When searching for a place that does everything right—great coffee, good food and a “pull up a chair with a laptop or a friend” vibe—head straight to Retrograde Coffee Roasters in downtown Sebastopol. This Main Street café isn’t just a spot to grab a morning cup; it’s one of those community spots to work or meet over a cappuccino or a perfectly pulled pour‑over. And for the adventurous, try their seasonal drinks, matcha drinks and even wellness drinks, which include beet lattes and turmeric lattes.
Inside, the energy is warm and welcoming. Friendly baristas know their beans, and the free Wi‑Fi keeps freelancers and students happily tapping away. Locals love its relaxed atmosphere, a perfect balance of social buzz and work‑friendly calm. The menu goes beyond coffee, with vegan options meant to delight and a build-your-own-toast option. But be sure to arrive early for a breakfast sandwich or a vegan chocolate chip cookie before they sell out. Add in a selection of their signature, locally roasted coffees available in the coffee‑lover’s gift shop, and the experience is complete.
For those afternoon writing sprints or a casual meet‑up with an old or new friend, Retrograde is where it’s at to connect, create and caffeinate. — Kary Hess
Retrograde Coffee Roasters, 130 S. Main St., #103, Sebastopol. 707.969.7234. retrograderoasters.com.
Do you yearn to see the movies of your youth up on the big screen one more time? Perhaps you simply pine for the days when movie tickets cost a fraction of what they do now?
Well, once a month at Rialto Cinemas in Sebastopol, you’ll be able to channel some artistic (and economic) nostalgia when they host their monthly Discount Family Matinee series.
Beginning on April 12 with the 1996 film Microcosmos, Rialto Cinemas will present a classic of family-friendly entertainment one Sunday a month at 11am. And it won’t break the bank to bring the whole family: Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for kids aged 17 and under.
Rialto Cinemas’ Family Matinee series will continue on May 3 with the Ghibli film, My Neighbor Totoro (1988). Additional titles that will feature this year include Peewee’s Big Adventure, Shaun the Sheep, The Lego Movie and Spirited Away!
So whether you’re looking to recapture some of the childlike wonder of your youth, looking for something to do with the family on a Sunday morning or just looking for a good deal, you might find what you’re looking for in Rialto Cinemas’ Discount Family Matinees series. — Joe Mulcaire
Find details by visiting their website, rialtocinemas.com/sebastopol, or by simply swinging by the theater in person.
Hall of Flowers, Sonoma County Fairgrounds, Santa Rosa
When the cannabis industry wants to see what’s next, it heads to Sonoma County for Hall of Flowers. Held at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa, the event has become one of the most influential gatherings in the cannabis world—a rare hybrid of trade show, cultural showcase and high-stakes marketplace.
Launched in 2018, Hall of Flowers was designed as a carefully curated meeting ground where licensed cannabis brands connect directly with retail buyers, investors and industry insiders. Unlike sprawling expos, the show is intentionally selective about who exhibits and attends, which means the people wandering the aisles are often the same people deciding what ends up on dispensary shelves across California and beyond.
Across two packed days, hundreds of companies unveil new flower strains, infused products, beverages and cultivation innovations while attendees sample products, attend industry talks and strike the kinds of deals that shape the next year of cannabis commerce.
But beyond the business, Hall of Flowers reflects Sonoma County’s agricultural DNA—where craft cultivation, experimentation and a bit of countercultural swagger all coexist. In an industry still defining itself, the event has become a barometer of where cannabis culture and commerce are headed next.
In short: If you want to understand the future of legal cannabis, follow the smoke signals to Santa Rosa. — Weeklys Staff
Every year, Russian River Brewing Co’s Pliny the Younger release brings an estimated $5 million plus into the local economy as beer fans from around the globe converge on the breweries and taprooms in Santa Rosa and Windsor, and for good reason. Consistently, the beer earns the highest of ratings from established beer drinkers and influencers alike. Yet, for as many people who travel to taste the beer, traveling to try a beer isn’t within everyone’s budget. So, what’s a beer geek with FOMO (or FOAMO) to do?
Head to the internet, of course.
Early on in the release of Pliny the Younger, sneaky people with entrepreneurial spirit learned they could exploit a loophole in eBay’s rules in which a bottle could be shipped and eBay wasn’t responsible for the contents. Some folks then used this glitch to sell growlers full of the beer, which was only available at the pub itself, to those out of the area for a nice chunk of change. While it may have ostensibly worked (cross country shipped beer in a growler probably doesn’t hold up well), these people ruined it for everyone, as now Russian River only sells glasses of beer at the pub.
