BELOVED SUMMER TRADITIONS... encompass so many different pursuits, from sipping a glass of tart lemonade on the porch to running through the sprinklers to camping out under the stars, either in a forest or steps from the porch where you just sipped lemonade. But many of us share one heart-gladdening go-to, an occasion that falls in early July, a get-together that involves pyrotechnics, small-town-y charms, and the chance to kick back on a blanket with some pals while the sun sets and you anticipate the show. We speak of fireworks, specifically those that take place outside of the city, where wider skies and slower, sweeter holidays tend to hold happy sway. Sonoma has long served as such a spot for residents around the Bay Area and greater Northern California, and not just because of its ample dining opportunities and walkable nexus. The annual Sonoma Fireworks Show is a four-decades-plus favorite, drawing both devoted locals and people jumping the metropolis for a festive Fourth sans some of the trafficky headaches. But the show, which is hosted by the Sonoma Volunteers Firefighters Association and not the city, is facing a financial shortfall, one that could jeopardize it returning for Independence Day 2016.
THERE IS A WAY TO HELP, however. The volunteer firefighters have set up a GoFundMe page to make up the difference in what's needed to keep the fireworks looking bright this July. It's an evening that's fully dependent on donations, and the association needs to find about $30,000 more to stage a "Safe and Sane" holiday in Sonoma. Is your donation tax deductible? Totally, so get the info for your files after you donate. Is lending support, both of the financial and civic-niceness variety, to the firefighters' annual treat a really good thing to do? Absolutely, full stop. Has Sonoma long been a must-visit on your family's Fourth of July road trip, or have you been hoping to make it one? Here's how to help insure that a centerpiece tradition keeps on bursting, like a thousand little twinkly glowpoints in the night sky. To assist this awesome slice of Americana, and a winsome wine country favorite, spread your proverbial picnic blanket right here.
