Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), celebrated each fall throughout Latin America and especially in Mexico, is a joyous remembrance of family members and loved ones who have passed over the last year. The holiday, which traditionally takes place on November 1 and 2, features a wide range of activities; cemeteries are cleaned and decorated, special food and candies are cooked, and home altars are designed with offerings to the dead.

The Day of the Dead is a popular fixture in the North Bay, with traditional altar decorations and parties popping up in Sonoma and Napa County throughout October and leading up to the holiday in November. For more than two decades, the Museum of Sonoma County in downtown Santa Rosa has marked the occasion with its annual “Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)” exhibition. This year, in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, the museum is moving the exhibition outdoors for the the first time ever, presenting the artistic and historical event in the Sculpture Garden from October 22 to November 8.

The outdoor exhibition adapts to the safety and health protocols that the Museum of Sonoma County is committed to following, and the outdoor setting will also parallel the many Day of the Dead observances that take place in Mexican cemeteries and in public community spaces. The exhibit will feature altars and artwork designed and created by acclaimed artists such as Liz Camino-Byers, Scott Daniel Braun, Peter Perez, Mario Uribe, and Martín Zúñigain addition to contributions from community participants.

“The event has been taken back to its original roots and the celebration will be more traditional than ever,” says artist Peter Perez.

While the exhibition includes traditional elements, the altars and artworks created each year often reflect current themes, and this year is no exception. Perez’s installation will include an 8-foot tall mask (pictured), with layers of imagery and meaning, a statement about the current COVID-19 pandemic and a tribute to those who have lost their lives to the virus.

Other artwork on display in the outdoor garden includes Mario Uribe’s existing “Peace Tree” sculpture that Uribe has incorporated into his new altar design. Uribe created “Peace Tree” in 2013 through a collaborative project with students from South Korea and Elsie Allen High School, and the work draws comparisons between gang conflicts in Northern California with the Demilitarized Zone in Korea.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has brought added meaning to everything we do, especially this day,” Uribe says. “Using my ‘Peace Tree’ sculpture as a site for this altar is very appropriate; it was created originally as a collaborative prayer between young people of diverse backgrounds trying to overcome injustice and inequality. In the past, I have created altars that honor specific people whose lives have touched me significantly, Andy Lopez is one of them. This altar is interactive, and people can come and add to it if they feel so moved – out of support and respect for his memory, and as an added prayer for justice and peace.”

In partnership with the Children’s Museum of Sonoma County, the “Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)” exhibit also includes handouts for at-home activities such as making paper monarch butterflies and candles. These at-home creations are welcome to be brought to the Museum of Sonoma County to be hung in the Sculpture Garden or placed on the community altar. The exhibit also displays special works made in past years by the museum’s Youth+Art students.

This year, artists of all ages are encouraged to submit memory portraits to the exhibit, which will be displayed on the museum’s website. Visitors are also invited to participate in the exhibition by contributing miniature altars in a box. The altars can contain copies of photos, traditional offerings such as flowers, LED lights, and other traditional items that contributors are willing to part with or can be exposed to the outdoor environment. Get details on how to submit portraits or altars online.

The Museum of Sonoma County presents “Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)” from Thursday, Oct. 22 to Sunday, Nov. 8. Regular hours, 10am to 1pm; Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 includes evening hours; 4pm to 7pm. 425 Seventh St., Santa Rosa. 707.579.1500. Museumsc.org.

West Marin world music artist Jai Uttal–best known for his heartfelt renditions and upbeat adaptations of the classic Indian call-and-response chanting practice called Kirtan–has not let the Covid-19 pandemic or North Bay wildfires slow him down in 2020.

In fact, Uttal–who has released more than 20 albums that blend elements of reggae, jazz, Indian, samba and rock ’n’ roll–has been busier than ever making music, running virtual Kirtan music camps and performing virtual concerts over Zoom.

Uttal’s 2020 musical output includes his ambient instrumental album, Gauri’s Lullaby, released this past May. This summer, Uttal unveiled a new single, “Behind the Walls,” that addresses the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak at San Quentin State Prison, where Uttal has worked with inmates as part of an interfaith program. Now, Uttal is releasing another new single, “Time and Again,” the first single release from his next album, Songs of the Mystics, which will be out next year.

“Time and Again” was composed by Uttal and his wife Nubia Teixeira, based on a song of the 16th-century Indian Bhakti poetess, Mirabai. On his website, Uttal explains that the details of Mirabai’s life are “intertwined with legends, miracles and mystery.” Her journey began as a princess of a wealthy Rajasthani Kingdom, though she left the palace and wandered through India as a holy person, writing hundreds of songs along the way. Today, Mirabai is revered throughout India as a folk hero and a Bhakti saint.

Uttal’s upcoming Songs of the Mystics album will include re-imaginings of songs and poems by many of the Bhakti saints, and Uttal was compelled to release this single first.

