2016 Events at Fort Ross State Historic Park
California State Parks supports equal access. Prior to arrival, visitors with disabilities who need assistance should contact (707) 847-3437.
We also have one beach wheelchair available to use on the premises.
Ongoing Events:
Fort Ross Conservancy 2016 Board Meetings: February 13th (at Salt Point Visitor Center), April 9th (also Annual Members’ Meeting), June 11th, August 13th, October 8th and December 10th (followed by community potluck and holiday party at 12:30). Most board meetings take place at Fort Ross State Historic Park but we occasionally meet in Petaluma. If you plan on attending please review the board policy for attending the meetings and contact us ahead of time to verify the location of the meeting.
Harbor Seal Surveys: November 12th, 4pm; December 10, 3pm.
Assist us with our citizen scientist effort monitoring the harbor seals that haul out along our coast. Depending on the season, we undertake Harbor Seal surveys twice a month. After meeting at the Fort Ross State Historic Park Visitor Center, our surveys begin roadside at Highway One Mile Marker 33.52, just north of the Fort Ross State Historic Park entrance. These almost two mile low-tide shoreline surveys end at Fort Ross Cove and take about two hours’ time.
Call House tours Volunteers maintain the historic garden and give guided house museum tours on the first weekend of each month from 1 to 4pm. Many of the furnishings belonged to the Call family.
Windmill Turning 1st Saturday of each month at 12:30pm.
Click here to see the listing of past events
2016 Events
Join us on Saturday, December 10th for the end of year Community Potluck at the Visitor Center Auditorium from 12:00pm to 3:00pm featuring the local Fort Ross Choir members for a “good old hometown concert” where they will perform variety of their repertoire.
Past Events of 2016
January 1st, 2016, 10:30am: First Day Hike Salt Point State Park
Grace Rock Trail
Let’s usher in the new year while enjoying our wonderful Salt Point hiking trails. Meet Team FRC at 10:30 on January 1 at the Fisk Mill Cove parking lot (north end, near Sentinel Rock; portapotty available) for this moderate 3-mile hike. We’ll hike the oceanside Grace Rock Trail, exploring the less visited northern reaches of Salt Point State Park. The hike will take approximately 3 hours.
Hike highlights include unique, other-worldly rock formations, wide open ocean vistas, seabirds and possible marine mammals, and good company! Children 10 and older welcome; sorry no pets allowed. Things to bring: Water, bag lunch, binoculars, cameras, hat, sunscreen, layered clothing, hiking sticks and hiking boots (be prepared for some possible moisture). Updates/weather cancellation information: (707) 847-3437; Hank Birnbaum, Fort Ross Conservancy, or email with questions — info@fortross.org
January 1st, 2016: First Day Hike with California State Parks
The ‘First Day Hike’ is a nationwide park movement getting us outside starting the New Year on the right foot. Please join us for our ‘First Day Hike’ at Fort Ross State Historic Park. We will be walking over to oldest known European cemetery north of San Francisco along a beautiful fern covered creek-side trail above Fort Ross Cove. Leading the walk will be Dr. Sandra Hollimon and former Ranger Dan Murley. Sandy worked as an archaeologist on the cemetery project over 25 years ago and Dan was the Ranger at Fort Ross during this same time along with many other archaeological projects that took place. Dan is an expert on natural and cultural history and will offer many discussions along the way. Robin Joy Wellman, who works at Fort Ross for the last 26 years, will join the party and add a few stories. After the presentation at the cemetery we will walk back toward the beach to enjoy your packed lunch and conversation. We will then proceed along the bluff trail where more natural and cultural history will be shared. Meet in front of the fort compound at 10:00 AM for the opening blessing to the New Year by Kashaya Elder Lorin Smith. We will proceed from there. Bring lunch, water, sunscreen, umbrella, dress in layers, rain boots or good sturdy hiking shoes. We will walk in light rain heavy rain cancels. Hike is easy to moderate. All ages welcome. No dogs please. Cancellation Information and to contact the hike lead please email or call Robin Joy Wellman robinjoy.wellman@parks.ca.gov or call 707-847-4777 for latest updates.
