FALL PETALUMA RIVER CLEANUP

Help keep the Petaluma River Clean! Join Friends on Saturday, September 23 for our annual Fall Petaluma River Cleanup. We’ll gather at Steamer Landing Park in the morning for supplies, a safety talk, a to receive your site assignment. We’ll have coffee and refreshments in the morning and a BBQ with a raffle and live music in the afternoon.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

What to Expect: Friends will supply gloves, trash pickers, buckets and trash bags. Please feel free to bring your own gloves if you have them. If you have a location you would like to go to, or a group you would like to be with, you can request that when you register.

Site Captains: Site Captains help lead cleanup efforts at one of our 15 locations. This includes bringing a bag of extra supplies which will be provided to you, contact cleanup staff if your site needs more supplies or a trash pick-up, and ensuring all supplies make it back to Steamer Landing. You can sign up to be a site captain when you register.

Limpieza del Río Petaluma – Otoño
Sábado 23 de Septiembre | 9 a.m.
Parque Steamer Landing

HAZ CLIC AQUÍ PARA REGISTRARTE

¡Ayúdanos a mantener limpio el Río Petaluma! Acompáñanos el sábado 23 de septiembre para nuestra limpieza anual del Río Petaluma en el otoño. Nos reuniremos en el parque Steamer Landing por la mañana para dar los materiales necesarios, guía y platica de seguridad y la asignación de ubicaciones. Tendremos café y bocadillos por la mañana y haremos una parrillada con rifa y música en vivo por la tarde.

Qué esperar: Friends proporcionarán guantes, recolectores de basura, cubos y bolsas de basura. Puedes traer tus propios guantes si los tienes. Si tienes una ubicación a la que te gustaría ir, o un grupo con el que te gustaría estar, puedes solicitarlo cuando te registres.

Capitanes del Sitio: los capitanes del sitio ayudan a liderar los esfuerzos de limpieza en una de nuestras 15 ubicaciones. Esto incluye traer una bolsa de suministros adicionales que se te proporcionarán, se debe de comunicar con el personal de limpieza si tu sitio necesita más suministros o recolección de basura, y asegurarte de que todos los suministros lleguen al Parque Steamer Landing. Puedes registrarte para ser un capitán del Sitio cuando llenes nuestra forma digital.

2023 SUNSET FANDANGO

Join Friends for an evening on the Petaluma River to celebrate this amazing resource. This year’s Sunset Fandango features a Farm to Table dinner of local, seasonal foods, live music by Solo Rio with special guest Congressman Jared Huffman, games, a live auction and amazing friends, both new and old! Funds raised will support a new dock at Steamer Landing Park and the continuation of our Watershed Classroom program teaching youth about their local environment through hands-on, outdoor curriculum.

THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT!

Sunset Fandango

Sunday, October 8th

4pm – 7pm

Steamer Landing Park

SPRING PETALUMA RIVER CLEANUP

Help keep the Petaluma River Clean! Join Friends on Saturday, May 6th for our annual Spring Petaluma River Cleanup. We’ll gather at Steamer Landing Park in the morning for supplies, a safety talk, a to receive your site assignment. We’ll have coffee and refreshments in the morning and a BBQ with a raffle and live music in the afternoon.

Spring Petaluma River Cleanup

Saturday, May 6th, 2023 | 9am

Steamer Landing Park

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Be a solution to river pollution and help get trash out of our waterways. We’ll have 15 sites throughout the City that volunteers will be assigned to. Let us know if there is a creek near you that needs a cleanup.

What to Expect: Friends will supply gloves, trash pickers, buckets and trash bags. Please feel free to bring your own gloves if you have them. If you have a location you would like to go to, or a group you would like to be with, you can request that when you register.

Site Captains: Site Captains help lead cleanup efforts at one of our 15 locations. This includes bringing a bag of extra supplies which will be provided to you, contact cleanup staff if your site needs more supplies or a trash pick-up, and ensuring all supplies make it back to Steamer Landing. You can sign up to be a site captain when you register.

¡Ayúdanos a mantener limpio el Río Petaluma! Acompáñanos el sábado 6 de mayo para nuestra limpieza anual del Río Petaluma en la Primavera. Nos reuniremos en el parque Steamer Landing por la mañana para dar los materiales necesarios, guía y platica de seguridad y la asignación de ubicaciones. Tendremos café y bocadillos por la mañana y haremos una parrillada con rifa y música en vivo por la tarde.

Limpieza del Río Petaluma – Primavera
Sábado 6 de mayo | 9 a.m.
Parque Steamer Landing

HAZ CLIC AQUÍ PARA REGISTRARTE

Se la solución a la contaminación de los ríos y ayuda a eliminar la basura de nuestras vías fluviales. Tendremos 15 sitios en toda la ciudad a los que se asignarán voluntarios. Déjanos saber si hay un arroyo cerca de ti que necesita una limpieza.

Qué esperar: Friends proporcionarán guantes, recolectores de basura, cubos y bolsas de basura. Puedes traer tus propios guantes si los tienes. Si tienes una ubicación a la que te gustaría ir, o un grupo con el que te gustaría estar, puedes solicitarlo cuando te registres.