“I decided to release this song now because it seems that at this moment in history, more than ever, we are being called upon to act as well as to pray, each in our own way, that spirit will come and lift the mountain of chaos and division and divisiveness and pain from the world so that we can all breathe and our hearts can freely love once again,” Uttal says in a statement.

Uttal’s entire recording process has changed during the Covid-19 pandemic, though he has adapted to social distancing to make his music and this recording uses musical elements from various sources.

“The lovely background voices by the Pagan Love Choir were from a live concert I did of this song in February, which was multi-tracked. The accordion was recorded two years ago over a guitar demo I had at the time of the song. The rest of it was produced in Ben Leinbach‘s little studio that is now divided by huge plexiglass walls. Awkward, but we got the job done. I couldn’t let the pandemic squash creativity. Creativity is medicine,” Uttal says.

In addition to Covid-19, Uttal has musically adapted in the face of recent wildfires in West Marin and throughout the North Bay.

“2020 has, indeed, been a year full of challenges, but it has also been a year of deep healing, personal growth and more intimate family interaction,” Uttal says. “It’s also been a time of deep connecting with my extended family and greater Bhakti community. I’ve been doing weekly live stream concerts and Kirtans, that have been a great point of focus for myself in terms of preparing and creating new songs and practicing my older songs, as well as bringing our extended Bhakti family and community together over Zoom.”

Uttal’s next Zoom concert is an online Kirtan concert on Friday, Oct. 23 at 4pm.

“These ancient chants contain a transformative power and healing energy,” Uttal says of Kirtan. “By singing these prayers we join a stream of consciousness and devotion that has been flowing for centuries.”

Listen to “Time and Again” and register for Uttal’s online concerts at Jaiuttal.com.

As the North Bay assesses the damage and cleans up the mess left by the Glass Fire, the latest wildfire to hit the region since fires became an annual tradition in 2017, many residents and businesses are incredibly grateful to the first responders who bravely fight each year to save homes and lives in the Napa and Sonoma Valley.

One of those businesses is HALL Wines, which credits Napa Valley firefighters for keeping its employees and winery safe from damage during the Glass Fire.

Today, Friday, Oct. 16, at 4pm, HALL Wines vintner Kathryn Hall, who runs HALL, WALT and BACA Wines with five tasting room locations in Napa, Sonoma and Healdsburg, is launching a fundraising campaign during HALL’s regularly scheduled virtual “Happy Hour” series on Facebook Live to aid in fire relief.

HALL Wine’s virtual “Happy Hour” series, which has aired on social media each week since Covid-19 halted gatherings this past spring, regularly invites celebrity guests to try new release wines. Past guests have included actors like Julia Luis-Dreyfus and the cast of Emmy-winning television show “Schitts Creek.”

This week’s fundraising Happy Hour welcomes extra-special guests from the Rutherford Fire Department, who will share wine and laughs with Kathryn Hall and another special guest, comedian Tom Dreesen. In addition to raising a glass in support of the Napa Valley firefighters, Hall will also announce the winery’s new Fire Relief Fund campaign, which is launching this week in collaboration with the Redwood Credit Union.

To date, HALL Wines has helped raise millions of dollars for the community through events and other local efforts as part of the Strength Together fundraising campaign the winery spearheaded during the 2017 fires. Now, HALL is partnering with Redwood Credit Union to contribute to their Redwood Credit Union Community Fund. One hundred-percent of the money raised goes to help those in need, and the the Hall Foundation will match gift dollars up to $25,000.

Additionally, Hall has set aside $50,000 in funds for employees to share what organizations they would like to nominate to receive funds to a diverse selection of non-profits are being supported. Hall’s luxury hotel based in Napa, SENZA, offered free hotel accommodations including complimentary breakfast to anyone affected by the fires including staff and first responders.

All HALL Tasting Rooms are open for business and include all required safety protocols to ensure the safety and wellbeing of staff and guests and HALL welcomes visitors to the Valley. Safety information can be found at hallwines.com/safety.

In the wake of Napa Valley’s latest brush with wildfire, three local organizations are teaming up to support the first responders who have helped the region survive the recent Glass Fire and other disasters.

Working together, Napa Valley’s CLIF Family Winery, Northern California and Italy-based Capo Cycling Apparel and North Bay cycling event producers Ride Napa Valley have launched the custom California Love cycling kit.

The cycling kits include jerseys and shorts for both men and women that are designed specifically to raise funds for North Bay-based nonprofit organization First Responders Resiliency, Inc.

“Cycling and activism go hand-in-hand,” says Rebecca Kotch, owner of Ride Napa Valley, in a statement.

Ride Napa Valley first teamed up with CLIF Family Winery and Capo in 2018 to launch the fundraising #NapaStrong cycling kit. That endeavor raised nearly $13,000 for local nonprofits in Napa County. After the 2019 fires, the three groups once again prepared to support the community, this time focusing on nonprofits that work to benefit those with mental health needs and first responders.

“When you see that your entire state is burning up, you know that just about every firefighter or police team is actively involved in managing these disasters, and that’s as just as much mental energy as it is physically energy,” Kotch says.

