Celebrating the Spirit of Pride in Sonoma County

Sonoma County has long been a popular, welcoming destination for LGBTQ+ travelers from the Bay Area and beyond. While any time is a good time to visit, summer is extra special, with the celebration of Pride Month in June. Visitors are invited to attend a host of events, from exciting annual parades to weekend-long dance and pool parties, wine celebrations and a lazy float down the Russian River. Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa’s highly anticipated drag brunches are not to be missed, and many wineries toast the season with special celebrations. Patronize LGBTQ+ owned businesses, and celebrate the spirit of LGBTQ+ pride in Sonoma County.

Below are just a few ways to join the fun.

Pride Events

To kick off the first day of Pride Month, an extra flag is raised over Sonoma City Hall to honor the Valley’s LGBTQ+ community. The public is invited to take part in the Sonoma Valley Pride Flag Raising Ceremony. There is also a procession around the square.

Santa Rosa’s annual Sonoma County Pride Celebration is three days worth of events and activities, starting with a parade in Old Courthouse Square. Music and performances are held throughout the month.

The annual Love Wins in Windsor Pride Festival celebrates identity, inclusivity, community and love at Windsor Town Green. Activities include a music festival, kid zone and street fair.

Gay Wine Weekend 

Held in the Russian River Valley and Healdsburg wine region in July, Gay Wine Weekend spans over three incredible fun days and consists of winery tours, winemaker dinners, a twilight t-dance, and a closing pool-party soiree. Proceeds benefit Face2Face, ending HIV in Sonoma County.

Lazy Bear Week

Held in Guerneville during the last week of July/first week of August, Lazy Bear Week is a fundraising event featuring the biggest, hairiest, beefiest, burliest, craziest, laziest guys around, marking the largest and most successful “bear” gathering in the world. Enjoy dance parties, campfires, live music, and lazy floats down the Russian River. All events are ages 21 and older. All of the profits for the event go to charity. The organization has raised more than $2.2 million for worthy causes.

Russian River Pride

Closing out the summer, Guerneville’s Russian River Pride celebration held in September explodes with color, music and unity in a community with long-standing roots in the LGBTQ+ community going back to the 1970s. For more, watch this short video highlighting the event’s history and importance in Sonoma County.

For more details and a full calendar of events, visit https://www.sonomacounty.com/experiences/lgbtq/

Pride-Friendly Wineries

Equality Vines

Founded by Matt Grove and Jim Obergefell in downtown Guerneville, Equality Vines partners with organizations dedicated to equality by making per-bottle cash donations directly to organizations. If the name sounds familiar, that’s because Jim Obergefell became the lead plaintiff in the landmark Supreme Court case that legalized same-sex marriage across the United States in 2015. With labels like The Decision Pinot Noir and 2019 Rose the Riveter, Equality Vines presents premium wines to benefit equality for all.

Gary Farrell Winery

Gary Farrell’s winemaker for more than a decade, Theresa Heredia, is openly gay, and committed to creating Russian River Valley Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that expresses balance, elegance, texture, and a sense of place. The winery benefits from long-term relationships with many of the Russian River Valley’s most celebrated and sought-after vineyards, including Rochioli, Allen, and Hallberg. Perched atop a ridge along winding Westside Road, the winery offers a spectacular view of the sweeping valley below.

Mercury Wine

Brad Beard is the openly gay founder and winemaker of Mercury Wine in Geyserville. Mercury, which Beard founded in 2009, focuses on Bordeaux grape varieties grown in the Alexander Valley, as well as esoteric white wines and Rioja- and Rhone-style blends. Book in advance for an outdoor tasting on Mercury’s flower-filled back patio.

Other LGBTQ+ Businesses in Sonoma County

Crushers of Comedy

Founders and married couple Lisa and Carlee Pidge produce stand-up comedy events at wineries across Sonoma County. 

Brew Coffee and Beer House

This LGBTQ+-friendly establishment just west of downtown Santa Rosa serves locally-sourced coffee, beer and baked goods. Brew also offers a menu of rotating food items prepared in-house, including a few creative takes on the ever-popular avocado toast. The homey dining room doubles as an art gallery, displaying works by local artists, and as an event space for open mic nights and music performances. 

Noble Folk Ice Cream & Pie Bar

Life partners and entrepreneurs Ozzy Jimenez and Christian Sullberg own two outposts of their Noble Folk Ice Cream and Pie Bar — one in downtown Santa Rosa, and one in Healdsburg, where Jimenez serves as vice mayor. The Noble Folk storefronts proudly fly the rainbow flag and the transgender pride flag, and display Black Lives Matter posters to signal that these businesses celebrate diversity and inclusion.

Out in the Vineyard

Owned and operated by the local gay community, Out in The Vineyard is an experiential Wine Country tour and event company offering exclusive itineraries (including winery tours and dining experiences) to discriminating gay and lesbian travelers. Out in the Vineyard events — which include the Sonoma Pink Party and Gay Wine Weekend — gather the LGBTQ+ community to socialize and raise funds for many worthy LGBTQ+ causes. 

Rainbow Cattle Company

Set on Main Street in Guerneville, Rainbow Cattle Company opened its doors in 1979 as “everyone’s good time saloon.” Known as “Sonoma County’s Gay Playground,” Rainbow Cattle Company serves festive cocktails, good times, and new memories. 

LGBTQ+-Friendly Lodgings 

In a strong display of allyship with the LGBTQ+ community, the sleek Flamingo Resort has partnered with Sonoma County Pride in 2022.

LGBTQ+-friendly lodgings that partnered with Pride in 2021 include three Santa Rosa properties: The urban/quirky Astro Motel, the Beaux-Arts Hotel E on Downtown’s Courthouse Square, and the elegant Vintners Resort, which features a restaurant, spa, and two pools set among 92 acres of vineyards. 

To explore more lodging options for your Pride-ful summer in Sonoma County, be sure to see Sonoma County’s Most Gay-Friendly Accommodations.  

Happy Pride from — and in — Sonoma County!

For more details on these and other Pride celebrations in Sonoma County, click here. For a full list of upcoming events, click here.