Capitanes del Sitio: los capitanes del sitio ayudan a liderar los esfuerzos de limpieza en una de nuestras 15 ubicaciones. Esto incluye traer una bolsa de suministros adicionales que se te proporcionarán, se debe de comunicar con el personal de limpieza si tu sitio necesita más suministros o recolección de basura, y asegurarte de que todos los suministros lleguen al Parque Steamer Landing. Puedes registrarte para ser un capitán del Sitio cuando llenes nuestra forma digital.

2022 EVENTS


Join Friends for an evening with live music by Van Goat, Games, Paella Dinner, Raffles, Friends and

beautiful views as the sun goes down on the Petaluma River

Sunday, October 23rd

4pm – 7pm

$100/ Ticket   |   $1500/Table

Steamer Landing Park

THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

All proceeds support Friends’ stewardship of Steamer Landing Park and our work to get youth outside, learning about their environment as part of our Watershed Classroom program. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WATERSHED CLASSROOM PROGRAM.

Help us create the next generation of Petaluma Watershed stewards and ensure our River is protected for children.

 

Fall Petaluma River Cleanup

Help stop inland pollution before it reaches our coasts and ocean.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

REGISTRATE AQUI

Saturday, September 17th @ Steamer Landing Park

9am – Cleanup  |  12pm – BBQ

Join Friends for our annual Fall Petaluma River Cleanup where you’ll join with thousands of people across the state participating in California Coastal Cleanup Day. Be a part of the solution – help stop pollution in our inland waterways!

What to bring/expect: Please come dressed in clothes that can get dirty and wear sturdy, close-toed shoes. We will supply volunteers with gloves, trash pickers, buckets, bags and other materials. Bring your own water bottle!

We will provide snacks and coffee in the morning. And we invite all volunteers to join us in the afternoon for a BBQ featuring live music and a raffle.

Volunteers will be assigned to one of 15 creek locations for the cleanup. Before heading to your assignment, we will gather at Steamer Landing Park for supplies, instructions and safety information, and to check in with your Site Captain. If you have a location you would like to work at, please indicate that at registration.

Contact Stephanie@friendsofthepetalumariver.org with questions.

EARTH DAY

Celebrate & Conserve the Earth this Earth Day with Friends!

Join Friends for an afternoon of stewardship of the Petaluma River this Earth Day. We are celebrating the 52nd anniversary of Earth Day with two opportunities to preserve and protect the place on earth we call home. Register below for the opportunity that works for you. It isn’t necessary to come for the whole time. Drop ins welcome! Come and pick up a shovel or a trash picker and spend some time in service to the earth this Earth Day.

Thursday, April 21st – 2:30pm – 5:30pm – Stewardship Day at Steamer Landing Park – REGISTER HERE

Friday, April 22nd – 2:30pm – 5:30pm – River Cleanup near Lynch Creek Trail – REGISTER HERE

What to Expect/Bring: Dress in clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty, wear sturdy shoes that enclose your feet, bring a re-suable water bottle, dress in layers as it can get chilly on the River in the afternoon. Bring your own work gloves if you have them. We’ll provide water, snacks, gloves if needed, and all the equipment.

 

TRANSHUMANCE

Hooves & Hands Healing the Land

Join Friends for a weekend of connection with our grazelands. Grazing, as a regenerative way to work with the land, offers many benefits from fire suppression to soil health. The Transhumance Festival invites the community to learn about this ancient practice, how it is being applied locally, and how everyone can support a food system that benefits the earth.

Friday, April 29th – Farm to Table Dinner

Enjoy a local, seasonal meal inspired by the work of graziers and farmers, to support the work of the Transhumance Festival, hosted by Tara Firma Farms

Petaluma chef Brenda Anderson, of the Secret Kitchen, is creating a lovely family-style meal sourced from local farms and ranches to celebrate the connection of hooves and hands.  Come for a night full of amazing Sonoma County food and wine. Leave with a greater understanding of how ruminants and people work together to better our community.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS TO THE DINNER

Saturday, April 30th – Transhumance Festival

Join Friends, Wild Hollow, True Grass Farms and more for a day in connection with local grazing. This is a FREE event but donations are welcome. The Festival will feature speakers, live music, local food and family activities. See below for a schedule of the day. For more information visit the Festival website at https://www.sassyandgrassy.com/

CLICK HERE TO MAKE A DONATION 

10 to 11:15 am – gather at Grand Central Cafe for coffee, breakfast snacks and kids activities
11:15 to 11:30 am – walk with the goats to Steamer Landing Park
11:30 to 12:30 pm – live music and lunch and drinks at Steamer Landing Park
12:30 to 1:30 pm – A panel on Community Grazing Cooperatives: How we collaborate with each other, the land and grazing animals to steward our neighborhoods into healthy fire ecosystems
1:45 to 3:00 pm – Live music, booths, meet the shepherd, meet the goats

SPRING PETALUMA RIVER CLEANUP

Join Friends for our annual spring cleanup of the Petaluma River. We’ll have 15 locations along the River and its tributaries that need cleanup support and we’re calling all volunteers to join us in this effort. All volunteers are invited to celebrate with a BBQ after the event.

