Unfortunately, I couldn't drink because I was the DD (by default because my medicine affects my liver).. But I had such a great time! Seeing all the animals were fun, especially the llamas! And I loved all the food booths. There was regular fair food like corn dogs, but there was also an Indian food booth and a Greek food booth. The grape stomp was hilarious to watch! And the cooking demonstrations were great too (I went to one where you could make pizza.. and well.. being at the end of the line sucks because all the toppings were gone). But the creme de la creme of course was the massive amount of vineyards representing! I wish there were as many restaurants/caterers representing. The food tasting were scarce, but that just meant seconds for me. http://sexydishes.blogspot.com/2011/10/its-okay-to-wine.html read more

Attention people with big feet, this is the event for you. They have a Wine Stomp contest. Kick off your shoes and dance in the ooze. Yee Haw. Nothing like wine just made by someone stomping on the grapes with their bare feet, especially with a hint of fresh toe jam. And they got Honey tasting. No, not what you are thinking. Honey from Bee's. Good event for a Foodie. Winos will love it too. If you decide to compete in the Wine Stomp, please wash your feet first. Unfortunately a lot of the fun stuff they used to have here they no longer do. Beware, the good wines go fast. Some people come here and really belt the booze down. Parking costs $8.00 Gate Admission: $5.00 or FREE w/ 4 non-perishable food items for the Redwood Empire Food Bank. Runs from Oct 3-5 read more

Sonoma County Harvest Fair - Yee Haw a Wine Stomp Contest, nothing like fresh wine stomped by someone's bare feet, with just a hint of toe jam... - Festivals Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

I was so disappointed with the Harvest Fair this year. No fun activities, no petting zoo, no kids zone, car show, old engines and no haunted house area. Maybe about 1/4 of the vendors and size it has been in the past. Nothing for the kids to do and they are not allowed in the exhibition halls because of the drinking. This used to be a fun family event, like the fair with no rides. Sure, it was free to get in this year, but you still pay for parking and get in the gate to be disappointed. I had invited some friends who have never been and their kids, they had looked online and seen all the pictures from prior years but this year was different. There was plenty of booze, beer and wine, drunk people all about, maybe 8-10 additional beer and food vendors outside of the exhibition halls. No fun for kids. I also hear that they did not include the Llamas of the Wine Country with this year, the llamas were still there, but in past years the animals have been somewhat included in the festival. I still enjoyed going to see the llamas, but that was all. The kids were bored, my friends were unimpressed, as was I. Please next year bring back the old harvest fair, I don't mind paying to get in if it will be worth it. This was sad and not up to par. No gift baskets for the grape stompers. Not even venders with harvest items, like fruit, honey, jams, jellies, nick nacks...nothing! Perhaps if they are not going to change it back to the event it once was they should rename it the Wine and Beer Fest next year. read more

If it is possible, they scaled it back even more than the previous year. There were no fun things to see. Nothing fun to do, not many vendors to see. Please put it back the way it used to be! We were at the awards night as well, and it was bad. It took 45 minutes to get our salad, then at nine o clock we got our pork chop. We all then left as we thought dessert would be at 10. We will not be going back. read more

This was totally fun! There is a grape stomping competition ($30 to enter) with prizes. There is a lot of wine to sample, microbrews, carnival rides, festival food. And, a whole bunch of activities and shows. This year they were sampling the 2007 vintage. Very fruity. The best types of wines from this year are the dry whites. viogniers, pinot gris, brut champagne. Also, the simi winery petit syrah was outstanding. My only gripe was that the best wines ran out before the end of the day. The best carnival food was the turkey leg. smokey, like bacon. warm with a crispy skin. Delicious. The rest of the food was really not very good. the coconut shrimp lacked flavor and the cedar smoked salmon was under seasoned. There were also awesome chef demos. and a great puppet show. the puppet show sets were amazing. i would skip the flying k9 show. it was not very impressive. if we planned better, there was a scarecrow building competition that i wanted to participate in and a craft competition and a pumpkin toss. i also enjoyed the apple tasting and the honey tasting. my advice is to come early when the food is fresh and the wine hasn't run out. read more

It should not be called a Harvest Fair. A fair says lots of things to see and experience and harvest means a celebration of all the foods in the fall. I don't care about wine or beer but I went to see other fall happenings. There were ten vendors selling spices, jewelry , Xfinity was there. A couple of kitchen demos a few hours apart and nothing else. I went through it in five minutes and asked for a refund. Even a measly five dollar entrance fee was too much for this "festival". Unless you want to drink all day , skip this one read more

The first stop after getting off the plane at SFO was the Sonoma County Harvest Fair. My brother met with my sis and I there. They look forward to going here every year for their corn dogs! Upon entering we found the mexican village: grilled fish tacos, burritos, roasted corn on the cob.......YUM! Next stop was corn dogs and garlic fries. There are a few corn dog stands. My favorite was from Barb's All American Corn Dogs. The corn bread wasn't soaking with oil like all the other ones we tried that afternoon. If you're an animal lover, be sure to visit the petting zoo, birds, rabbits, cows, etc. Don't worry if you get your hands dirty, there are sinks with soap as well as hand sanitizing stations every where!!! This was my first time attending the fair and it was A LOT of fun. There was a lot of eating and some gaining of weight as a result. no complaints.... read more

