The third annual Pueblo Day celebrating Mexican civil governing in Sonoma returns on Saturday, June 23 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Sonoma Barracks Courtyard. The event, which is sponsored jointly by the Sonoma State Historic Parks, the Sonoma Valley Historical Society and the Sonoma League for Historic Preservation, is free, even the ice cream.
From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Pueblo Day features an interactive “Ice Cream Tour Passport to History” program, including four locations that allow attendees to travel back in time and explore this small town’s large past: from pre-colonial times, to the Spanish Mission and Rancho periods, the annexation of California, and the Gold Rush. These destinations include the Sonoma Barracks on Sonoma Plaza, the Depot Park Museum, the Maysonnave House, and the Blue Wing Inn. Participants may obtain a Passport at any one of the aforementioned locations or the General Vallejo statue, present the completed document with a distinct stamp from each landmark, and enjoy free Sweet Scoops ice cream. Both dairy and non-dairy options are available.
Although a prospective brain freeze on a hot summer day may be a satisfyingly tangible reward at the finish, perhaps even more rewarding is the intangible, humbling truth imagined along the way: others came before us and, in a monumental way, shaped our present reality, here, in Sonoma.
Lifelong resident, historian, and member of the coalition of the Sonoma League for Historic Preservation, the Sonoma Valley Historical Society (SVHS), and the Sonoma Petaluma State Parks Association Patricia Cullinan said, “It is my hope that residents and visitors take the opportunity to bring themselves and children to a fun family event that fosters better understanding of our community’s history.” The abundance of exhibits, festivities, and docents ready to answer any-and-all questions along the walking tour fosters this perspective.
The Sonoma Barracks features live music by Petaluma-based Los Gu’Achis, food for sale by Diaz Catering, historical re-enactments augmented by period costumes, demonstrations such as the discharging of antique muskets, games, crafts, and activities such as professional roping led by rancher Silvio “Buzz” Bozzini.
The Depot Park Museum remembers Sonoma’s founder General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo through a new exhibit by Dr. Peter Meyerhof, which features never before seen photos and primary documents. One of these relics includes the Congressional Act signed by former President of the United States Andrew Johnson, which legally grants General Vallejo the land rights to the present grounds of the Sonoma Barracks. The Museum also presents many unknowns to investigate in the form of various artifacts, including 6 oil pastels depicting a 1909 short story authored by Dr. J. Wilson Shiels--a signatory of Jack London’s death certificate--and published in a San Francisco literary magazine. Who painted these art pieces? Why were they never published? How did they first appear in the SVHS collection? Additional articles are on display to welcome visitors into the realm of historical uncertainty and invite contemplation.
The Maysonnave House will offer tours of its 20th century cottage, carriage house and gardens. The Sonoma League for Historic Preservation will premiere its virtual archive of historic structures, consequent of an auspicious long term undertaking to survey all buildings over 50 years old in Sonoma Valley. Nearly 100 volunteers collected data on about 600 properties from Schellville to Kenwood and now the League will unveil a public platform for the community to satisfy its historical inquiry.
Additionally, at 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m., historian, archaeologist, and League board member George McKale hosts two showings of “Over My Dead Body: A Sonoma Love Story,” a theatrical performance that features Henri Maysonnave and explores pivotal moments of Sonoma historic preservation.
Professional actress and director Nellie Cravens is the play’s director and speaks of its inspiration, stating “Sonoma’s history, as evidenced in its historic buildings, is unique in California and indeed in the world. These buildings and historic sites must be preserved if at all possible. Once gone, they can never be replaced.
As one character says, “How can we know who we are, if we don’t know who we were?”’
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