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Here comes Santa Claus!

Wait, wait, whaaaat?? Santa Claus? But it’s the beginning of NOVEMBER!! Okay, there’s a definite method to my madness here – November 1 is the kickoff day for Secret Santa, an event put together by the nonprofit Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership (CVNL) with help from KZST and Friedman’s Home Improvement.

The whole program is to fulfill the holiday wishes of thousands of people in Sonoma County who are in need – and I do mean thousands; last year they were overwhelmed by almost 3,000 letters to Santa!) CVNL’s role is to bring together people who wish to help their neighbors in need with others (people and agencies) who have the resources to brighten the holidays with generosity.

This is made possible a team of volunteers, the efforts of businesses, and nonprofits in the Sonoma County community, and this all happens through the relentless efforts of Tiah F., THE Santa, and her head Elf, Lauren, both working out of the Santa Rosa CVNL offices. For Tiah, this program is what she works all year to put together. As she describes it, “The Secret Santa program - in partnership with the Volunteer Center of Sonoma County, KZST radio and Freidman’s Home Improvement is integral to our community. In 2021 we were able to give 27,776 gifts and raised over a $250,000 to help families in need during the holidays. The communal effort is both humbling and inspiring while showing how strong we are as one.”

As one of those folks who starts grabbing Christmas presents in October, it takes me only a minute to pick a heart from one of the sponsored Christmas trees around Santa Rosa, purchase the wished-for item, either wrap it (or not), and bring the item and the heart over to the specified ‘Heart Headquarters’ and I’ve done it! Fulfilled a wish for someone who needs it. This nonprofit is taking ‘caring for the community’ to the next level, and I’m here for it!

I know, we still have Thanksgiving to get through, but these hearts are available RIGHT NOW, so we all have a chance to get an early start on doing something special for others’ this Holiday season. Now, let’s take a look at what’s good downtown in November!

Redwood Empire Train Show. Christina Molcillo photo.
Redwood Empire Train Show. Christina Molcillo photo.

What’s good for kids in November?

I feel like we covered this last year, but it’s happening again and likely even better because people are coming out more often, pandemic restrictions are lifted, and trains are just the coolest! When my boys were little, even just going to the CalTrain station on the peninsula was akin to going to the best park in town. This led to train toys, train movies, and of course: model trains. At the highest point of the obsession, we had HO scale trains running on tracks through the upstairs area of our house. We even discovered that our neighbor had a G-scale train running through his garden! Even if your kids have never mentioned trains, this train show could be a game-changer for their next favorite hobby – definitely worth a visit.

What: 2022 Redwood Empire Train Show

When: November 4, 5, 6, 2022

10am - 5pm

Location: Sonoma County Fairgrounds

1350 Bennett Valley Rd.

Santa Rosa, CA 95404

PRICE:

Adults – $7

Seniors 60 & over – $4 (FRIDAY ONLY)

Happy Hour 2pm-5pm Friday, Saturday, and Sunday $4

Children 12 & under – Free

What’s good for the adults in November?

For some reason, the best adult events I’ve found in the past few months have all been music-related, and I’m sticking with it this month as well. Music is tricky to recommend because there’s so much of it to choose from – classical, rap, country, metal, alternative, jazz…the choices are endless and if two people can’t agree, they probably won’t bother catching a show.

Fortunately, Live Music By The Barrels at 4th Street Cellars tasting room in downtown Santa Rosa makes it easy for people to go check out live music, enjoy some wine, and discover new talent! Every weekend from 6-9pm, there’s a variety of local musicians that showcase their talent! Admission is free, but all attendees must be 21+ and purchase at least one glass of wine during live music. They offer snacks, wine by the glass, bottle, or wine tastings. One of the best parts is being able to grab some eats at any of the surrounding restaurants and bring it inside while you enjoy the tunes – win!

The deets:

What: Live Music By The Barrels

Location: 4th Street Cellars, 127 4th Street, Santa Rosa

When: Every weekend

Times: 6-9pm

Cost: All attendees must be over 21 and purchase at least one glass of wine.

BBQ at Red Bee. Christina Molcillo photo.
BBQ at Red Bee. Christina Molcillo photo.

What should I get to eat?

It’s tempting to talk turkey right now, because it is time for Thanksgiving, BUT I’m going to take it away from a holiday and focus on just the family. Specifically, family mealtime!

Salad at Red Bee. Christina Molcillo photo.
Salad at Red Bee. Christina Molcillo photo.

I work full time, my husband works full time, and sometimes making dinner for our family of four feels like another full-time gig! Enter the family meal at Red Bee BBQ. For $50 you get 6 choices of meats, 6 side orders (let’s talk beans, macaroni, and even elote) and 1 big serving of salad.

More BBQ! Christina Molcillo photo.
More BBQ! Christina Molcillo photo.

Finding this ended the whole ‘I don’t even know what I want for dinner, mom’ arguments and giving in to cereal for dinner. And leftovers? Actually, a good thing with Red Bee because ou know your lunch at work will be the thing of envy the next day!

Corn on the cob at Red Bee. Christina Molcillo photo.
Corn on the cob at Red Bee. Christina Molcillo photo.

Place: Red Bee BBQ

Address: 2227 Stony Point Road, Santa Rosa

Phone: (707) 541-6536

Hours:

Saturday 11AM–9PM

Sunday Closed

Monday 11AM–9PM

Tuesday 11AM–9PM

Wednesday 11AM–9PM

Thursday 11AM–9PM

Friday 11AM–9PM

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