January 15th, 5pm 11pm: Russian California: Then and Now
Russian Center, 2450 Sutter Street San Francisco 94115
Russian Center of San Francisco, in partnership with Fort Ross Conservancy and the Museum of Russian Culture, presents Russian California: Then and Now. This informal community event will bring friends together for an evening of presentations on Russian California, followed by a potluck and entertainment. This is a chance to see people you may have missed over New Year’s, Rozdestvo, and Old New Year.
Presentations run from 5pm to 8pm, followed by potluck. Thanks go to the Russian Center for donating the venue.
If possible please RSVP to www.RussianEvents.org.
Feb 20th, 12:00pm: Fort Ross Winter Celebration
Warm your hearts and hands during these wintery months at the Fort Ross Winter Celebration. The old style Russian brick oven will be used baking Russian delicacies, the Old Russian Samovar will be warming our hands with a cup of tea, and the Russian Kedry House will share lyrical songs. We will also have rope making, and basket weaving for $1 per craft. At 1:00 PM a presentation about thewinter celebrations of Russia will be shared along with some winter songs.
Gate fees apply: $8 per car/ $7 per vehicle with seniors. Dogs are only allowed in the upper parking lot and paved walkways.
March 26th Park Champions
Help prepare Salt Point Woodside campground for opening by clearing leaf & tree debris from sites & road, checking/repairing tables, storage lockers and fire rings. Kids 12 and older are welcome with a legal guardian. Free group-setting camping on 3/25 & 3/26. Tent camping only. The work day is 10:00am to 3:00pm, lunch is included.
April 9th, 1:30pm: Music & Marine Ecology
Join us in supporting Fort Ross Conservancy’s Marine Ecology Program with an afternoon of wine, hors d’oeuvres and music brought to you by the women of Kitka and Kedry!
Kitka is an American women’s vocal arts ensemble inspired by traditional songs and vocal techniques from Eastern Europe. Dedicated to developing new audiences for music rooted in Balkan, Slavic, and Caucasian women’s vocal traditions, Kitka also strives to expand the boundaries of folk song as a living and evolving expressive art form. Russian House Kedry generously brings Fort Ross to life during our festivals each season with interactive celebrations including traditional Russian folk songs, dances, rituals, games, crafts and baking. Download our flyer here.
Eventbrite ticket of $30 includes park entrance fees, coffee and tea service and a wonderful selection of locally made hors d’oeuvres. Wine and champagne will be available for an additional donation to the Marine Ecology Program. Tickets also available the day of event at the Visitor Center.
Fort Ross Conservancy’s Marine Ecology Program (MEP) offers a wonderful opportunity for youth to learn about local marine ecology as they hike the coastline of Fort Ross State Historic Park, interact with and observe marine species, and enjoy optional camping on the beautiful Sonoma Coast. Middle and high school students spend one or two days immersed in the day-to-day tasks of a marine biologist. They will learn the proper way to conduct themselves around wildlife, be introduced to the intricacies of data protocols and collection, and observe the abundant marine life. By experiencing first hand what it means to be a citizen scientist, we hope to encourage a deeper appreciation of marine science and nature — and we hope these students will continue to focus on marine stewardship and the environmental sciences. FRC provides this program to students on a sliding scale to ensure access to all communities.
Buy your tickets today and help us keep this wonderful Marine Ecology Program alive for future youth! For more info, contact Special Events & Marine Ecology Program Manager Sondra Hunter at songh@fortross.org or 707.847.3437
Also in the historic fort compound
12pm 4pm: Russian House Kedry Spring Celebration Russian folk traditions, Pysanky egg painting, and crafts for kids. Please call (707) 847-4777 for more information.
