En Garde Fencing, Santa Rosa

Gifted with that balance of “strict” and “silly” so prized in a coach, owner Jim Liebich realizes that behind the desire for order in fencing is the thrill of chaos in combat. The homey En Garde in Santa Rosa engages kids and adults in the fun side of our dark side.

Fencing classes often end with a foam ax battle royale, and battlefield tactics of medieval European weapons have their own class. In fact, those historical European martial arts are highlighted in the annual St. Paddy’s Day Brawl, where adults face off and—in the tradition of any good Irishperson on a holiday—fight.

En Garde Fencing is the perfect place for people of all ages to learn an ancient art and have a great time doing it. The club also hosts regular tournaments and events, providing a wonderful opportunity for fencers to compete and improve their skills. En garde!

En Garde Fencing is located at 917 Piner Rd., Suite D, Santa Rosa. 707.596.3626. egfencing.com.

Aqus Café, Petaluma

Walk into Aqus Café in Petaluma and you’ll notice something different than many a coffeehouse—it’s loud in here.

“At 9:15 in the morning, the tables are full of people in conversation,” said co-owner John Crowley. “If you walk in during that, you realize, ‘Whoa, what’s going on here?’”

Rather than a bunch of vaguely anti-social people plugged into laptops like most coffee spots, at Aqus “it’s about conversation; it’s about interacting with other human beings,” he added.

“The purpose is to act as a gathering place for people to connect, start conversations, build friendships and relationships,” said Crowley when we spoke after I performed at one such gathering, the Rivertown Poets monthly open mic, in its 11th year at Aqus.

In fact, Aqus is home to a dizzying calendar of events that span from live performances to writing groups and facilitated gatherings. 

While Crowley’s native Ireland is famous for its pubs, they serve a different function than the “Irish pub” bars found stateside.

“A lot of people don’t know [“pub”] is short for public house. Our cafe is a shared living space,” said Crowley. This third place, the place people gather besides home and work, is designed to build social capital, that is, to amplify the value created when people get together.

Community dinners have been a recent addition to the cafe. On certain nights, Crowley and the staff have invited groups with certain affinities to come and eat together. The two- and four-tops are pulled into a single table to seat 40 or more people. Affinities that have assembled thus far include people who live on the same street in Petaluma, former Peace Corp volunteers and people who share a language like German or Portuguese. 

Said Crowley with a laugh, “Well, we could have a community dinner for people who like the color blue, because people want to connect.” All we need is a reason.

Refill Mercantile, Petaluma

In today’s fast-paced world, where convenience often takes precedence over environmental concerns, more people are reevaluating their consumption habits and choosing a more sustainable lifestyle instead. One business facilitating this change is the Refill Mercantile, located in The Great Petaluma Mill. There, customers can find low- or zero-waste alternatives to products with single-use packaging, and begin to make progress towards their sustainability goals.

At the heart of the Refill Mercantile’s mission is the belief that small, everyday actions can make a significant difference in preserving our planet for future generations. Central to the concept of the store is the idea of “refilling.” Rather than relying on disposable packaging, customers are encouraged to bring in their own bottles and containers to refill with a curated selection of high-quality, low- or zero-waste products, including kitchen, homegoods, and bath and body products.

This not only minimizes what goes into the landfill, but promotes a sense of connection with the things we use daily, creating a deeper appreciation for the resources that sustain us. It’s also one-stop-shopping for all of one’s home needs, including laundry soap, dish soap, hair and skin care, dish towels, alternatives to foil, plastic wrap, sandwich bags and more.

Laundry and dish soap are two of the store’s top-selling products, and are a great place to begin a new zero-waste lifestyle. Refill Mercantile empowers customers to make conscious choices when it comes to the home. From the easy refilling process, to the wide selection of products, the mercantile is designed to make sustainable living appealing and accessible to all. It’s one good way to make a difference without sacrificing quality or even convenience.

As we navigate an increasingly uncertain future, these kinds of small steps can really add up. Just by reducing waste in our own household, we reduce the impact on the planet and are modeling behavior we want to see more of, playing a part in building a more sustainable and resilient world for generations to come.