it all pretty for in-person gifting. There are card designs for Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, too. Personally I know I’d love to see a future river romp in my stocking or under the tree… especially one from this wonderful local business. ✨
NOW, AIR OVER HEALDSBURG
We’re living inside a rain globe today… and we might as well get used to it, cause the local forecast is all raindrops for at least the next week. If you start to get depressed about it, just think about how happy our reservoirs will be, come January. 💦 (Photo: Holly Wilson)
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