April 10th, 11am:Direct Fish Printing (Gyotaku) Workshop
Join Fort Ross Conservancy and instructor Christopher Dewees to learn the Japanese art form of Direct Fish Printing or Gyotaku, first practiced in the mid-1800s in Japan to celebrate the fish caught for a samurai lord’s feast. In the past fifty years, artists in Japan and elsewhere have refined these techniques into a sophisticated art form. The method involves brushing or rolling water-soluble inks directly onto a clean and dry fish or other object. Paper or fabric is then laid over the top of the fish and the ink is transferred. The instructor will supply basic materials including inks, brushes, papers, fish and small octopus. Participants are encouraged to bring any special paper, a tee shirt or other fabric to print on. Each attendee will receive a complimentary copy of Christopher Dewees’s fish printing book with instructions. Special event fees apply: $60 full day including lunch, or $50 without lunch (if purchased online, California State Parks $8 per car entrance fee is waived). Tickets can be purchased at: Eventbrite. For more info, please contact Special Events Manager Sondra Hunter at songh@fortross.org or 707.847.3437
May 14th at Salt Point State Park Visitor Center 11:00am Join State Park Intrpreter Mary Pat Jacobs for a Wildflower Walk. Meet 11:00am at the Gerstle Cove Visitor Center for a 2-hour hike. Dress in layers and wear sturdy shoes.
~Wildflowers
~Migrating Whales
~Harbor Seals
~Fascinating Geology
May 21st, 10am 4pm: Alaska Native Day
Please join us as the Alaska Natives celebrate our history together at Fort Ross. In the 1821 Russian American Company census taken at Fort Ross, there were 156 Alaska Natives living on the bluff overlooking the ocean. Join us in acknowledging their contributions and sacrifices at Fort Ross / Metini. Marc Daniels of Make Access Iqyax will continue his skin boat build, and Alaskans from California to Alaska will share stories and history. Click here to download our poster.
This year’s Alaska Native Day will feature Sngagim Axasniikangin, an Unangan dance troupe that dances shares, and honors their Ancestors from the Aleutian regions. Sngagim Axasniikangin was taught by the Axtam Dance troupe and they continue to honor their knowledge and generosity by wearing regalia and sharing the story of the Unangan pre-contact.
Alaska Native Day Schedule
Fort Ross State Historic Park Visitor Center $5 per adult, kids under 12 free
10am Welcome, Donation of 3-hole Qayaq by Mitchell Poling
10:15am Presentation by Mitchell Poling: The Story of Chenega (30 mins)
10:45 Remembrance of John Sperry
Walk to Sandy Cove
Sandy Cove (down by the water)
11:15 Remembrance of John Sperry Marc Daniels paddles out wreath in John Sperry’s memory
11:25 Qayaq Race / Demonstration, throwing board demonstration
In and Around the Fort Compound
11:30 Lunch for sale, Dream Catcher Catering (Ocean Terrace)
Craft tables (Ocean Terrace): Headdress/bentwood hat coloring, Kenai calendar, Afognak rock petroglyphs, Face painting/tattoos, Beaded bracelets
Umiak build with Marc Daniels of Make Access Iqyax Apprenticeships (Ocean Terrace)
Marine Mammals & World Trade (in Fort Compound’s Magazin)
“What Fort Ross Means To Me” video project (Fort Compound)
12:30pm Story time (inside Fort Compound)
1:30pm Tour / Presentation: The Diverse Neighborhoods of Fort Ross (meet at Fort Compound tables)
3pm Sngagim Axasniikangin dance performance (Fort Compound)
4:30pm Fort Compound closes
Alaska Native Day Sponsors
This event is generously sponsored by the following:
May 22nd: Park Champions at Salt Point
Join us to take out an invasive, non-native plant and enjoy the coastal beauty of the Salt Point. We will be pulling invasive Fireweed from the grasslands surrounding the Salt Point Trail.
Sign up at park-champions.
Please email Sarah King at sarah.king@parks.ca.gov for more information.
May 22nd, 11am 1:30pm: John Sperry Dedication
Please join us on the bluffs overlooking Sandy Cove for the dedication of a park bench for our dear friend and mentor John Sperry.
