Sonoma Valley Fun for Kids and Families this Weekend-

February 23rd-24th

I can’t believe we already facing the last weekend in FEBRUARY! Looks like great weather and a weekend that is chock full of fun for the whole family! I am trying to include something new each week that is free or low cost and fun for the whole family! This weekend’s activities include Dinosaurs, Girl Scout cookies and Missions! Have fun!

Here are the Grape Juice Kids favorite picks for the weekend:

Saturday, February 23rd-

In Sonoma:

Ongoing-

-Go to Sonoma Train Town or have a ball at Maxwell Golf Center! Both are open all weekend!

-Grab your fresh eggs and weekly winter vegetables at the ongoing Saturday Harvest Market at the Sonoma Ecology Center from 9am to 1pm. The Garden offers the freshest, seasonal produce available. A good friend went last weekend and told me early bird, catches the worm at this market so be sure to pop by close to 9:00!

-Cornerstone Gardens- Where else can you let the kids run through a large water pipe, a huge border of daisy pinwheels and sit in a giant adirondack chair? And for FREE! Open everyday from 10:00-5:00pm.

-California Missions Museum- Want to see the entire Mission Trail under one roof and for free? Head to Cline Winery (also one of my favorite kid-friendly wineries) and take a tour of all 21 Mission Models that were shown at the World’s Fair on Treasure Island in 1939. Open 10:00-4:00pm everyday. FREE. While your there, be sure to take a tour of the entire Cline property stopping along the way to find the resident turtles, carp and birds. Grab a picnic and enjoy! Details on the Mission Museum here and Cline Cellars details here.

-Depot Train Museum- I tend to forget that we have an amazing historic museum near downtown. The Depot Train Museum is one of my kids favorites. FREE!  Open Friday-Sunday 1-4pm.
Railroad buffs will love the Train Room and authentic railroad cars and history fanatics will enjoy the Victorian Life Displays. There’s something here for everyone. The current rotating exhibit is: Sonoma’s Amazing Adobes. 270 1st Street West, Sonoma. Click here for more information on their website.

-Escape from Planet Earth (PG)-Opened Friday at the Sonoma Cinemas. Showing all weekend in regular and 3-D. Check website for times.

-Girl Scout Cookie Time! Please support the local Girl Scouts if you see them out and about this weekend!

-Sandbox Goodbye Sale- Store Owner Allie Sterner will be passing her store onto the new owner Emilia Mahoney. There will be activities for the kids, raffles and a 25% off sale for the parents! Ongoing until Wednesday, February, 27th. Stop by and say Hello and Goodbye to such a wonderful mom! Hours- 10-5:30 at 201 W. Napa Street Suite 8.

-Sonoma Library-I love dinosaurs!: This kid-friendly event not only gives information on the “terrible lizards”, but it doubles as an event to teach kids how to deal with bullies. Free. 2:30 p.m. Sonoma Valley Regional Library. 755 W. Napa St., Sonoma. sonomalibrary.org

Beyond Sonoma-

Petaluma Fairgrounds-Catch a ride and a corn-dog at the amusement park Thursday-Sunday at the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds. DATES & TIMES: Friday, February 22, 4:00pm to 10:30pm-Saturday, February 23, Noon – 10:30pm and Sunday, February 24 Noon – 10:00pm.

Charles M. Schulz Museum Free Saturday-10 am–5 pm
Enjoy FREE admission to the museum all day!Location: 2301 Hardies Lane, Santa Rosa. For more info, call (707) 579-4452 or visit their website.

Whale Watching at Bodega Head-FREE. Pack a picnic and the binoculars and take a trip out to Bodega Head. The view is amazing and the Pacific Grey Whales are migrating thru April.

Redwood Empire Farmers Market-Year round-Wednesdays and Saturdays, 8:30 a.m. to noon at the parking lot of the Veterans Memorial Building, 1351 Maple Ave. Rain or shine. Fresh produce from local farmers.

Sunday, February 24th-

In Sonoma-

Bake Sale- Stop by Faith Lutheran Church, starting at 11:15 and support the Youth Group’s Bake Sale. The Youth Group annually participate in the World Vision 30-Hour Famine. This is a fundraising effort where we “go without eating so others may eat.”  We have raised enough money so 34 children in the poorest countries can eat for a year.  For more information visit http://www.30hourfamine.org/. 19355 Arnold Drive.

Beyond Sonoma-

Marin Civic Center Farmers Market-8:00-1:00pm. Rows and rows of fresh breads, fruits and vegetables. I love going at 12:00 when most sellers mark everything at half off! Lots of samples for the kids!

Off The Grid- Food Truck Extravaganza at Marin Country Mart, Larkspur Landing
Sunday, 11 am–3 pm- Come and enjoy Off the Grid’s delicious mobile gourmet food market, every Sunday at the Marin Country Mart. Eat your way through the largest gathering of mobile food trucks in Marin, while listening to live music, and taking in the views of the bay and Mt. Tam. This is a year-round event. For more info, visit their website.

Scientopia Discovery Center, 1785 Tanen Street, Napa. Open from 10-3 every Sunday.  General admission-Children 1-10 years: $10, each additional $8, parents free. Enjoy the Children’s Garden  with bubble play, worm bin, garden and outdoor picnic area , Produce Stand & Little Diner; Dress-Up Area; Little Dig – rubber gravel, buckets, shovels, & trucks galore; NV Trains – giant train table with pop up holes in the center ; Puppet Theater – kids can create their own puppet show and much more!

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