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Glory Days

By Gretchen Giles THE HARVEST FAIR, held Friday-Sunday, Oct. 3-5, is for grownups. Not that the next generation isn't welcome, but there is a certain rural elegance about the Harvest Fair that just isn't in evidence during the corn-dog days of summer. Sure, there's plenty of silly stuff, but there is also some serious winetasting, food tasting, and culinary magic going on. Highlights, other than more wine pourings and food tastings than you can cut with a knife, include the World Championship Grape Stomp, on Friday at 11:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., and on the weekend from noon to 5 p.m. both days, and the art reception held Friday night from 8 to 10 p.m. The $10 entrance fee to the reception covers the food and wine. The Harvest Fair 3K and 10K runs are slated for Sunday from 8 a.m. (call 545-9622 to register), and the stroller derby on Sunday at 3:45 p.m. requires neither a baby nor a stroller--just plenty of costuming and imagination. Free stuff for kids includes a massive Lego area, a science festival, a scavenger hunt each day at 3:30 p.m., a haunted house, and more seasonal fun. Sonoma County Fairgrounds, 1350 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa. Hours are Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., with winetasting from 2 to 7:30 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., with winetasting from 12:30 to 5 p.m. Admission is $2-$4; winetasting is additional. 545-4203. [ Sonoma County Independent | MetroActive Central | Archives ]