Things to Do in Santa Rosa

Harnessing a background in both art and education, The Pottery Studio's owner aims to create a community gathering space where kids and adults can channel their individual creative urges into decorative or functional pottery, tiles, and mosaics. Amateur artists can grab provided brushes, dip them in eco-friendly and water-soluble paints, and then coat clay in any of more than 60 hues. Idea books are on hand to help aid in the design as one maneuvers stencils and sponges across mugs and plates, or kids and pets can learn to create a lasting impression without super-gluing themselves to the garage door by making clay hand- or footprints. Once ready, the professional staff dips each earthenware masterpiece into a clear glaze, fires it inside a kiln, and readies it to be picked up within one week. The pro potters also encourage each visiting artisan to bring coffee and snacks, and during evening hours, bottles of wine can tag along to refill adults' juice boxes.

Though many outsiders know Sonoma County for its fine wines, the savvy drinkers at North Bay Brewery Tours spread the word about the region’s other specialty: craft beer. A relatively simple outfit, the company only needs knowledgeable drivers and tour guides, a fleet of buses running on eco-friendly compressed natural gas, and enough effort to organize group tours, party buses, and pub crawls. Brewery-hopping tours, their top services, head to three craft breweries each trip. One on-the-bus tour segment demonstrates from start-to-finish how beer is made.

Beer samples will be available for purchase at participating breweries, and complimentary ice-cold water or beer on the bus keeps tour takers thirsts' slaked between stops. Examiner.com recommended the tour as an excellent way to taste a variety of brews while enjoying the safety of a designated driver.

For nearly four decades, the Parks and Good families have tilled the fields and nurtured the trees of Victorian Tree Ranch, brightening up holidays with Douglas firs, Silvertips, and cedar garlands. Family members labor alongside each other as they work to make the tree ranch more sustainable, letting laying hens coop among the trees to fertilize the plants. Visitors dive head-first into holiday spirit as they peruse the rows of conifers, sip complimentary apple cider, munch on homemade pumpkin bread, and enjoy the company of snowmen. Customers can also take refuge form the cold in the warming hut.

Along with her husband, Antonio, Irene Silva strives to inspire a passion for salsa music and dancing in students of all ages and skill levels. Designated Sultry Salsa Nights commence with pre-dancing cocktails before Irene and fellow instructor, Jesús, acquaint beginners with basic footwork while letting more advanced dancers in on the secret to great salsa: filling dance shoes with tomatoes. Irene also coaches other styles of Latin dance, including mambo, salchata, and the Dominican Republic–based bachata. Following some of the formal lessons, a DJ declares free reign over the dance floor with a swift flick of a record-scratching wrist, inviting students to let go of their inhibitions and practice their newly forged moves.

The independently owned Roxy Stadium 11 regales patrons with the flickering pictures and digital sounds of the latest blockbusters and the sizable snack bar. A colorful lobby greets guests as they meander past towering pillars that stretch toward an arched ceiling swathed in neon lights and bold swaths of royal blue. Aisles of cushioned auditorium seats allow moviegoers to choose the spot closest to the screen or furthest from the person sobbing emphatically during coming attractions. High-tech projectors digitally unspool films in each theater, with RealD 3-D technology transmitting some flicks in three vibrant dimensions. To silence distracting mid-movie hunger pangs, staffers in the concessions area whip up fresh batches of Orville Redenbacher popcorn and Nathan's hot dogs alongside other traditional theater fare.