A windmill presentation in his honor follows at 1pm.
Questions? Please Email Susan Rudy at susan@stillwatercove.net.
June 9th: 9 am BioBlitz The public bioblitz of the Fort Ross tidepools
In support of the Snapshot Cal Coast initiative, join us for a grassroots, smartphone-powered bioblitz to catalogue every living species we can identify from the sandy beach to the rocky tidepools!
A bioblitz is an intensive one-day study of biodiversity in a specific location. We’ll look for starfish, crabs, octopus, sea slugs, shorebirds, fish, barnacles, anything!People of all ages and skill levels are welcome! You bring your curiosity, a smart phone with the iNaturalist app downloaded (or digital camera), and tons of enthusiasm. We’ll rally some experts and folks who know the area. Together we’ll make some science!
The fun happens during the low tide on Thursday, June 9. We’ll explore the tidepools and document everything we can find for a few hours, then we’ll all come back together to upload our observations, see what everyone else found, and get help with IDs. If you’d like to participate or want more information, please contact Marine Ecology Program Manager Sondra Hunter at songh@fortross.org.
Please have the app downloaded BEFORE you come. Thanks!!
June 11: 11am 4:30pm Kashia Day at Metini
Cultural Demonstrations
Su Nu Nu Shinal Dances
Arts & Crafts
Food for sale Indian tacos, hot dogs and more
For more information please visit Su Nu Nu Shinal’s Facebook page.
For questions about booth space please Email Billyrene Pinola at billyrenepinola@yahoo.com or call (707)326-0595. You can also call Erin at Kashia Tribal Office: (707)591-0580. For general questions about the event please Email info@fortross.org. California State Parks supports equal access. Prior to arrival, visitors with disabilities who need assistance should contact (707)847-3437.
June 25th: Sonoma Coast Seaweed Workshop & Foray
8:00 am Field work
11:00 am Illustrated Presentation at Fort Ross Visitor Center auditorium
Join us for the third annual Seaweed Workshop at Fort Ross and support the Marine Ecology Program! We live in abundance, including a rich variety of seaweeds! Seaweeds can be used as food, medicine and fertilizer. Nori, wakame, bladderwrack and kombu are just a few of the local seaweeds that we’ll learn about. Go out in the morning with expert guidance, we’ll go on a foray and practice our identification skills and more. Later in the afternoon, the informative illustrated presentation includes how to identify, sustainably harvest and use our coastal “sea vegetables” and will also discuss pollutants, the health of our coastlines, harvest cycles and the health benefits of seaweed. Click here for the poster.
Heidi Herrmann is a farmer and owner of Strong Arm Farm in Healdsburg. She teaches Sustainable Agriculture at Santa Rosa Junior College and vends at the Sebastopol and Healdsburg farmer’s markets. Heidi is an avid seaweed harvester and the only legal commercial seaweed harvester in Sonoma County. Special event fees apply; $40 full day including lecture and field work, or $20 lecture only (plus California State Parks $8 per car entrance fee). All profits go to our new Marine Ecology Educational Fund. Buy your tickets today and help us keep this wonderful Marine Ecology Program alive for future youth! For more info, contact Special Events & Marine Ecology Program Manager Sondra Hunter at songh@fortross.org or 707.847.3437. Tickets can be purchased at: Eventbrite.
June 26th: Park Champions at Salt Point
Help with trail maintenance, clearing back overgrown vegetation. Kids 12 and older welcome with a legal guardian. Free camping in a group setting for registered volunteers Sat 6/25 & Sun 6/26. The work day is 9:00am to 2:00pm, lunch is included.Sign up at park-champions .
Please email Sarah King at sarah.king@parks.ca.gov for more information.
The Fort Ross Conservancy is very generously offering past Park Champion volunteers who have volunteered two or more times at Salt Point or Fort Ross, a 10% discount on Fort Ross Conservancy’s Seaweed Workshop on Saturday, June 25th.
July 30th, 10am-6:30pm: Fort Ross Festival
Get your tickets today!
