Local fun, live music at Glen Ellen Village Fair

Now in its 24th year, the Glen Ellen Village Fair will be on Sunday, Oct. 12, in beautiful downtown Glen Ellen, starting at noon. They will be closing Arnold Drive between London Ranch Road and Warm Springs Road, giving the fair a true “block party” vibe.

This year’s theme is “The Flowers of Wild Glen Ellen” and anyone knowing Glenellenites knows there is a character or two in town.

The grand marshal for this year’s fair is Anne Teller, long-time Glen Ellen resident and owner of Oak Hill Farm.

Live music will run throughout the day with the Solcats, Flashback, the Cork Pullers and the Jami Jamison Band. The fair has always been family-friendly and this year is no exception, with “Kid’s Alley” set up for carnival-style fun, aimed at children ages 4 through 10.

The quilt raffle is also a major event, and the winner will be drawn at the close of the fair. There is no cover for the fair, but there will be plenty of local nonprofits on hand providing food, drinks and wares for sale.

The Wine Country Ragtime Festival hits the Sonoma Valley on Saturday, Oct. 11, with events being held at various venues around the Valley, including the Depot Park, the Sonoma Valley Regional Library and Jack London State Historic Park. For all the details, see the piece on page B-3, just to the right of this column.

Once again, the local Sonoma Valley bartenders will be battling it out to see who will reign supreme in the annual drink-making competition called Sonoma Bar Battle on Saturday, Oct. 11. The bartenders will compete in an “Iron Bartender” type challenge, and once on stage, each bartender will have 10 minutes to make a cocktail using a secret ingredient that has just been revealed. The winner from each heat will move to the final round, and the winner of that round will be granted the title of “Sonoma’s Best Bartender.” In between the rounds and following the event, Train Wreck Junction will be entertaining the crowd with classic country music. The event kicks off at 6 p.m. at the Sonoma Valley Veterans Memorial Building. Tickets will be available at the door. All the proceeds from the event are split between the Native Sons of the Golden West, Parlor #111 and the American Legion Jack London Post #489.

B.R. Cohn Winery in Glen Ellen will be wrapping up its “Summer Music Series” on Saturday, Oct. 11, with an appearance in the olive grove by Beso Negro. Beso Negro has reinvented a jazz genre and brought a modern sensibility with the style. The love for tradition has collided with a modern sensibility and has transformed this new genre into a vibrant new beast. Darker, faster, more danceable, more blues, more Gypsy, Beso Negro’s indelible fingerprint brings “Jazz Manouche” to a new generation and to the 21st century. Music is at 6 p.m. but your ticket also includes a pre-concert pig roast, which kicks off at 5 p.m. For tickets and more info, go by the tasting room in Glen Ellen or point your browser to brcohn.com/event/summer-music-beso-negro.

The Sonoma Valley Woman’s Club presents Courtney Campbell on Sunday, Oct. 12, kicking off at 2 p.m. Campbell is the star, co-creator and writer of the award winning children’s TV/DVD series “Mustard Pancakes.” She specializes in family entertainment and has devoted fans worldwide. Campbell is a master entertainer and keeps her audiences happily engaged from the minute she steps on stage. “What’s most important to me” says Campbell, “is to reach inside each person and turn on the lights.” The event is a fundraiser for the club, to help to raise money to improve landscaping to extend the venue to the garden area. Tickets will be available at the door.

Tickets are going fast for the Dawes show to be held Tuesday, Oct. 14, at Gundlach Bundschu Winery. For tickets and more info, point your browser to gunbun.com/calendar.

Muscardini Cellars in Kenwood presents another “Wine Down Friday” with T-Luke and the Tight Suits tonight, Oct.10, at 5 p.m. Admission includes a glass of wine. Picnics are welcome but no outside alcohol is allowed.

Sebastiani Winery and Vineyards presents the final show of the Friday night music series with the Rolling Blackouts in the tasting room tonight, Oct. 11. The show kicks off at 6 p.m. and it is also a food truck Friday night. The venue is child- and dog-friendly, and there is no cover. No outside alcohol, including beer is allowed, per ABC regulations.

Rossi’s 1906 in El Verano has live music tonight, Oct. 11, with Andre Thierry playing Cajun and zydeco for a 9 p.m. show. Saturday, Oct. 11, DJ Trius is back by popular demand, also for a 9 p.m. start. Sunday, Oct. 12, it’s an afternoon show with the Tri-Tip Trio on the patio, kicking off at 5 p.m.