Yet, where there’s a will there’s a way, and beer geeks can pretend they were here by buying Pliny coasters on eBay and Facebook Marketplace for as little as $8 a pop and keg collars (the paper around a keg pump) emblazoned with the Younger insignia for a mere $40. Want some empty Russian River Brewing bottles? They’re about $15 a piece, a much better return than recycling can offer. Look, people who are into stuff will pay a lot of money for said stuff. As we tell our kids when it comes to home-packed lunch, “Don’t yuck someone else’s yum.” — Don R. Lewis
Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary in Freestone offers one of Sonoma County’s most distinctive wellness experiences. Surrounded by redwoods, gardens and across the street from Wild Flour bakery, the spa is a true retreat.
The highlight is their signature Cedar Enzyme Bath, a rare Japanese-inspired therapy found nowhere else in the nation. Guests relax while their bodies are gently immersed in a fragrant mixture of finely ground cedar, rice bran and natural enzymes. As the blend ferments, it creates a soothing warmth that is designed to encourage circulation, ease muscle tension and leave skin glowing.
A visit typically begins with a cup of herbal tea in a tranquil garden setting before the bath, followed by time to linger on the serene five-acre property. Many guests pair the enzyme bath with massage, sound healing or a peaceful stroll through the Kyoto-style meditation garden designed for quiet reflection.
Osmosis offers a restorative day of deep relaxation in nature, with its rare blend of Japanese tradition and Sonoma County tranquility—an experience that stays with you long after you leave Freestone. — Weeklys Staff
Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary, 209 Bohemian Hwy., Freestone, 707.823.8231. osmosis.com.
Just outside Napa, di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art offers an experience that feels part museum, part nature preserve and entirely Northern California. Spread across more than 200 acres, the site combines contemporary art with open landscape, inviting visitors to explore both at their own pace.
This collection focuses on artists connected to the Bay Area and Northern California, with sculptures, installations and gallery exhibitions that reflect the region’s creative spirit. Some works are displayed in indoor galleries, while others appear unexpectedly outdoors—along walking paths, near the lake or rising from grassy hillsides.
The preserve was founded by collectors Rene and Veronica di Rosa, who envisioned a place where art could exist outside the traditional white-wall museum setting. Today, guided tours lead visitors through changing exhibitions and the permanent collection, while the surrounding grounds provide a quiet backdrop of oaks, wetlands and vineyard views.
It’s the kind of place that rewards slow wandering: Pause to take in a sculpture, follow a trail around the lake or simply sit and watch the light shift across the landscape. For art lovers and nature seekers, di Rosa offers a refreshing reminder that creativity doesn’t have to stay indoors. — Weeklys Staff
di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art, 5200 Sonoma Hwy., Napa, dirosaart.org. Thursday–Sunday, 11am–2:30pm. Last admission 2pm. Tours offered Thursday–Sunday at 11am. Advance reservation encouraged.
In the age of podcasts and personalities, it’s never been easier to develop what psychologists call a “parasocial relationship”—that curious condition in which one feels deeply connected to someone who has absolutely no idea you exist. Fortunately, there’s a remedy: Crack a beer, and tune into Brew Ha Ha.
Broadcast live at 5pm Thursdays on The Drive 95.5 FM, the show recently marked its 12th anniversary in January—no small feat in radio years, which tend to pass faster than a round of happy hour IPAs. The program is hosted by the indefatigable Herlinda Heras, one of the most well-traveled and well-connected figures in the craft brewing world. Heras has judged beer and food competitions across Europe, Asia and Latin America; belongs to the International Pink Boots Society for women beer professionals; and has even staged Mexican food pop-ups in London. In other words, she knows her way around a pint.
Alongside Heras is Daedalus Howell—editor of the Bohemian and resident sidekick—attempting to keep pace with her encyclopedic knowledge of brewing culture.
Each week brings a rotating cast of guests: legendary brewers, rising homebrew heroes and the occasional industry luminary with a story worth telling. Recent conversations have touched on HenHouse, Fort Point, the American Craft Beer Hall of Fame and the annual frenzy surrounding Pliny the Younger.
The result is a convivial hour of beer talk, brewing lore and gentle hijinks—ideal company for anyone enjoying a pint and a friendly, one-sided relationship with audio. — Weeklys Staff
Published in cooperation between SOMO Village and the Bohemian
For decades, Sonoma County has offered something rare: a place where people could pursue meaningful careers while staying connected to nature, community and a slower rhythm of life. But in recent years, many residents have faced a difficult choice. To advance professionally, they often had to commute long distances or leave the region entirely. At the same time, traditional suburban development patterns have struggled to keep pace with the needs of a modern workforce.