Saturday, May 7th – 9am – 1pm – Steamer Landing Park – REGISTER HERE

2021 EVENTS

You are invited to Friends’ annual Fandango Gala! Join us for an evening of entertainment with MC Brian Griffith, host of KRCB’s Morning Show and music by Fog Holler, “a spectral band that channels the spirits of bluegrass past and future.” You don’t want to miss this entertaining event!

It’s FREE to join, just use one of these links:

Facebook: https://fb.me/e/1XRNFa2bl

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OA4nlsTTuc

Check out our auction and fund a need – Text FANDANGO to 71760

Broadcasting live from Out West Garage, guests can enjoy the evening from the comfort of their living room.

Tickets are FREE! Donations and auction purchases will support Friends’ goal to get all kids in the Petaluma Watershed outside, learning about and protecting their environment.

Special guests Mayor Teresa Barrett and the 2021 Petaluma Watershed Changemaker Award-Winner Caryl Hart will share their work protecting the Petaluma Watershed and Sonoma County’s many precious resources.

SPONSORSHIP OPTIONS AVAILABLE – SIGN UP HERE

Event Sponsor – $5,000.00 – Benefits: Premier logo placement on event program, auction site, website; Company spotlight in Friends’ Tidings e-newsletter; Live Event sponsorship mention; 2 devoted social media posts featuring your company; River Tour for 10

Table Sponsor – $3,000.00 – Benefits: Logo on event program, auction site, website;  Live Event sponsorship mention; 1 devoted social media post featuring your company; River Tour for 6

Table Host – $1,000.00 – Benefits: Logo on event program, auction site, website;  Live Event sponsorship mention; Social media mention

 

 

 

CREEK CLEANUPS

Friends is stepping up efforts to keep our local waterways clean with ongoing creek cleanups throughout the year. With support from Sonoma Water and in partnership with the City of Petaluma, Friends is hosting small creek cleanups that can help target the neediest areas in our Watershed.

Sign up below to join an upcoming cleanup.

We are keeping these groups small in order to comply with CDC and County COVID-19 regulations and keep our volunteers safe. Please wear a face covering and maintain social distancing when volunteering at a creek cleanup.

What to bring & expect: Please bring your own water bottle, gloves if you have them, and wear sturdy shoes and clothes that can get dirty. We’ll go over some safety guidelines in the morning and distribute supplies and then spend a couple hours tending to our creeks. Some areas may have debris from abandoned encampments. Please let our staff know if you are planning to have young children attend – some areas will be better for this than others.

Once you have signed up, you will receive an email with further details regarding a meeting place and parking.

UPCOMING CREEK CLEANUPS:

UPPER RIVER – Saturday, November 27th  |  9am – 12pm  – SIGN UP

 

PAST EVENTS

Join us on Sunday, August 22nd, 2021 for the Rivertown Roundup! – our first stop on the Road to Rivertown Revival in 2022!

This August 22nd from 4-7 we want to gather once more at the barn to celebrate our community and look forward to our future. Enjoy the sounds of SoloRio, play some games, and drink a beer along our beautiful Slough at the David Yearsley River Heritage Center.

Rivertown Roundup  |  Sunday, Aug. 22nd  |  4pm – 7pm

TRANSHUMANCE

Our beloved Transhumance Festival is returning this Spring to once again connect us to our agricultural landscapes. We invite you to join us in celebrating our ranchers, farmers and agricultural producers at our 3rd annual Transhumance gathering, marking the seasonal migration of grazing animals.

Saturday, June 12th

9am – 3pm

*FREE*

Steamer Landing Park with herding taking place through downtown Petaluma

All ages are welcome. Come meet the goats at Steamer Landing Park, enjoy a beverage, bring your own picnic and relax along the Petaluma River. Family activities! Information about our local producers! Local products for sale!

EVENT TIMELINE
9am – Shepherds & goats arrive at Steamer Landing Park
10am – Herd goats from Steamer Landing Park to Petaluma City  Hall
11:15am – Arrive at City Hall / Presentation of Rights of Nature Proclamation
12:00pm – Herd goats back to Steamer Landing Park
12:45 – 3:00pm – Transhumance Celebration – Bring your a picnic and enjoy live music by Burnside

Living Room Live: NYE Edition

Thursday, December 31st 
7pm – 9pm

Join us in sailing towards calmer and clearer waters this New Years with a new Living Room Live: NYE Edition!
Once again we bring you stellar performances by some of our favorite local musicians as we raise funds for Friends of the Petaluma River.
During these times of Covid Friends is working hard to keep our much needed outdoor nature programs available for kids in our community. We have also stepped up our River Cleanup programs to address the amount of garbage that was literally dredged up this Fall.

Tune in on Facebook – Link to Facebook or YouTube – Link to YouTube

Our line up for the LRL: NYE Edition:
Royal Jelly Jive
Terrier (Ben Morrion & Erika Tietjen)
Sebastian St. James
La Agencia
Foxes in the Henhouse
Eki Shola
Clementine Darling
Rocky Rohwedder
Timothy O’Neil
Kayatta
Solo Rio
Jules Indelicato

Silver Screen Fandango

Join Friends for an evening of revelry in support of the Petaluma River!

