Sonoma County has always been special—a place where the landscape still informs how its people live and work.
From the rivers and forests to the rocky coastline and rolling hills, the many unique features of this area inspire what’s created and enjoyed here. This includes an internationally recognized wine industry and restaurants serving locally-grown food, all in a region loaded with the sometimes hidden talents of expert artisans, scientists and more.
Now the locale has inspired a set of new events, offered by Carin Jacobs of the appropriately-named Place Matters. These speaker-series social events are designed to entertain, inform and connect people through engagement with regional experts. From breadmakers to oyster farmers, geographers to floral designers, here, the local makers, designers and scientists emerge from their work and step into the limelight.
Currently, there are three monthly offerings. They include “Life by Design” at Barber Cellars, where a curated pair of designers engages in conversation with each other and the audience. Also offered is “Makers Among Us” at Della Fattoria, featuring the many makers of Sonoma County. And finally, “Sonoma Science” at Brooks Note Winery, where regional experts on topics like climate, oceans or geography share their work.
“I have been doing content-based programming across disciplines for years that lives at the nexus of learning, engagement and the alchemy of unexpected combinations of people, places and ideas,” Jacobs says. “After decades of curating these experiences for museums, universities and other cultural venues, I decided to try it on my own, creating something nomadic and nimble.”
All the events feature two speakers discussing a topic related to their expertise and the series focus. For example, at “Makers Among Us,” attendees socialize at Della Fattoria Downtown Café, grab something to eat and drink, then settle in to hear two “makers” talk shop. A ceramicist and a winemaker might speak about their processes, then compare and contrast how they work. And in this case, the café even uses bowls made by the ceramicist.
It’s a cross-pollination of artists, business and the public, some of which become the other. The Brooks Note winemaker was a speaker at the maker series and now hosts the science series at his winery. The venues welcome new customers on a night they usually aren’t open. Speakers share and discuss what they do. And the public has a one-and-done night out with food, drink and entertainment in one spot.
One of Jacobs’ favorite moments was an intergenerational conversation between a speaker in his 70s and an attendee in her 20s connecting over marine biology. Personal and professional connections often occur at the events, making for an organically growing community.
And it’s not only a way to learn something new about the area—for many, this kind of low-stakes socializing is what’s needed right now. Dominique Fougère, a local product designer and series attendee, said, “We are in need of weaving together a new creative social fabric post-pandemic, and I’m very intrigued to see how this pattern develops.”
Likewise, area newcomers like Kathy Scott have found new friends. “As a relatively new resident of Petaluma,” she said, “I loved that the evening put me face-to-face with new neighbors—a welcome change from my remote work Zoom world.”
In only a few months, the series has surged in popularity. Consequently, Jacobs is adding a fourth series in Petaluma and plans to expand to West County in 2024.
The events showcase why place does matter and how entwined humans truly are with it.
For more information, go to placematters-sonoma.com.
Makers Among Us Social hour 6pm. Program 7–8:30pm. Third Wednesdays, Della Fattoria, 143 Petaluma Blvd. North, Petaluma.
Sonoma Science Social hour 6pm. Program 7–8:30pm. Fourth Mondays, Brooks Note Winery, 112 Washington St., Petaluma.
Life by Design Social hour 6pm. Program 7–8:30pm. Second Tuesdays, Barber Cellars 112 Washington St., Petaluma.
Kary Hess is an excellent writer and a joy to read! This article could have been a dull, dry recitation of facts and instead it was lively, descriptive, and interesting with many active tense verbs. Wonderful!