$20 per car (includes $8 State Parks fee).
Special event bus fee for small capacity bus (24 person or fewer): $100.
Special event bus fee for large capacity bus (greater than 24 person): $225.
Food and drink purchased separately. Questions?
Email us at info@fortross.org, call us at 707/847-3437.
Click here to download the festival poster.
Due to unforeseen travel complications the Tatarstan Ensemble will not be performing at Fort Ross Festival. We hope to invite them to join us next year.
Fort Ross Festival 2016: California State Parks and Fort Ross Conservancy are pleased to welcome you to Fort Ross Festival where we celebrate the wonderful diverse international flavors and cultures of Fort Ross. This year’s event, generously sponsored by Renova Fort Ross Foundation, will highlight the Kashia, Russian, Alaska Native, and California ranch era peoples who have called Fort Ross home over the centuries. We’ll offer costumed historical vignettes, hands-on crafts, horse and buggy rides, music & dance from numerous cultures, an international food bazaar — and of course, the Fort Ross Beer Garden!
Grab a Pint at our 3rd Annual Beer Garden!
Fort Ross Festival’s Beer Garden, with its incredible front row seat to the Pacific Ocean, offers a great variety of 
delicious food and cold beverages for you to enjoy while listening to live Americana music. This year is bigger than ever! We are thrilled to have the continued support from local Lagunitas Brewing Co. and Tilted Shed Ciderworks, and new this year we will also be serving beer generously donated from our new partners North Coast Brewing Company, 101 North Brewing Co., Uinta Brewing Co.! We’ll have a wide variety of beers from each brewer, from hoppy IPAs to rich, roasty Stouts.
Call Picnic Music
Enjoy your lunch in the warm coastal sun while listening to the Americana melodies of The Bootleg Honeys and The Betty Blues. The Bootleg Honeys has quickly become one of the Bay Area’s favorite Americana acts. Their sweet
and lively sound features impeccable three-part harmony and musicianship, as well as a hefty collection of finely crafted original material that will pull your heartstrings and get your boots stompin’. With soulful tunes born out of heartache and whiskey, The Betty Blues combines country and folk rhythms with haunting melodies and deep sultry vocals.
Performers
While the Call Picnic Area is alive with Americana music, the historic Fort Ross compound will have a variety of traditional Russian performers. And outside the compound the Kashia Pomo group Su Nu Shinal will dance their traditional dances in their spiritual dance circle.
- Kedry generously brings Fort Ross to life during the festival and each season with interactive celebrations including traditional Russian folk songs, dances, rituals, games, crafts and baking.
- East Bay women’s vocal arts ensemble Kitka is inspired by traditional songs and vocal techniques from Eastern Europe. Their exquisite harmonies resonate as if energized by the universe itself. A Kitka trio will perform at this year’s festival. Special thanks to the California Arts Council for supporting Kitka’s performances at Fort Ross.
Slavyanka Chorus brings their rich program of Russian sacred and folk music to Fort Ross ancient church music from Russia’s past sung in the Chapel…and wild Cossack songs in the yard! Don’t miss this wonderful choral group, a long standing tradition of Fort Ross Festival. The Kashia were the first people known to have lived in the area that is now Fort Ross, and they continue to live on these lands today.- The Bay Area folk group Dolina revives traditions of different regions of Russia, focusing on authentic
folklore singing and dancing of Cossacks. This will be their first time performing at Fort Ross Festival - Su Nu Nu Shinal, which means Huckleberry Heights, are Kashia Pomo and Coast Miwok Indians from California who have been performing traditional dance for over 40 years. They will dance in their traditional dance circle on the ocean terrace outside the fort compound.