This year was my first time at the Fair. The grape stomping contest is the thing to do here. I was the swabby and my boyfriend was the stomper. We only stomped 6.15 lb of grape juice (probably half of the winning amount), but next year, we're determined to win!!! It's a lot of fun to watch the contest and see the different costumes. By the time we got around to the wine tasting in the afternoon, most of the wines we wanted to try had already run out. It wasn't a very enjoyable experience because it was so crowded and the service was not very good. Other highlights: the giant smoked turkey leg, which was delicious, the beautiful kids puppet show, and the honey tasting. The apple displays were quite nice as well. The grape stomping is what will bring me back in coming years, not so much the rest of the fair. read more

My husband and I go here for the Grape Stomp event. We have a friend that grew up in the area and usually make a little wine vacation out of it. This year they even had a bark park for the adorable puppies and we got to see some dog frisbee. Parking nearby ranges between $7-8 bucks from what I've seen and the fair ticket on the weekends was $8. If you are stomping grapes you get into the fair free. We had really good grilled cheese sandwiches from one of the vendors that I wish I could remember the name of. They had many types to choose from including one with a fried egg and sausage to a beef one that I think had pork belly and some other type of meat. My husband got the latter one and loved it. read more

Other than the loooong line to get tickets, this was very fun. Met up with several friends/family. Next year Oscar Mayer will participate in the doxie derby for sure! Purchasing the tix for tasting (both beer and wine) was easy and there were so many to choose from. read more

I remembered why I stopped going to these things when I was in 4H when I was 10. This is a review of the 2008 Sonoma County Fair, not the Harvest Fair. The fair is at the first exit east off of HWY 12 from HWY 101 where you can see the race track from as you descend down the exit ramp. That would lend you to believe you are almost there. Unfortunately you would be wrong. The parking situation is not well managed and I made numerous attempts (3) to park close with $ in hand, only to be told I'd have to drive to another lot E (20 minutes) a half mile down. Finally (after more wasted gas) I find the lot and park... suprisingly just as I arrive a passenger trolley pulls-up being pulled by a real farm tractor! I thought this is a really cool way to transport people around! My buddy (Andy) and I jump on and enjoy the openaire ride. Then the tractor driver stops and says this is it (5 minutes). We jump out and I can't spot the gate. Turns out the tractor driver only drives from the outer lot to the inner lot and we still have to walk the last quarter mile. I'm OK with that, but my buddy is finishing his fourth Chemo round, so he just frowns and starts walking with the bewildered pack to the gate. We finally make the gate (10 minutes). We start to hand off our tickets, but before we can do that we all have to go through metal detectors?!? Turns out on opening night on the fair, two twin 19 year old boys decide to stab a 13 year old boy they thought was in a rival gang. Apparently this embarassing Santa Rosa Mexican gang news was news all over Sonoma, but being from down south and without a Press Democrat subscription, it was news to me. In addition, that didn't bode well for my key ring pocket knife (with a 1(one) inch blade) with security, which I was told I had to take back to my car. (Another 10 minutes with my ill friend waiting). OK, We're finally in. (45 minutes total time). I immediately need to find shade and food for my friend which we locate on a bench across from a corn dog stand (my lunch) . Andy wasn't hungry, turns out chemo only makes you thirsty, so I ate the dog and we had a few drinks at the track. The races were OK, but you had to know the 'athletes' to actually win. With my knowledge, I bet $5 on the burro race and my 'ass' naturally would up out of the money. We hung out through the fourth race, because we were told we had to see a 'turf" race at Sonoma. Apparently there is something special about that. The only redeeming part at the track was the stunningly cute section ticket girl in our area. She was probably at the age where back from college she was making a little cash over the summer. She was the perfect beauty. Wholesome, athletic girl next door, without makeup or pretense, just a ponytail and a butt so small she had to keep pulling her jeans up. I imagined she probably had entered her own livestock in previous years. Woman on the cusp. I fell in love for a moment, only to realize my age and how I used to be wholesome as well, and it made me smile. (One star!) The rest of the fair was pretty typical (flower show, giant pig, assorted fair food and kiddie fair rides), although I couldn't find a fried twinkie anywhere (damned California transfat BS). The champion sheep and cows also brought me back to my 4H days. They did have a guy who made an amazing toothpick sculpture of San Francisco "the size of a car!" in which he rolled ping pong balls down... on various tours of the city. (One star!) Just for kicks I was tempted to buy an 11" Ginsu knife in the 'mechant' tent and hand it to security on the way out, but Andy said he was too tired to be a rebel anymore. Total time wasted at fair (4 hours). Time with a great friend who never complains. No matter what. Priceless read more

This is the fair for the foodies! It's better than the Sonoma County Fair! There are chef demonstrations, wine tasting for those that like it (but that's only part of it), half-a-ton plus sized pumpkins contests, and you can pet llamas!!! (They're soft). A building was strictly for apples, and apple tasting! This one has far less generic trinkets and far more Sonoma county things than the Sonoma Fair. Don't forget to buy Hector's honey while you're there! Fun for the entire family! read more