Saturday, October 24th  |  5:30pm – 6:30pm  |  $25.00

Special guest Congressman Huffman, Chair of the House Subcommittee on Water, Oceans and Wildlife, will speak about the fight to protect our natural resources now and into the future.

Live performance by Stella Heath! Virtually explore the Petaluma Marsh!

Fun and unique auction items designed to get you and your loved ones outside experiencing the Petaluma Watershed and beyond safely!

Make it a date!  Add appetizers, a meal and drinks for two or the whole family!

PURCHASE TICKETS, MENU ITEMS & SPONSOR HERE!

ONLINE AUCTION IS NOW LIVE! – text ‘fandango’ to 71760 to start bidding.

Don’t miss our online auction full of fun adventures and unique items. We want to get you and your family or pod of friends outside, experiencing new things and exploring the Petaluma Watershed and beyond. Start bidding today by texting ‘fandango’ to 71760 now.

 

The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

Join Friends for an evening performance from Wind in the Willows, the beloved children’s classic by Kenneth Grahame. Local writer and actor David Templeton will bring the work’s 7th chapter, “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn” to life in a live and unabridged reading. After memorizing the 3800 word tome, David will share this often missing chapter of Grahame’s timeless work in an event that the whole family will enjoy.

“The Piper at the Gates of Dawn” | Saturday, Sept. 12th | 5:30pm – 6:45pm

VIEWING LINKS:

Broadcast live from Facebook and YouTube

While you may not find “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn” in your edition of Wind in the Willows, it is arguably the most celebrated, studied and beautiful chapter of the book. As Templeton recently wrote, “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, filled with references to sleeping and dreaming and waking and drowsing, is, I think, all about awakening to beauty. It’s about those transcendent moments when something jars us out of our habits and comforts and we suddenly see the world in a striking new way, then struggle to hold onto that vision as we return to our previous habits and comforts.” Indeed, in current times, this may be the most relevant part of the story.

Following the reading, stay tuned for a discussion of the work with some of Sonoma County’s literary notables.

It’s free to tune in but donations are welcome and support Friends of the Petaluma River – home of your next River adventure.

Fall Petaluma River Cleanup

Join Friends for our 2nd ‘socially-distant but environmentally-together River Cleanup. We invite volunteers to join us in small groups at 12 different creek and river locations in the Petaluma Watershed to help remove trash and debris from our waterways. We can still help protect the Petaluma River from 6-feet apart. Sign up to receive your creek assignment.

REGISTER NOW FOR THE FALL PETALUMA RIVER CLEANUP

Saturday, Sept. 19th | 9am – 12pm 

Volunteers will go directly to their assigned creek. Creek assignments will go out the day before the Cleanup.

Bring your own water bottle and gloves and wear sturdy shoes. Gloves will be available if needed. Trash pickers, bags, and other supplies will be distributed at your assigned creek.

This event is being held in conjunction with California Coastal Cleanup Day. Did you know that 80% of the trash found in our oceans come from inland waterways? Help stop the trash before it reaches our coasts and beaches!

 

Living Room Live concert series

Petaluma’s annual Rivertown Revival has brought joy and laughter to the North Bay for the past 10 years, but this homegrown festival has always been about much more than a single sunny day in July. The spirit of Rivertown is an ongoing effort from within the community to celebrate life, support the arts, and raise awareness and funds for environmental protection and education. Join us for Rivertown Revival 2020 in your living room!

Living Room Live Concert – Saturday, July 18th, 6pm 

With COVID 19 making public assembly impossible, we have decided that if we cannot come Down to the River to Play, we will bring the celebration to you! The series, which ran for 4 weeks in May and June streamed engaging, fun and uplifting performances for you and your kids. With intimate musical performances by our favorite regional singers and bands, profiles of visual artists, a weekly kids’ magical town report, a mass vow renewal and more!

All shows are hosted by Rivertown’s music director and resident showman, Josh Windmiller.

Now we’re back with one final concert to mark the day of Rivertown Revival. The July 18th show will feature performances by local songstress Maya Leon, the eclectic Lee Vandeveer Band, David Luning and the always energetic Snaps for Sinners as well as entertaining visits with some of the festival’s more colorful contributors.

Shows will stream on the Rivertown Revival Facebook page and YouTube.

Living Room Live is a fundraiser for Friends the Petaluma River so please join us, and donate to promote education, conservation and celebration of our mighty Slough.

Summer Petaluma River Cleanup

We missed our annual Spring Petaluma River Cleanup during Shelter In Place but the trash still piled up. Help us clean it up! Protect Our River from 6 Feet Apart

Saturday, July 25th

8am – 12pm

We can’t gather for a big cleanup event or a thank you BBQ but we can still band together to cleanup our River. Volunteers will meet at their assigned creek for supplies. Registration and waiver are now all online! Register to receive your creek assignment.