A Tale of Fort Ross
International Food Bazaar
Choose from a wonderful variety of local vendors in our International Food Bazaar! From traditional Russian borscht and piroshki from the brand new Russian House #1 in Jenner, or slow smoked BBQ with fresh coleslaw from BBQ Smokehouse Bistro & Catering. We’ll also offer Californian & European style crepes filled with sweet or savory options from Ultra Crepes, or for a taste of India check out Curry Sensations Chicken or Butternut Squash Curry Rice plates, or Fried Fish Pakora. For a refreshing and healthful treat, have a serving of Juice Runners Red, Gold & Green veggie/fruit juice mixes, or warm up with an organic hot espresso from Julianne’s Espresso Connection. We’re also thrilled to welcome back the incredible flavors of homemade, award-winning, small batch ice cream from Nimble & Finn’s.
“Greens for the Blue” Salad Booth
Support Fort Ross Conservancy’s Marine Ecology Program: Every Dollar You Spend Goes to our Marine Ecology Educational Fund.
Choose from three amazing salad choices generously donated by Whole Foods 
Petaluma.
Fort Ross Conservancy’s Marine Ecology Program (MEP) offers a wonderful opportunity for youth to learn about local marine ecology at Fort Ross. Elementary, middle, and high school students spend one or two days immersed in the day-to-day tasks of a marine biologist. FRC’s Marine Ecology Program is underwritten in part by the California Coastal Commission and Renova Fort Ross Foundation.
A Tale of Fort Ross
We are thrilled to welcome all the way from Pskov, Russia, the very talented Vera Belius, illustrator of the upcoming book A Tale of Fort Ross, published in partnership with Renova Fort Ross Foundation. Vera will hold art classes in the fort compound for children and adults alike to demonstrate and teach techniques in creative drawing.
Craftspeople Demonstrating Hands-On Crafts
Settlement Ross was one of the first industrial centers of California, and many skilled craftspeople were hard at work here, building California’s first ships, windmill, clay bricks, barrels, and much more. Today you can watch a blacksmith, tinsmith, weaver, spinner, felt maker, laundress, soap maker, carpenter, broom maker and many others busily preparing their wares, perhaps to trade with the Spanish, Mexicans or Bostonians. Several of the crafts allow you to join the fun learn to make your own rope, mini-basket, or candle.
Alaska Native Crafts
We welcome Marc Daniels of Make Access Iqyax back to Fort Ross where he’ll continue his traditional build of our umiak. And this year we are thrilled to have Andrew Abyo, Sugpiaq artist and culture bearer carving paddles and throwing boards. We thank the Aleut Foundation for funding Andrew Abyo’s participation in our event.
Ranch-era Call House Museum Viewing
George W. Call built this residence in 1878 as a headquarters for the ranch and shipping operations, and a home for their family, which eventually included nine children. The house museum, first open to visitors in May, 2003, is an excellent example of the Early California Ranch period. Many of the furnishings belonged to the Call family. During Fort Ross Festival the Call House Museum will be open for limited viewing only.
Schedule (subject to change)
10:00 Divine Service St Nicholas Cathedral (Fort Ross Chapel)
10:30 Windmill Presentation (Windmill)
11:00 Russian Orthodox Procession to the cemetery (Panikhida)
11:00 Bell Ringing
11:30 Zababushka Children’s Slavic Folk Ensemble (Fur Warehouse)
12:00 Kedry Traditional Russian games & circle dances (Fort Compound)
12:30 The Betty Blues Live Music (Call Picnic Area)
12:30 Storytelling with Georgia Churchill (Fur Warehouse)
12:30 Ladamira Ancient Slavic Wisdom for Modern Living (Marine Terrace)
1:00 Slavyanka Sacred songs (Fort Ross Chapel)
1:30 Dolina Authentic Russian folk music & dances (Kuskov House)
1:40 The Bootleg Honeys Live Music (Call Picnic Area)
2:00 Kitka Trio Balkan, Slavic & Caucasian Harmonies (Fur Warehouse)
2:30 Fort Ross History Talk In English & Russian (Fur Warehouse)
2:50 The Bootleg Honeys Live Music (Call Picnic Area)
2:50 Bell Ringing
3:00 Slavyanka Russian folk, patriotic & Cossack songs (Kuskov House)
3:30 Kedry Traditional Russian village dances (Fort Compound)
3:30 Windmill Presentation (Windmill)
4:00 Kitka Trio Balkan, Slavic & Caucasian Harmonies (Fur Warehouse)
4:00 The Bootleg Honeys Live Music (Call Picnic Area)
4:00 Ladamira Ancient Slavic Ritual Dance (Marine Terrace)
4:30 Dolina Authentic Russian folk music & dances (Kuskov House)
5:00 Su Nu Nu Shinal Kashia Pomo Dancers (Marine Terrace)
6:30 Festival Ends
California State Parks supports equal access. Prior to arrival, visitors with disabilities who need assistance should contact 707/847-3437. Please leave your dogs at home, Thank you.