It is currently 3:23 AM. After driving and waiting in line for fair food drive through for 3 HOURS for dinner, my girlfriend and I just woke up and both threw up. They need to change their oil or something because this sucks. Eat the food at your own risk, or if you feel like setting a bomb off inside your body. read more

The organizers have ruined this event. I have attended the event for 20 + years but in 2013, they scaled back to a shell of what the event use to be. I use to have friends fly from the East Coast but no longer. They decided to stick the cost of the event on the Wine Tasting not realizing that was only one part of what made the Harvest Fair special. You can download the winners online and save your $55 by tasting around Sonoma. read more

So disappointed! We've been going to this fair for years with our kids. It's been one of our favorite events. This year they changed it completely, eliminating all of the charming and kid-friendly attractions. Giant pumpkin contest? Gone. Animals? Gone. Pumpkin bowling?Gone. It was totally lame. Bring back the old format please! read more

two words: gala night. amazing. beautiful execution every year - lots of incredible wines, and winemakers on hand and tons of incredible after parties too. I love love love the gala night. I have been to the other parts of it as well, and it is indeed a great time. read more

I say! I'm the first to review the Harvest Fair! How can this be? It is the most awesome thing for the lazy wine taster with money to burn! I don't even like wine that much and I make a point of going every year in early October and almost always find myself trucking to the Bottle Barn to get something fabulous for a cheaper price than offered at the fairgrounds. Some trips I end up drunk beyond all recognition and some I end up reasonably tipsy but I do have fond memories of finding some amazing chocolate port or cheap Gewurtz yet still satisfyingly tasty. I can't wait to go back. However I will need a ride to the Bottle Barn the next day. That's my Christmas shopping! read more

You'll notice no good reviews since they changed the format a few years ago. Save your $55 and go wine tasting around Sonoma County.

This is for the WINE Harvest Fair... 2008. If you are serious about checking out the varietals, new blends, and those who are behind their labels, this is an outstanding venue. We were introduced to some new wineries we had no idea how good they were until we went to the Harvest fair. It is a well spent afternoon, looking at the animals, checking out the goodies, scarecrows, honey, getting some BBQ Oysters... That is why I really go! Fun for all... The best overall wines were: White Oak, Spann Vineyards , & Mosaic. Good finds for sure! Worthy of wine club: Spann Vineyards, if only for their Chard/ Viognier blend OH MY GOSH!!! read more

consistently a good time....best wine tasting ever!!....food bites are fab and such a selection as well....if you want to taste some the finest wines in sonoma county this is the place to come...it used to be a formal affair but now is casual and actually a lot more fun!! read more

Update for 2014: Much improved.. they brought back some vendors and had a cooking demo. I was pleased to see the psychic return. It would be great to see the rest of the Harvest Fair return, but since I'm basically interested in the wine pavilion, I must give good marks for the variety of the appetizers and the "one price for all" concept. read more

Both by happenstance and by my own choice, there are few real traditions in my life. However, the Sonoma County Harvest Fair is one of my traditions. Every year my partner and I have dragged an ever-growing number of friends to the fair, and I've been attending since 1996. There are so many things to love about the Harvest Fair! First, the wine: hundreds of wineries, and you can try award-winning wines and others, and I usually do all my wine shopping for the year at the Fair. Then, the grape-stomp. This just makes me happy on a visceral level that I cannot explain, and the woman who has been "calling" the grape stomp for years is a riot. The Sheep Dog Trials: experience the thrill of victory, and the agony of really stupid sheep! The llamas -- how can you not like llamas? The pot-bellied pigs and pigmy goats with all their ribbons -- okay, frankly I think goats are a little scary, since they will eat just about anything and their pupils are sideways like an H.P. Lovercraft monster, but the little ones are still really cute. The Fair Food: garlic-soaked pastas from Johnny Garlic's, whole turkey legs, (if that's your thing,) corndogs, gyros, and, MOST IMPORTANTLY, *funnel cake* with whipped cream! And then there is the art show, and the prizes for jams and Divinity and pickled everything (which my friend Dan's mom ALWAYS wins), and the cooking presentations, and the really cheesy haunted room, and the honey tastings (!) and the apple varieties and the apple sale, and really the whole damn thing. I love it. I would give it twenty stars if I could. read more

Yay! The old Harvest Fair is making its way back. We were so disappointed in the years past when the Fair was turned into an expensive flight tasting. This year we had a great time. We brought relatives from Nevada with us and started the day doing the "Tasting in the Dark" experience. So informative! We learned a lot about our senses and how to taste wine. The only disappointment was that another workshop was presented in the same building at the same time about 15 feet away - the participants were exhuberant and LOUD which made it very difficult for us to hear our speaker even with a microphone. He apologized profusely several times as it was a major disruption to our experience that we paid extra for. But that was the only disappointment of the day - we had a wonderful day and were able to taste a variety of wines and foods plus visit art exhibit, vendors, car show, grape stomping, and more. Really fun. Thanks for bringing parts of the old Fair back! read more