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Festa Sonoma features food, wine and dancing

On Friday, Aug. 26, beginning at 6:30 p.m. the Rotary Club of Sonoma Valley will turn the Sonoma Valley Veterans Memorial Building into a festive Tuscan Taverna as they celebrate the city's inaugural Festa Sonoma, an evening of food and fun - all for the benefit of the community.

Centerpiece of the evening will be a six-course Tuscan-inspired sit-down dinner (no buffet lines). There will also be complimentary wine and beer and dancing well into the night to the music of BackTrax.

"The silent auction will feature a plethora of wines including highly rated and large format bottles," said Rick Wynne, one of the event's organizers. "It will also include such things as dining at local restaurants, a night at Meadwood, two nights at MacArthur Place, spa certificates, art, adventures, services - even a dozen Field of Green eggs once a week for a year."

One of the highlights of the live auction will be weekly grounds tickets to the 2012 U.S. Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. The last time the U.S. Open was played at the Olympic Club was 1998.

Earlier in the day the club will host its 20th annual Louis Minelli Memorial Golf Tournament in memory of Bob Bona.

The golf tournament will be held at Eagle Vines Country Club in Napa, beginning at noon with a shotgun start. Proceeds from the golf tournament will also be used to support the community.

Local recipients of Rotary include the Sonoma Community Center, the Sonoma Ecology Center, Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley, Valley of the Moon Teen Services Center, Mentoring Alliance of Sonoma Valley and the Culinary Arts Program at Sonoma Valley High School.

The club is also a major provider of scholarships to Sonoma Valley students - not only academic scholarships but vocational and community service scholarships as well.

"Festa Sonoma is going to be a fun night," said Valerie Pistole, club president. "Rotarians like having fun. But we never forget our real purpose, which is to be of service to our local community and the larger community around the world."

Tickets are $55 in advance and $65 at the door.

For more information, go to www.FestaSonoma.com or call 996-9694.