Fort Ross-Seaview Harvest FestivalOctober 15th 10am-6pmGrand Wine Tasting:12pm-5pm
Join Fort Ross Conservancy and the Fort Ross-Seaview Winegrowers Association at our 4th Annual Fort Ross-Seaview Wine and Harvest Festival for an incredible day of world class Wine Tasting, delicious local foods, music and much more, all set on the spectacular Sonoma Coast at Fort Ross State Historic Park.
Get your tickets at Eventbrite today!
Harvest is the time to enjoy autumn’s fresh air with friends and family, acknowledging all that the seasons provide us. Harvest Festival starts out with a morning of gentle apple picking in the historic orchard, where we’ll harvest fruit while enjoying the Eastern European music and Kedry. The celebration then moves to the historic Fort Ross compound where we’ll enjoy the old-world charm of the 19th century Russian settlement.
Harvest Festival ($20/car) runs from 10am to 5pm. If you purchase advance tickets for the wine seminar or wine tent your entrance fee to Harvest Festival is included.
- The Fort Ross-Seaview Grand Wine Tent ($40/person) is pouring from 12pm 5pm
- The Fort Ross-Seaview “Pinot Noir Elevated” Wine Seminar ($60/person) runs from 11:00am -12:30pm.
- When purchased in advance, the Grand Wine Tent, “Pinot Noir Elevated” Wine Seminar, and General Admission to Harvest Festival is $90/person.
Grand Wine Tasting (12pm-5pm, $40 per person)
Presenting a remarkable selection of wines grown in the FORT ROSS-SEAVIEW VITICULTURAL AREA that consists of the steep ridge top vineyards that overlook the Pacific Ocean and produce wines of structure, balance and finesse. The Grand Tasting features local grape growers and winemakers, and a chance to meet and greet the people behind the wines. Also enjoy cheese sampling with Omar Mueller of Freestone Artisan Cheese and Sonoma County cheesemakers.
== Special Event Fees ==
Harvest Special Event Fee: $20 per car (includes $8 State Parks fee) for General Admission to Harvest Festival PER CAR- Does not include food or beverage
Wine Tasting $40 per person. Fort Ross-Seaview Wine Tasting Tent. This ticket includes general admission to Harvest Festival when purchased in advance
“Pinot Noir Elevated” Wine Growers Seminar ~ Featured wineries: Flowers Vineyards & Winery, Fort Ross Vineyard, Martinelli Winery, and Wild Hog Vineyard (11:00am 12:30pm, $60 per person) at the Fort Ross Historic State Park Visitor Center, 19005 Coast Highway, Fort Ross, CA 95450 (707) 847-3437.
These renowned vintners from the Fort Ross Seaview AVA will present wines produced from grapes grown in this remote, steep, mountain top region at a Private Seminar. Come meet and talk with the winemakers while experiencing this very distinctive geography of Sonoma County. Each winery will show a current vintage alongside an older one, demonstrating the beauty, power of ageability, and consistent integrity that the magic of this American Viticultural Area creates.
