New Sonoma Plaza holiday lights to be unveiled

Like all things in Sonoma, there are traditions that are cherished and looked forward to year after year.

The annual Lighting of the Plaza is one of those traditions and the 2019 event will take place Saturday, Nov. 16, at 5:30 p.m., thus kicking off another holiday season in Sonoma Valley.

But this year, changes are afoot.

The event’s host, the Sonoma Valley Visitor’s Bureau (SVVB), says it is adding in some new “twists” to the lighting – stringing various new lights and spreading them out through the entire Plaza.

According to SVVB Executive Director Tim Zahner, “The lighting of the Plaza event is just a small part of what the overall season is about here in Sonoma,” but he’s excited about the new light design nonetheless.

The new lighting scheme was developed by Visitors Bureau staff, in consultation with folks from the Tourism Improvement District and the City of Sonoma, and will incorporate favorites such as the trees in the main alleys wrapped in energy-efficient white lights, much as they have been for the past six years.

New this year, the northwestern quadrant will feature a “Star Forest” where large lighted stars will hang over the path by the playground. In the northeastern quadrant, a “Light Curtain” will hang over the path toward the Bear Flag statue. In front of the Visitors Center, large light globes and some new red lights decorate the trees. “The red lights add a festive touch to our traditional white light scheme,” said Zahner.

Bringing the lights to the Plaza is no small investment: The Tourism Improvement District (TID) kicked in $75,000 collected via the city hotel tax. The TID provides about 90 percent of the funding, said Zahner. The lights will remain up through January.

Attendees on Saturday can purchase beer and wine as well as hot cocoa, cookies and cider. Also planned is a performance by Transcendence Theatre Company and the Sonoma Hometown Band.

Zahner said he hopes the community will return throughout the season to enjoy the “twinkling lights and have a good time in Sonoma.”