In Rohnert Park, a different approach has quietly been taking shape.
SOMO Village is an evolving neighborhood designed around a simple but increasingly relevant idea: people shouldn’t have to separate where they live, where they work and how they take care of themselves. Instead of isolating housing, office space and community amenities into separate places connected only by long car trips, the vision behind SOMO Village is to bring these parts of daily life together into one walkable district.
The result is a place that feels both contemporary and distinctly Sonoma County.
Located just minutes from Highway 101 and close to the SMART train, SOMO Village blends new homes, coworking space, wellness-focused fitness, local businesses, art installations and community events into a single neighborhood environment. Residents can walk from their homes to a workspace, grab coffee from a local café, attend a yoga class or meet neighbors at an event without leaving the community.
For many people who moved to Sonoma County seeking a balance between career and lifestyle, this kind of integration has become increasingly attractive.
Remote and hybrid work have changed how many professionals structure their days. The traditional model of commuting long distances to centralized office buildings is no longer the default for many industries. Instead, professionals often look for environments that support focus, creativity and connection closer to home.
A Workspace in the Village
That shift helped inspire the creation of SOMO Cowork, a workspace located within the village. The coworking space offers private offices, meeting rooms and collaborative areas for entrepreneurs, remote workers and small teams. Rather than commuting to San Francisco or Oakland, many members now run their businesses and careers directly from Sonoma County.
Wellness has also become a central part of the community. somofit, the village’s boutique fitness and recovery club, offers group classes, strength training, sauna, cold plunge and recovery amenities designed to support both physical health and daily performance. In a region known for its connection to nature and well-being, the focus on integrated wellness resonates strongly with residents.
somofitsomofit
But SOMO Village isn’t only about convenience. The broader goal has been to create a sense of place.
Public art installations, community gatherings, seasonal events and partnerships with local businesses bring activity and cultural life to the neighborhood. A coffee shop and gathering spaces encourage informal interactions between residents, entrepreneurs and visitors. Over time, these small moments help shape this community’s identity.
A Locally Beloved Brewery
One of the neighborhood’s most popular gathering spots is Old Caz Beer. The locally beloved brewery has made SOMO Village its home, hosting weekly trivia nights, live music and casual meetups that bring together residents and visitors from across Sonoma County. On any given evening, you might find coworkers unwinding after the workday, families meeting friends or neighbors forming new connections over a pint.
Just around the corner, Crafted Cup Coffee Shop has become the village’s unofficial morning hub. Early mornings bring a mix of remote workers, students and parents grabbing coffee before starting their day. The café has quickly developed a loyal following for its welcoming atmosphere and strong connection to the local community.
Crafted Cup
Where Skill Meets Will
For families, Adventure Recreation adds another important layer to the neighborhood. The gymnastics and movement gym offers classes and programs for kids of all ages, creating a place where children can stay active while parents connect with other families nearby. It’s one more way the village supports daily life for people at different stages.
Adventure Recreation
Events also play a central role in the rhythm of the neighborhood. The SOMO Village Event Center and concert venue regularly host live music, cultural gatherings and large community events that draw visitors from throughout the North Bay. From concerts and festivals to conferences and celebrations, the venue helps anchor the village as a cultural destination as well as a residential neighborhood.
Events Center
For homebuyers, SOMO Village also offers an opportunity to put down roots in Sonoma County without sacrificing access to opportunity. The new homes being built in the neighborhood are designed with modern living patterns in mind, offering proximity not only to open space and vineyards but also to workplaces and amenities within walking distance.
Put Down Roots
That balance has become increasingly important as housing demand continues to evolve across the North Bay. Many professionals who previously assumed they needed to live in larger metropolitan centers are discovering that Sonoma County can offer both lifestyle and economic opportunity.
In that sense, SOMO Village reflects a broader shift happening across the region. As cities adapt to new patterns of work and community life, mixed-use neighborhoods that combine housing, workspaces, wellness and culture are becoming more common. Rather than separating these elements, thoughtful planning brings them together to support everyday life.
Rohnert Park is known for its central location within Sonoma County. With SOMO Village, the city is now becoming a place where new ideas about how neighborhoods function are being tested in real time.
For residents, entrepreneurs and visitors alike, the village offers a glimpse of what the next generation of Sonoma County living might look like: connected, creative and rooted in community.
Those curious to experience the neighborhood can visit SOMO Village in Rohnert Park, explore its growing mix of businesses and amenities and see firsthand how this new model of living, working and gathering is unfolding.
