🌱 Downtown Bakery Buyers + New Wine Fest + Freeway Pig Update

Hello, everybody! I took the day off yesterday because I was coming down with something nasty. Be careful out there! I'm back today with your weekend edition of the Healdsburg Daily, full of everything you need to know about what's happening in town. Here we go...

First, your weekend weather:

• Saturday: Dense fog in the morning, turning to sun. Frost overnight. High: 52 Low: 35.
• Sunday: Super chilly, with a mix of sun and clouds. Small chance of rain at night. High: 49 Low: 42.
• Monday: Cloudy and a chance of rain. High: 50 Low: 46.

Air over Healdsburg:

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If you still need a Christmas tree and would rather find it locally than go to one of those big pop-ups, Grandma's farm at 17740 Healdsburg Avenue, just north of the Alexander Valley Road turnoff, is your best bet. They've still got a bunch of fresh-cut, 6-to-7-foot Noble, Douglas and Nordmann firs waiting to be claimed, as well as wreaths, garlands and mistletoe. If you wanna hang out a while, there are other fun things to do, too — like sit on tractors, listen to grandma's wild stories, check out the farm animals, buy some eggs, make some s'mores, sip hot drinks, etc. You can even bring your dog! Stop by any day til Christmas, between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

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Here are the top 5 stories today in Healdsburg:

1. The Downtown Bakery on the plaza has a buyer! Local Healdsburg couple Ross and Karna Murphy, who say they've “loved this place since they were kids and know the energy we’re shooting for," will take over on New Year's Day. The bakery will reportedly close in January for some "minor cosmetic updates to the 35-year-old business," but rest assured — "we are not taking away the Downtown Bakery we all know and love," Ross says. He's been the bakery's bread maker for the past year. So when founding owner Kathleen Stewart and her kids put it up for sale a few months ago, according to Kathleen's daughter, Ross "kind of went, ‘Hello?’” — and "that’s where talks got serious.” (Press Democrat; paywall)
2. A young man from Greenfield down in Monterey County died in a car crash overnight Thursday near the Dry Creek exit of the 101. Just after midnight, "a Sonoma County sheriff’s deputy saw a Dodge Dart on the side of the highway that had crashed into a tree just north of Dry Creek Road," according to the Press Democrat. "Officials have not identified the cause of the accident, but they believe the car was going 'pretty fast' and speed could have played a factor." The driver has not yet been identified. R.I.P. (Press Democrat; paywall)
3. There's a big new wine and food festival coming to Healdsburg this spring, and it sounds like a whoooole thing. The three-day "Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience," as it's called, will reportedly feature "tastings, exclusive performances and VIP experiences intended to educate participants on the region’s farmers and growers." There will also be appearances from celebrity TV chefs and an outdoor country music concert held at Rodney Strong. The main package costs $2,500 per person. Some of the weekend's profits will go toward supporting the Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation and the local Healdsburg High School chapter of the FFA. (Wine Industry Advisor & Healdsburg Wine and Food)
4. The public Fitch Mountain Preschool across from the high school sports fields on Monte Vista just got an awesome-looking new outdoor classroom and play space. It's part of the school's "Garden of Eatin’ program, which incorporates edible education and garden nutrition” into the lives of preschoolers. According to the Tribune, the area includes "a living 'willow hut' where kids can play in and gather, an outdoor classroom area, fruit trees and garden beds, a mud kitchen and a sand area. There’s also a slide and a climbing space and a trike track for riding tricycles." Where do we sign up! (SoCoNews Healdsburg)
5. You know the traffic alert that came through last week about the 800-pound pig on the Lytton Springs offramp of the 101? Well, it turns out the culprit was Chocolate, the resident pig at Grandma's farm on Healdsburg Avenue. "Our ginormous pig decided to get on the freeway," Jennifer Crawford, aka Grandma, told me on the phone yesterday. "Maybe Chocolate wanted to advertise our Christmas trees." Grandma claimed it "took an animal control officer two hours to get her off the freeway" in the "pouring down rain." (Although Grandma does tend to embellish!) "My feathers were all ruffled," she said. "Not only did it get out, it was on the damn freeway. You hit that, it’s like hittin' a wall." According to the CHP, several drivers stopped and tried to corral the giant pig during the ordeal, but were unsuccessful. Chocolate is now safely back in her pen, Grandma says. (Healdsburg Patch)

Healdsburg pics of the day:

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This weekend in Healdsburg:

Saturday, December 18

• Breakfast With Santa at Costeaux French Bakery (7:30AM-2PM)
• Healdsburg Running Company Lake Sonoma Run From Gray Pine, Feat. Chicken and Waffles (8AM)
• Last Healdsburg Farmers Market of the Season, Feat. Holiday Craft Market & Closing Band John Youngblood and Company (8:30AM-12PM)
• COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic at Healdsburg Community Center (9AM-12PM)
• Little Parkies Program for Young Kids at Riverfront Park: “Marvelous Mammals” (9AM-12PM)
• Drew Esquivel Memorial Duals Wrestling Tournament at Healdsburg High School, Feat. 16 Top Varsity Teams From Across NorCal (9AM-6PM)
• Santa's Workshop at Healdsburg Center for the Arts (10AM-2PM)
• Read to a Dog at the Healdsburg Library (11AM-12PM)
• Junior Rangers: "Day in the Life of a Park Ranger" at Riverfront Park (1-2:30PM)
• Matinee: "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" at the Raven Theater (2PM)
• Healdsburg Jazz Swingin’ Holidays: Rob Sudduth Quartet Live at the Healdsburg Plaza (2-4PM)
• Community Posada Navideña at Riverfield Apartments (4PM)
• Jazz Series at Hotel Healdsburg Spirit Bar: Susan Sutton Trio (5-8PM)
• Sol Flamenco Live at THE 222 (7PM)
• "It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play" at the Raven Theater (7:30PM)
• T-Luke and the Tight Suits, New Orleans-Style Zydeco Band, Live at Coyote Sonoma (8-11PM)

Sunday, December 19

• No-Rehearsal Christmas Pageant at Healdsburg Community Church (9:30-11AM)
• Matinee: "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" at the Raven Theater (2PM)
• Community Posada Navideña at Oak Grove Apartments (5PM)
• Sol Flamenco Live at THE 222 (7PM)

Monday, December 20

• Winter Break Basketball Camp at Healdsburg Junior High (Dec. 20-23, 9AM-3PM)
• Winter Break Day Camp at TCElite, Feat. Activities, Games, Snacks & More (Dec. 20-21, 9AM-3PM)
• CANCELED: Healdsburg City Council Meeting (6PM)
• Community Posada Navideña at Foss Creek Court Apartments (6:30PM)

From my notebook:

• There's a "freeze warning" in effect through Sunday morning, FYI. (Patch Press Release Desk)
• And it looks like we're probably in for another rainy week ahead, starting either Sunday night or Monday. (NWS)
• A case of the new coronavirus variant, omicron, has officially been detected in Sonoma County. Overall, the county's COVID case rate is still stable, but that may change soon. Health officials aren't taking any chances: Masks are now "required for all public indoor settings, regardless of vaccination status" — with the exception of "some workplaces, gyms, churches and other organizations" that verify vaccination status and meet certain other conditions. (Patch Press Release Desk & Nextdoor & Press Democrat; paywall)
• Corazón Healdsburg is orchestrating a series of "posadas navideñas," or community meals, at different Healdsburg apartment complexes on every night leading up to Christmas. They say this tradition represents the "journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus." (Facebook)
• Today is the final day of the Healdsburg farmers market this season, and your last chance to visit the adjoining holiday craft section. The market will be back in March. "Thank you for a perfect year," market manager Janet Ciel writes in the Trib. (Facebook & SoCoNews Healdsburg)
• Healdsburg Elementary School officials just posted some very sweet photos of the kids enjoying holiday activities at their Fitch Mountain campus over the past few weeks. (Facebook)
• Sonoma County's emergency management dept. says it's time to "winterize" your "go bag," which sounds very vogue. (SoCoEmergency.org & Facebook)
• A fluffy, tan, medium-sized doggy was spotted "on his own" along the "Foss Creek walking trail at the new fork intersection" yesterday. Anyone recognize him? (Nextdoor)
• Legal Aid of Sonoma County is partnering with Corazón Healdsburg to provide free legal services to anyone facing eviction this winter. Here's how you or anyone you know can get help. (Facebook)

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That's it for today! See you all next week.

— Simone Wilson

About me: I was born and raised in Healdsburg, CA, where I was the editor of the Healdsburg High School Hound's Bark. I have since worked as a local journalist for publications in San Diego, Los Angeles, New York City and the Middle East. I'm currently a senior product manager for Patch.