Please bring your own water bottle and gloves and wear sturdy shoes. We’ll provide trash pickers, buckets, bags, and gloves if needed.

Contact Stephanie at stephanie@friendsofthepetalumariver.org if you have questions or if you would like to volunteer as a Site Captain.

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Friends has cancelled or is working to reschedule much of our events this year. See below for each 

Rivertown Revival | Cancelled

Rivertown Revival will be taking a one year hiatus. The event has always been about community, and we felt that the best way to support ours was to step back for 2020. But we’re looking for new ways to keep connected, feature our wonderful performers and artists, support Friends of the Petaluma River and celebrate the Greatest Slough on Earth. We’re calling this effort The Road to Rivertown Revival 2021!

Transhumance Festival | Cancelled

Visit the festival website for up to date information on how organizers are nourishing and renewing our relationships to animals, land, water, climate, and each other

Wine & Whiskey for the Wetlands | Postponed

2019 Events

Fall Petaluma River Cleanup

Join in on the next opportunity to support the Petaluma River – come out and help remove trash and debris from our waterways. 80% of the garbage in our oceans originates on inland rivers. Let’s stop this trash before it gets to our coast!

Saturday, September 21st

Steamer Landing Park, Petaluma CA

9am – 1pm

Moonlit Fandango Gala

Join Friends for our annual Moonlit Fandango Gala at Rockin’ H Ranch. Our premier event of the year, the location highlights the Petaluma Marsh, offering stunning views of the River’s Cloudy Bend. Enjoy an evening with Friends and support our programming focused on conservation, access to and education on the Petaluma River.

Moonlit Fandango Gala

Saturday, August 24th 

5pm – 10pm

Tickets: $150.00; Table Host: $1,500.00; Sponsor: $3,000.00

Transhumance Festival

trans·hu·mance

/ˌtranzˈ(h)yo͞oməns,ˌtran(t)sˈ(h)yo͞oməns/

noun – the action or practice of moving livestock from one grazing ground to another in a seasonal cycle, typically to lowlands in winter and highlands in summer.

Friends is partnering with True Grass Farms once again to bring this utterly unique event to Petaluma and Steamer Landing Park. Join us in celebrating our local agriculture as we bring it to our city center with speakers, educational booths with local land managers, a lunch feast of seasonal foods and more. We’ll start by herding a local sheep flock through town, ending at Steamer Landing Park with a celebration of Petaluma’s agriculture.

We’ll kick off the day with the Grazer’s Collective herding a flock of sheep down I St., starting at the top of the hill and heading towards 1st Street, where we’ll turn and head toward D St. and Steamer Landing Park. The flock starts off around 7:30am and should be to the Park by 8:30am.

Learn more about the event and purchase tickets at sassyandgrassy.com

COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER DAYS

Join Friends for a day of stewardship at Steamer Landing Park. Be a part of creating a rich and vibrant habitat for local wildlife while building community and and gathering space. Days will focus on projects at the park like planting, mulching, weeding, watering, and more. Come get your hands dirty with a group of dedicated and like-minded people.

When: December 16th, January 20th, February 17th, March 17th, April 21st

Time: 10am – 2pm

Where: David Yearsley River Heritage Center, Steamer Landing Park, Petaluma – D & Copeland Streets

What to bring: Water Bottle, shoes and clothes that can get dirty, positive attitude and willingness to work!

Student Showcase

Come hear our Watershed Classroom students present what they’ve learned this year about the Petaluma River through multi-media presentations. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from the next generation of stewards for our local environment and their conclusions about the health of the River.

We will also announce the winners of our Watershed Conservation Video Award and show the winning videos. This year’s theme is water conservation and how this affects your carbon footprint.

Student Showcase *FREE*

Thursday, April 18th

5:30pm to 7:00pm – Student Presentations

5:00pm to 5:30pm & 7:00pm to 7:30pm – Tabling and Discussions

Carole Ellis Auditorium, SRJC Petaluma Campus

Spring Petaluma River Cleanup

After a winter of heavy rains we need your help to remove trash and debris from the Petaluma River. Join us for our annual Spring Petaluma River Cleanup and be a part of the solution to river pollution. We’ll have a BBQ, live music, a raffle and educational booths for volunteers following the cleanup effort. RSVP today!

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TO PARTICIPATE

Saturday, May 4 

9am – 1pm

Steamer Landing Park

6 Copeland Street

Volunteer Gathering

Come join Friends at the David Yearsley River Heritage Center for a look at ways to get involved in conservation and celebration of the Petaluma River. Enjoy lunch, a beverage and hear about the volunteer opportunities coming up in 2019.

David Yearsley River Heritage Center

Sunday, March 17th

12pm -2pm

 

2018 Events

Sagra D’Autunno

River Heritage Days presents Sagra D’Autunno

Saturday, October 20th

5:30pm – 9pm

David Yearsley River Heritage Center @ Steamer Landing Park

A River Heritage Days celebration & Barn Dance with seasonal flavors and lively music.

Friends invites you to eat and dance the night away with us along the River at the David Yearsley River Heritage Center. Food sourced and prepared by local True Grass Farms in the Italian tradition of celebrating seasonal bounty.