Participating Wineries
- Apriori Cellars
- Blue Farm Wines
- Brick & Mortar
- Flowers Vineyards & Winery
- Fort Ross Vineyard
- Gary Farrell
- Martinelli Winery
- Raen
- Ramey Wine Cellars
- Unturned Stone Wines
- Wesmar Winery
- Wild Hog Vineyard
- Williams Selyem Winery
Schedule of the day (subject to change)
Morning in the Orchard
10:00 Apple Picking & Singing
Midday at the Windmill, Visitor Center & Beyond
10:30 Windmill Talk & Turning
11:00 Wine Growers Seminar at the Visitor Center Auditorium
11:00 Early California Ranch Era Equipment at Call Picnic Area
12:30 Windmill Talk, Turning & Song
12:30 Horse & Wagon Rides
1:10 Bell Concert
Afternoon in the Fort Compound
12:00 Juicing, Baking, Pumpkin carving, Crafts Demonstrations & Kids’ Activities
1:30 Kedry: Traditional Russian Folk Songs & Ritual
2:15 Georgia Churchill: Storytelling Time
3:00 Dolina: Authentic Russian Folk Music & Dances
3:30 Fort Ross History & Trade Presentation at the Fur Warehouse
Afternoon on the Ocean Terrace
12:00 Seasonal Food (various food vendors)
12:00 Fort Ross-Seaview AVA Wine Tasting
1:00 The Bootleg Honeys; Accordionist Roxanne Oliva
4:00 Kedry: Traditional Russian Games & Dances
5:00 Su Nu Nu Shinal: Kashia Pomo Dances
6:00 Festival Ends
Harvest Activities
In addition to the spectacular Fort Ross-Seaview Wine Tasting, the day offers a wide variety of activities suitable for all ages:
- Song, dance, and gentle apple harvesting in the historic orchard
- Horse and buggy rides
- Live Americana music from The Bootleg Honeys The Bootleg Honeys has quickly become one of the Bay Area’s favorite Americana acts. Their sweet and lively sound features impeccable three-part harmony and musicianship, as well as a hefty collection of finely crafted original material that will pull your heartstrings and get your boots stompin’. Accordionist Roxanne Oliva will also be performing on the ocean terrrace.
- Bell Ringing Victor Avdienko, Bell Ringer and Percussionist of San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, will perform the orchestral musical instrument zvonnitsa
- Interpretive talks by dedicated experts on the replica windmill and fort compound
- Working demonstration of replica Russian-style windmill
- International Food Bazaar with delicious seasonal fare for sale
- Local samples of heirloom apples, apple cider, apple baked goods, Sonoma cheese, and more
- Su Nu Nu Shinal Kashia Pomo dances
- Kedry demonstrating old world Russian cooking, song, and dance
- Historic Russian crafts and communal dances
- Pumpkin Carving
Special event bus fee for small capacity (24 person or fewer) bus: $100 for entrance to Harvest Festival only
Special event bus fee for large capacity (greater than 24 person) bus: $225 for entrance to Harvest Festival only
If you’d like to volunteer at the festival, email us at info@fortross.org. Four hours of volunteering gets you free admission to Harvest Festival.
California State Parks supports equal access. Prior to arrival, visitors with disabilities who need assistance should contact (707) 847-3437. We have one beach wheelchair available first come, first served.
Questions? Email Fort Ross Conservancy at info@fortross.org, call us at 707/847-3437. To see photos of past events or learn more, please see fortross.org.
FORT ROSS-SEAVIEW WINEGROWERS ASSOCIATION is an association of local grape growers and wineries dedicated to farming “coastal cool” grapes on the very edge of the continent. Here the vineyards are like islands in the sunshine above a sea of coastal fog that nips at their edges during the long, slow and temperate grape growing season. The maritime climate of the area is ideal for growing winegrapes of the highest caliber. The vineyards here produce pure, focused fruit with lively acidity, minerality and nuanced tannins. These exceptional grapes produce internationally acclaimed wines of balance, character, structure and finesse that tempt the palate with their elegance.
See www.fortross-seaview.org or email us at info@fortross-seaview.org.
We would like to thank our sponsors for generously funding this event.
We would like to thank Renova Fort Ross Foundation for generously funding this event.