Published in cooperation between Pura Vida Recovery Services and the Bohemian
Addiction is inherently isolating. It wants us to believe we are incapable of finding enjoyment, comfort or meaning without illicit substances. Unfortunately, getting sober offers its own obstacles, as newly recovered addicts may feel fenced-in by lingering guilt, social stigma or fear of relapse.
Pura Vida Recovery Services in Santa Rosa is working to change this dismal narrative on addiction treatment. To them, recovery from addiction is about more than simply abstaining from drugs and alcohol. It’s about rebuilding a life full of meaningful connections and reclaiming a true joy for living!
Recovery in the Real World
Pura Vida believes that, to be effective, treatment for chemical dependency must closely model real life. They reject the luxury destination treatment model popularized over the last 20 years and reimagine recovery as something rooted in local culture and community—full of acceptance, experience, accountability, tradition, novelty and fun!
Santa Rosa offers the perfect environment for this treatment philosophy. In addition to a robust recovery community with more than 400 meetings per week, it’s surrounded by some of the best food, art and nature the Bay Area has to offer.
Treatment at Pura Vida goes beyond traditional therapy and counseling, taking advantage of this wonderful location to incorporate functional and recreational elements such as:
Recreation and adventure therapy
Animal-assisted treatment
Cooking classes
Therapeutic gardening
Hiking
Beach trips and lake days
Volunteer work and community action
The aim is to show clients that they are not confined to traditional recovery circles or activities and shouldn’t feel isolated by their past. They belong out in the world enjoying life to the fullest!
Customized Care
Reclaiming a joy for living is quite a lofty goal and designing a program to achieve it is no easy task! It involves meeting every client where they’re at in their recovery journey with tools & resources specifically catered to their needs. To that end, Pura Vida offers an incredible array of supportive services including:
A live-in detoxification program with 24/7 medical supervision
Residential treatment for breaking long-standing habits and developing new tools for lasting recovery
Psychiatry, individual therapy and experienced substance abuse counseling
Robust outpatient treatment options for ongoing support in early recovery
Ample and affordable sober living for a safety, comfort, accountability and fellowship on the road back to full independence in sobriety
Free transportation to treatment and treatment-related activities
Free adult vocational training opportunities for program graduates
And more…
Accessibility Matters
Of course, none of this means much unless it’s attainable for the people who need it most. That’s why Pura Vida has worked tirelessly to earn the trust of nearly every major insurance carrier as an in-network provider, including Kaiser Permanente and TriWest Healthcare Alliance through the Department of Veterans Affairs.
They additionally partner with nonprofit organizations like Micah’s Hugs to provide financial assistance to clients who may have trouble affording treatment.
Most recently, Pura Vida achieved a critical accessibility milestone by gaining approval to provide intensive outpatient treatment for beneficiaries of Sonoma County MediCal!
Why Pura Vida Won Best of the North Bay
Since Pura Vida opened its first sober living home in 2015, founders Ben Pahalvan and Alex Wignall have operated by a single guiding principle: When someone trusts you enough to ask for help, go above and beyond to honor that trust.
This simple philosophy has led them to forgo the high-budget marketing strategies of corporate-owned luxury rehabs and instead focus on channeling their success back into their clientele and community. In practice, this looks like financial aid for clients and families who could not otherwise afford care, new service lines to support clients at every stage of their recovery journey, and strategic partnerships with local resources.
A decade later, the results speak for themselves as Pura Vida has grown from a small collection of sober-living houses to a thriving service hub for all things recovery. More importantly, however, their program has also garnered a reputation for being the lone “yes” in a sea of rejection for clients and providers struggling to find help due to limited funds or complex diagnoses—a legacy their founders and staff are very proud of.
“When you invest in helping others rather than promoting yourself, an interesting thing happens: The people you help end up representing you so much better than any marketing campaign ever could. They become ambassadors for the program, sure, but also just for living in recovery. That’s what we want. It’s not about us—it’s about showing people what’s possible with the right help. My business partner and I owe everything we have to our recovery—our families, our homes, our company—all of it. We built Pura Vida to show people that getting sober is only the beginning of something so much bigger and better for them. That’s the message we always want to be sharing with our community.” —Ben Pahlavan, CAO
The Petaluma Cheese Shop has become a go-to stop for browsing cheeses, picking up picnic supplies or settling in for a tasting. Inside, the cases are stocked with dozens of cheeses, alongside wine from the owners’ label, Barber Cellars. The menu, which can be enjoyed in-house or to-go, includes an eight-cheese tasting, fondue, charcuterie boards and sandwiches—making it as much a place to linger as it is to shop.