Come and enjoy this seasonal feast of wild boar with entertainment by the Purple House Swing Band. Tickets include dinner, a free drink, swing lessons, and hours of dancing along the City’s longest Park.

*SPECIAL PRE-EVENT PRICE*

Buy your ticket today and save $5.00 / $25.00 at the Door

Children $10.00/6 & Under FREE

Fall Petaluma River Cleanup

Help stop inland pollution before it reaches our coasts and ocean.

Sign up today, CLICK HERE, and be a part of the solution!

Saturday, September 15th @ Steamer Landing Park

Join Friends for a day removing trash and debris from our local waterways. We’ll start the day with snacks, equipment check-out and a brief safety talk and welcome. Then we’ll head out to 16 different locations along the River and its tributaries to help improve water quality and protect habitat. Friends will provide a BBQ with live music, educational activities and a raffle for volunteers at noon.

All participants 17 years of age and younger must have a waiver signed by a parent or guardian to participate. You can download the waiver BELOW.

Contact Stephanie Bastianon with questions, (707) 763-7756 or stephanie@friendsofthepetalumariver.org

Moonlit Fandango

On Saturday, August 18th, Friends welcomed supporters to  an evening along the River in support of conservation and celebration of the Petaluma River. Hosts Sid & Gigi Hendricks opened their stunning home at the Rockin’ H Ranch on the River’s Cloudy Bend for the event.

After appetizers and drinks on the patio, guests joined together for a family style meal where a lively auction followed.

Don’t miss our 2019 Moonlit Fandango! Date and details coming soon.

Contact Stephanie at (707) 763-7756 or stephanie@friendsofthepetalumariver.org regarding sponsorship or tickets

 

Rivertown Revival

Saturday, July 14th

Steamer Landing Park, 6 Copeland Street

Tickets: $15.00 / Kids: $5.00

Celebrating the Greatest Slough on Earth, the Rivertown Revival festival is back for its 9th year with five stages of music, $5 weddings, Nautical Mass on the River, local food and drinks and plenty of fun for the whole family. Don’t miss our 20ft. seesaws, interactive art installations, kids stage, costumes and more at this annual event.

Find out more about this event, including stage lineups, volunteer opportunities and more at, https://www.rivertownrevival.com/

Transhumance Festival

 
CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITY TO OUR WORKING LANDSCAPES

Grazing animals play an integral role in helping us manage the health of our oak hill, grasslands and coastal prairies.  We want to celebrate the work with a day dedicated to local artisans, education and food shed based foods.

Friends of the Petaluma River, with partners True Grass Farms and the Petaluma Grazing Collective, created a day of exploring the Petaluma Food Shed with local food tasting and interactive education about the forces shaping the food we eat.

SPRING PETALUMA RIVER CLEANUP

Saturday, May 5th 2018

9am – 2pm

Steamer Landing Park – D & Copeland Streets, downtown Petaluma

Click HERE to sign up to volunteer at the 2017 Petaluma River Cleanup!

Bring your friends and come prepared to get dirty at our annual Spring Petaluma River Cleanup. We’ll tackle trash at 15 locations throughout the Petaluma Watershed, improving water quality and habitat. Join Friends and be a part of this grassroots, conservation effort.

Contact Stephanie@friendsofthepetalumariver.org for more information.

DAY OF THE CHILD

Sunday, April 29th 2018

10am – 2pm

Steamer Landing Park – D & Copeland Streets, downtown Petaluma

This is a free, county-wide event in partnership with the Sonoma Environmental Education Collaborative to celebrate outdoor education and play for youth. Activities are taking place throughout the county – everything is free and everything is outside. Come play with us!

For a complete list of events taking place in Sonoma County, click HERE.

WINE FOR THE WETLANDS

Shollenberger Park, www.ScottHessPhoto.com

Saturday, March 24th – 5:30pm – 7:30pm

POST Wellness, 224 A Weller Street, Petaluma

Help Friends raise money to build a new dock system at Steamer Landing Park. Patrons are invited to join Friends for wine and appetizers along the Petaluma River and support the Build-A-Dock Campaign by purchasing a board or plank.

COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER DAYS

Join Friends for a day of stewardship at Steamer Landing Park. Be a part of creating a rich and vibrant habitat for local wildlife while building community and and gathering space. Days will focus on projects at the park like planting, mulching, weeding, watering, and more. Come get your hands dirty with a group of dedicated and like-minded people.

When: December 10th, January 28th, February 25th, March 25th, April 22nd

Time: 10am – 2pm

Where: David Yearsley River Heritage Center, Steamer Landing Park, Petaluma – D & Copeland Streets

What to bring: Water Bottle, shoes and clothes that can get dirty, positive attitude and willingness to work!

2017 Events

FALL PETALUMA RIVER CLEANUP 

Thank you to everyone who came out to help us conserve and protect the Petaluma River. With the support of hundreds of volunteers we removed 4,472 lbs. of trash from the Petaluma River and tributaries.