In researching first responder-related benefits, Kotch discovered First Responders Resiliency, Inc. through Congressman Mike Thompson, an avid cyclist himself, who had worked with FRRI through the Tubbs, Paradise and Kincade fires.

“Yet again, our district and our region are being battered by fires. But I know that we will come together to help each other rebuild, recover and come back even stronger. I am so proud to support this effort that will benefit our incredible first responders and show the true colors of strength and community that have held the Napa Valley together through tough times,” says Congressman Thompson in a statement.

First Responders Resiliency, Inc. is a group for first responders and by first responders, and the nonprofit was established by paramedics, firefighters, dispatchers, and other law enforcement and medical professionals. FRRI is dedicated to treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and related injuries in first responders and their families.

“Our motto is ‘Putting PTSD Out of Business™’ and every day, even virtually, we are doing the hard work to make sure we give the first responders (and their families) the support and tools they need to cope with the stress of both their professional and personal lives,” says Susan Farren, FRRI Executive Director and Founder, in a statement.

This new California Love cycling kit was initially created after the 2019 Northern California fires, though the venture was put on hold when the Covid-19 pandemic hit Europe and shut down Capo’s Italian production house in early 2020. That Italian production house is now fully back in operation, and Capo is committed to moving into production for a late fall or winter release.

“We know that many of our fellow cyclists are also police, firefighters and EMTs, and producing this kit is just one small way we can give back to them,” says Gary Vasconi, co-founder of Capo, in a statement.

While the 2018 #NapaStrong kit was unveiled at a large group ride event at CLIF Family Winery, the California Love cycling kit will be launched with virtual events to be announced at a later date. To order a kit, visit capocycling.com.

Half way through October and virtual events in the North Bay show no sign of slowing down as social gatherings remain perilous in the face of a pandemic. Events boasting music, film, theater and other delights are happening online this weekend, and here’s a round up of what’s worth looking forward to.

Stay Out
The annual OUTwatch Film Festival–dubbed Wine Country’s LGBTQI Film Festival–features empowering movies that showcase LGBTQI-related themes and figures. This year’s OUTwatch moves online for a virtual version of the event, and the festival’s organizers have named this year’s theme as “Looking Back; Moving Forward.” The virtual festival will stream four enlightening, empowering and entertaining documentaries that honor those who fought for LGBTQI rights and who still struggle to keep those civil rights. OUTwatch is live online beginning on Friday, Oct. 16. $12 per screening. OUTwatchfilmfest.org.

Go Wild
The Community Child Care Council of Sonoma County (4Cs) marks 48 years of community service in 2020, and the nonprofit has had to pioneer new ways to provide resources for families and care providers during this year’s pandemic. Appropriately, 4Cs is adopting an adventurous theme for its upcoming Wild Wild West Virtual Gala, and the online silent auction that is open now includes spa-day packages, delivered cocktails, handmade jewelry and more. Bid now and bid often, then dust off the cowboy boots and don those spurs to virtually attend the gala event on Friday, Oct. 16, at 6pm. Free registration. Sonoma4cs.org.

For the Shore
In an uncertain and stress-filled year, Point Reyes Books continues to offer insightful and hopeful words for West Marin with virtual author events that feature celebrated writers and new literary releases. This week, award-winning author Terry Tempest Williams joins the bookstore via the internet to talk about her new book, Erosion: Essays of Undoing. The book is described as a call to action, with Williams contrasting the environmental erosion around us with the weakening of social and political landscapes. The online event, benefitting the Point Reyes National Seashore Association, happens on Friday, Oct. 16, at 7pm. Registration required, admission by donation. Ptreyesbooks.com.

Mystery on Board
The Santa Rosa Junior College Theatre Arts department originally planned to stage “Murder on the Orient Express” this past spring to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Agatha Christie’s first book publication. When they learned they would still be working online this fall due to Covid-19, they moved their production of the classic detective Hercule Poirot mystery to an online format. The young cast, under the direction of SRJC instructor-educator Laura Downing-Lee, takes on the beloved play during four live-streamed performances on Fridays and Saturdays, Oct. 16–17 and 23–24, at 7:30pm. Sliding-scale tickets available. Theatrearts.santarosa.edu.

Rock ‘n’ Roll Crash Course
Guitarist and songwriter Steve Conte has a diverse musical career spanning four decades. His first gig was a tour with jazz-rock band Blood, Sweat & Tears, and his rock-and-roll resume includes fronting the band Company of Wolves and playing in the New York Dolls. Beyond rock-and-roll, Conte has worked on soundtracks to popular anime television shows and movies, and he’s lent his talent to composers such as Danny Elfman and legends such as Chuck Berry. Conte appears online for a songwriting workshop and Q&A via Novato’s Strawberry Hill Music on Saturday, Oct. 17, at noon. $150. Space is limited, advanced registration required. Strawberryhillmusic.com.