This business reflects the entrepreneurial spirit of owners Lorraine and Mike Barber, who built their ventures step by step, often guided by curiosity and conversation. Lorraine Barber says the decision to strike out on their own came as a matter of course. “It was a natural step in our journey. We’ve both always been good at jumping into what interests us. Mike and I worked plenty of office jobs, and when the opportunity presented itself, we agreed that betting on ourselves was a gamble we wanted to take,” she notes.
That mindset has led them from wine to spirits—and eventually to cheese. Over time, their tasting room evolved to include food experiences that pair naturally with their wine. When visitors browse the shop today, they’ll find cheeses selected for both casual grazing and thoughtful pairings, whether someone is building a board for a gathering or simply exploring something new.
The couple’s process for expanding their business remains collaborative. “First, it’s about finding something that we are both interested in and passionate about. Then, it’s about agreement. We’ve always made it a hard rule both in our personal relationship as well as business that if we don’t agree on something, then it is not the right thing to pursue. So most of our business development comes out of a lot of conversations,” Barber points out.
Listening to customers also helped shape the cheese shop experience. As Barber explains, “We wanted to listen to our community and give them what they wanted.” Today, that shows up in a space where tasting, shopping and conversation all come together around good cheese. — Kary Hess
Retrograde Coffee Roasters, Sebastopol
When searching for a place that does everything right—great coffee, good food and a “pull up a chair with a laptop or a friend” vibe—head straight to Retrograde Coffee Roasters in downtown Sebastopol. This Main Street café isn’t just a spot to grab a morning cup; it’s one of those community spots to work...
Rialto Cinemas, Sebastopol
Do you yearn to see the movies of your youth up on the big screen one more time? Perhaps you simply pine for the days when movie tickets cost a fraction of what they do now?
Well, once a month at Rialto Cinemas in Sebastopol, you’ll be able to channel some artistic (and...
Hall of Flowers, Sonoma County Fairgrounds, Santa Rosa
When the cannabis industry wants to see what’s next, it heads to Sonoma County for Hall of Flowers. Held at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa, the event has become one of the most influential gatherings in the cannabis world—a rare hybrid of trade show, cultural showcase and high-stakes...
Hawking collectible local coasters on eBay
Every year, Russian River Brewing Co’s Pliny the Younger release brings an estimated $5 million plus into the local economy as beer fans from around the globe converge on the breweries and taprooms in Santa Rosa and Windsor, and for good reason. Consistently, the beer earns the highest of ratings from established...
Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary, Freestone
Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary in Freestone offers one of Sonoma County’s most distinctive wellness experiences. Surrounded by redwoods, gardens and across the street from Wild Flour bakery, the spa is a true retreat.
The highlight is their signature Cedar Enzyme Bath, a rare Japanese-inspired therapy found nowhere else in the nation. Guests...
di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art, Napa
Just outside Napa, di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art offers an experience that feels part museum, part nature preserve and entirely Northern California. Spread across more than 200 acres, the site combines contemporary art with open landscape, inviting visitors to explore both at their own pace.
This collection focuses on artists connected to the...
‘Brew Ha Ha’ podcast, Santa Rosa
In the age of podcasts and personalities, it’s never been easier to develop what psychologists call a “parasocial relationship”—that curious condition in which one feels deeply connected to someone who has absolutely no idea you exist. Fortunately, there’s a remedy: Crack a beer, and tune into Brew Ha Ha.
Broadcast live at 5pm Thursdays on...
Published in cooperation between SOMO Village and the Bohemian
For decades, Sonoma County has offered something rare: a place where people could pursue meaningful careers while staying connected to nature, community and a slower rhythm of life. But in recent years, many residents have faced a difficult choice. To advance professionally, they often had to commute long distances or leave...
Published in cooperation between Pura Vida Recovery Services and the Bohemian
Addiction is inherently isolating. It wants us to believe we are incapable of finding enjoyment, comfort or meaning without illicit substances. Unfortunately, getting sober offers its own obstacles, as newly recovered addicts may feel fenced-in by lingering guilt, social stigma or fear of relapse.
Pura Vida Recovery Services in Santa...
Petaluma Cheese Shop
The Petaluma Cheese Shop has become a go-to stop for browsing cheeses, picking up picnic supplies or settling in for a tasting. Inside, the cases are stocked with dozens of cheeses, alongside wine from the owners’ label, Barber Cellars. The menu, which can be enjoyed in-house or to-go, includes an eight-cheese tasting, fondue, charcuterie boards...