Thank you to our Sponsor:

Sonoma County Water Agency

Thank you to our Partners:

Sonoma Resource Conservation District, City of Petaluma

Thank you to our Donors:

Camelbak, Sonoma Coast Surf Shop, Petaluma Refuse & Recycling, Noah’s Bagels, Grocery Outlet, American Rivers Network, Seed Bank, & Three Twins Ice Cream

MOONLIT FANDANGO GALA

Our annual Gala returned to the Rockin’ H Ranch on September 9th with an evening full of celebration. Thank you to all of our guests, donors, sponsors and volunteers that helped make this an amazing event on the Petaluma River.

Thank you to our Sponsors:

                                                                                               

Thank you to all menu and auction donors:

1000 STORIES * ACHADINHA CHEES * ARNOT-ROBERTS WINERY * CLAYPOOL CELLARS * CLAVEY PADDLESPORT * COBB WINES * COWGIRL CREAMERY * DELLA FATTORIA * DEMPSEY’S RESTAURANT & BREWERY * LELAND FISHMAN * PAULA FREUND & PAUL HEAVENRIDGE * GOOD GRAY * HOTEL PETALUMA * KELLER ESTATE WINERY * LAGUNITAS BREWING COMPANY * LAUREL GLEN VINEYARD * LEGHORN WINE COMPANY * MAUDE * MCEVOY RANCH * MURRAY ROCKOWITZ PHOTOGRAPHY * OWL RIDGE WINES * PETALUMA POULTRY * PETALUMA COFFEE AND TEA COMPANY * ROBINDIRA UNSWORTH * SENSPOINT * SONOMA RACEWAY * TIERRA DIVINA VINEYARDS * VINAS ZURINAGA * WATER STREET BISTRO * WILLOW BROOK CELLARS

SAGRA della TRIPPA e SALSICCIA

Join Friends for an old world celebration of local food and music Petaluma style. True Grass Farms will ignite our palates in the tradition of small Italian communities by sharing the bounty of the season with the town where all are invited to come together to enjoy a meal and good company. Taraf De Locos will build upon the theme with Balkan music that will get all of our feet moving on the dance floor as old world meets new at this summer Barn Dance.

Saturday, August 26th – 5pm – 9pm

David Yearsley River Heritage Center at Steamer Landing Park – Corner of D and Copeland Streets

Tickets: $20.00 / Kids 10 and under are FREE

BARN DANCE – June 23rd 

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We had a fantastic first barn dance of the summer with the Evie Ladin Band and a great group of new and returning revelers. Evie Ladin kept everyone moving, more or less together, and a great time was had by all. 

Join Friends for our next Barn Dance, Balkan-style, on August 25th.

Friday, June 23rd

6pm – 9:30pm

Steamer Landing Park – D & Copeland Street

Tickets: $20.00 / Kids 10 and under Free

SPRING PETALUMA RIVER CLEANUP – May 6th

Thank you to everyone who came out to help conserve the Petaluma River, protect habitat and improve local water quality with Friends at our Spring Petaluma River Cleanup. Over 200 people joined together to remove over 5,400lbs. of trash and debris from our waterways. We targeted 18 locations in the Watershed that were in need of trash removal, including the main River channel through town and down River near Gilardi’s Marina and several creeks feeding into the River. Check out more pictures on our Facebook page.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPRING PETALUMA RIVER CLEANUP SUPPORTERS:

SPONSORS: Sonoma County Water Agency and Petaluma Poultry

PARTNERS: the City of Petaluma Public Works & Utilities and the Petaluma Police Department

DONORS: Sonoma Coast Surf And Skate, Petaluma Refuse & Recycling, Petaluma Coffee & Tea Co., Clover Sonoma, Grocery Outlet, Sprouts Farmers Market, Petaluma Stand Up Paddle, Three Twins Ice Cream, The Sweet Zone, CamelBak, National River Cleanup, and Petaluma Chamber of Commerce

DISTEMPERANCE! – March 31st

distemperance-revised1024_1Petaluma’s answer to Prohibition! Toast 10 years of celebration and conservation with Friends of the Petaluma River and a tasting of Petaluma’s local craft beverages. Join us at the Hotel Petaluma in downtown Petaluma for an evening with Bootleg Honey and an amazing sampling of Petaluma’s best craft beverage offerings.

All proceeds will help us kick off our capital campaign to build a new dock at Steamer Landing Park. Our new dock will be an all-inclusive, ADA-compliant float system giving free community access to the Petaluma River. Come be a part of this effort to conserve and celebrate the Petaluma Watershed with a project that will allow local marsh restoration, free public access and innovative environmental education right in our backyard.

2016 Events

RIVERTOWN BALL, Dec. 31st

rivertown-ball

Best party in town with hundreds of our FRIENDS!

With Music Performed By: Monophonics, El Radio Fantastique and Odd Job Ensemble.

TICKETS: Click HERE to be directed to the Rivertown Revival page to purchase tickets.

PAST EVENTS

River Heritage Days, Oct. 21st – 23rd

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Join Friends in welcoming the San Francisco Maritime Park for this unique weekend celebrating Petaluma’s past as a river town. This year we’re taking over the weekend with a barn dance and dinner, movie on the River, tours on the historic Alma Schooner Scow, and of course paddling and sailing on our beautiful Petaluma River.

