Bodega Seafood Art & Wine Festival is back for 2022!

The 26th annual Bodega Seafood, Art & Wine Festival WILL happen in 2022, after a two-year COVID hiatus. The festival will be at Watts Ranch in Bodega Bay Aug. 27 & 28.

Held on a rural ranch a mile inland from the spectacular Sonoma Coast, the Bodega Seafood, Art & Wine Festival is a sophisticated, yet down-home, event. It has garnered the reputation of being one of the premier art, wine, microbrew, and food festivals in California. The picturesque Watts Ranch, in the village where Alfred Hitchcock once filmed his classic thriller, The Birds, is home to this annual benefit, which attracts thousands of foodies, arts appreciators, wine and beer fans and music lovers, many of whom have been coming since its inception in 1993.

The festival is a food lover’s dream, especially for those who love seafood. From calamari to chowder, oysters to ahi, more than thirty seafood dishes will be offered up by a dozen different vendors. This year several new food vendors join the mix, along with most of the festival favorites. Non-fish eaters will have no trouble finding delicious vegetarian options, meat, chicken and sweet treats galore.

Wine, beer and cider tasting is a highlight

The Wine, Micro-brewed Beer and Cider Tasting is always a popular part of the event. With 40-plus companies pouring their creations, the tasting tent rocks all weekend long. Offering a mix of known brands, plus many small, up-and-coming companies, it’s the ideal locale to find your next favorite drink. The cost is $25 for a commemorative glass and six tastes. Additional tastes are $3.

Wine, beer, and cider is available for purchase from some of our companies, so you can sample and then take some home with you. There’s also a Beer/Wine Booth to purchase drinks by the glass.

The quality of the art and fine crafts is unrivaled in Sonoma County and beyond. This juried show attracts artisans from throughout California and other parts of the country. The festival appeals to a broad range of attendees, providing a mix of higher-end fine art and craft along with more moderately priced crafts. This year there’s also a nice selection of food products. The festival producers are artists themselves and know the ins and outs of doing shows from both sides, having traveled around the country doing craft fairs for more than 30 years.

Music too, and dancing

Three stages of entertainment give festivalgoers a full day of musical and non-musical diversion. Pride & Joy are returning this year, as are Latin-fusion favorites Sang Matiz, Zydeco-rocker Andre Thierry, guitarist-extraordinaire Scott Huckabay, and many more. Comedy, juggling, and magic are also in the works with festival favorites Calvin Kai Ku, Karen Quest and Captain Jack Spareribs. Add in a big dance floor, and this is a festival guaranteed to bring you joy.

This is a great family event with kid’s activities and interactive environmental displays from our beneficiary, Stewards of the Coast & Redwoods, as well as a new coloring wall, for the artist in all of us.

A portion of the event proceeds supports two vital non-profits — Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods, which works in partnership with the California State Parks in the Russian River/Sonoma Coast region, and the Bodega Volunteer Fire Department.

Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, August 27, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, August 28. Admission is $20 in advance for adults and $25 at the gate. Discounts are offered for seniors, teens, first responders and military; under 12 are free. Special combo tickets for entry and tasting will be available via our website. Tickets are on sale now at: https://bodegaseafoodfestival.simpletix.com/ or at all Oliver’s Markets.

For more information, go to www.bodegaseafoodfestival.com.