‘Taste of the Mountains Wine Walk’
Stroll down Santa Cruz Avenue in downtown Menlo Park with a glass of wine in hand this weekend at the first-ever “Taste of the Mountains Wine Walk” this Saturday, Dec. 5, 2-5 p.m. There are 13 participating wineries, including Thomas Fogarty Winery, Portola Vineyard, Kings Mountain Vineyards and Russian Ridge Winery. The Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association and Greenheart Land Company teamed up to put the event together, and all proceeds will benefit the Menlo Park Atherton Education Foundation. Downtown shops and restaurants will be, as usual, open to the general public of all ages during the wine walk but only those under 21 may attend the tasting areas. For more information and to purchase a ticket ($45), go to scmwa.com.
Facebook farmers market
Head to Facebook’s Menlo Park campus at 1 Hacker Way for the company’s last two farmers markets of 2015 on Sunday, Dec. 6, and Sunday, Dec. 13, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Dec. 6 market will also have live music from the Hillview Middle School jazz band; the Dec. 13 market will go all out with a holiday boutique, live music, food trucks, snow zone and more. Facebook launched the new market in October in conjunction with West Coast Farmers' Markets and the Menlo Park Chamber of Commerce. The weekly market runs year-round on Sundays. For more information, go to Facebook.com.
Gingerbread house workshop at The Village Pub
Grab your kids and introduce them at a young age to the Michelin-starred Village Pub in Woodside through a gingerbread house-making workshop on Saturday, Dec. 12, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Like the restaurant itself, this class isn’t cheap — $85 per ticket — but it includes instruction, a gingerbread house, snack and “special gift. For more information and to buy tickets, go to thevillagepub.net.
Winter Chestnut Fest at Shoreline Lake
What says the holidays more than chestnuts roasting on an open fire? Head to Shoreline Lake in Mountain View in December Dec. 12-20 to do more than just sing the favorite Christmas song, but actually roast chestnuts. Barring inclement weather, you can pick up your own paper cone of chestnuts for $5 and go to town on the following dates and times: Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 12-13, 1-3 p.m.; Thursday and Friday, Dec. 17-18, 12:30-1:30 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 19-20, 1-3 p.m. For more information, go to shorelinelake.com.
Silicon Valley Italian Festival
Mark your 2016 calendars now for the Silicon Valley Italian Festival, to be hosted at the Oshman Family JCC in Palo Alto on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2016, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.. There will be handmade pasta made by the chef from Donato Enoteca in Redwood City, pizza from Passione Pizza in Berkeley, gelato from Alare Gelato Italiano (also in Berkeley) and authentic Italian espresso from Mr. Espresso, an Oakland-based wood-roasted coffee company founded by an Italian immigrant, not to mention a range of cooking classes for both adults and children. There will also be speakers, a photography exhibit and movies. For more information and to buy tickets, go to siliconvalleyitalianfestival.com.