Before the advent of cars and Hwy. 101, the Petaluma River was the main thoroughfare for transporting goods and people between Petaluma and San Francisco. Instead of taking a 5 day journey by horse, merchants easily shipped eggs, hay and other agricultural products by boat, mainly the flat-bottomed schooner scows that were the primary commercial boats in the bay at the turn of the 19th century. Friends is excited to bring the Alma back for Petalumans to visit and explore this bygone era of our town.

Come take part in the fun at one or more of these events:

Friday, October 21st – 6pm – 9:30pm – Barn Dance with caller Kelsey Anne Hartman and the Petaluma River Volunteers! Tickets: $15.00 (kids under 10 are FREE)/ Dinner with Petaluma Poultry: $10.00

Saturday, October 22nd – 11am – 4pm – Tour the historic schooner scow the Alma at the Turning Basin in downtown Petaluma / FREE

Saturday, October 22nd – 11:30am – Join our flotilla from the David Yearsley River Heritage Center to the Turning Basin / FREE

Saturday, October 22nd – 6pm – Movie Night on the Alma at the Turning Basin / FREE

Sunday, October 23rd – 11am – Sail on the historic Alma from the Petaluma Marina

Fall Petaluma River Trash Cleanup, Saturday, September 17th

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A huge thank you to the over 250 volunteers who came out to help at the 2016 Fall Petaluma River Cleanup. This year we met at Steamer Landing Park where participants could also choose to clean the River from the water by checking out one of our many canoes, kayaks or rowboats. This new feature and the large crowd meant an amazing 4,972 lbs. of trash was removed from the Watershed. In addition to cleaning from the water, volunteers went to 15 different locations along the River and its tributaries.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSOR: Sonoma County Water Agency

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR DONORS: Clavey Paddlesport, Clover Petaluma, Camelbak, Three Twins, Grocery Outlet, Sprouts Farmers Market, City of Petaluma, World Centric, Petaluma Refuse & Recycling

BARN DANCE, Saturday, August 27th

FriendsBarnDance2016 - FlyerIts time to dust off your dancing shoes and join Friends of the Petaluma River for an old fashioned Barn Dance.

5:30pm – 9:30pm @ the David Yearsley River Heritage Center

$10.00 / Children are Free

Dinner and Drinks served separately

Wear your Rivertown Revival volunteer shirt and get in for FREE and enjoy dinner and a drink on us!

Moonlit Fandango, Thursday, May 26th

Join Friends for a gala dinner at Olympia’s Valley Estate where we will enjoy a family-style meal of local fare as we raise our glasses to the Petaluma Watershed. Our bounty of the watershed Fandango2016-SavetheDatefeast will be prepared by Amber Balshaw of Preferred Sonoma Caterers with offerings from Sonoma County wineries.

Festivities will include fabulous live music by Cahoots, tastings of local delicacies,  a River-themed photo booth, exciting live and silent auction items and an update on the Petaluma Watershed in a remarkably lovely setting at the Tresch family’s ranch.

Join us in this celebration of our River and help support Friends’ work stewarding the Watershed through education, access and conservation programming.

Would your company like to sponsor the event? Download our sponsorship form here: Fandango 2016 – Sponsorship Levels.

Thursday, May 26th – 5:30pm – 9:00pm

Olympia’s Valley Estate, 1051 Walker Road, Petaluma

Tickets: $125.00

Rivertown Revival, Saturday, July 16th

Celebrate the Greatest Slough on Earth with Friends of the Petaluma River and thousands of your closest friends. We take over Steamer Landing Park with five stages of music, art boats, $5 weddings, amazing food and of course costumes, sword swallowing and plenty of river hijinks. Rivertown Revival 2016 is scheduled for Saturday, July 16th. This is a volunteer run event with months of crafting, building and planning before the big day. Visit the event site at www.rivertownrevival.com for more information or to join the fun.

El Dia del Nino/ Day of the Child – Saturday, April 30th at Steamer Landing Park, 10am – 4pm

Check out the activities happening at all 13 sites throughout Sonoma County HERE.

Thank you to everyone who came out to Steamer Landing Park or visited one of the other 12 sites participating in the Day of the Child event. We had a fun day crafting, boating and otherwise exploring the Petaluma Watershed.

Spring Petaluma River Cleanup – Saturday, May 7th at the Petaluma Marina, 9am

SpringPetalumaRiverCleanup2016_1We removed an impressive 3,430 lbs. of trash and debris from the Petaluma Watershed during our 2016 Spring Petaluma River Cleanup.

Despite the rain, a dedicated group of community members, over 80 volunteers, came together to protect our waterways, improving water quality and habitat.

Through generous contributions from Whole Foods Market, Camelbak, Petaluma Stand Up Paddle, Petaluma Coffee and Tea, World Centric, Grocery Outlet, the City of Petaluma, and Sprouts and funding from the Sonoma County Water Agency we enjoyed a BBQ, free raffle, live music, educational and photographic displays about our Watershed and a fun day of giving back to our local environment. Thank you!

2022 EVENTS