The biggest party of the year!

Wine Country Girl | Special to The Sun

“Vintages of our Past, Flavoring the Future” is the theme for the 113th annual Valley of the Moon Vintage Festival. The events start Friday, September 24 and will last all weekend in Sonoma Plaza.

Patrons Night Gala is the party of all parties, so you don’t want to miss this. Sipping wine with friends, tasting Sonoma’s finest cuisine, and dancing under the stars,  all in the historic Sonoma Barracks beginning at 6 p.m.

Headlining the gala will be Pride & Joy, so bring your dancing shoes. This dynamic and dance band takes its name from Marvin Gaye’s hit song and celebrates the excitement of Motown bands that made such a huge musical mark in the ’60s and ’70s. With over two decades of phenomenal success, Pride & Joy has remained one of the most popular bands on the San Francisco Bay Area music scene.

Saturday’s festivities kick off at 10 a.m. with the Blessing of the Grapes ceremony in front of Mission San Francisco Solano, followed by the Bear Flag Reenactment at 11:30 a.m. in the Plaza Amphitheater. Live music will fill the air on two stages throughout the festival,  amid a range of local arts and crafts, and of course food and wine.

Don’t miss the Grape Stomp starting at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Roll up your pant legs and wear your purple feet as a badge of honor!

Sunday starts with a fresh September morning outing at 8 a.m. The Vintage 5K Run-Walk will take you through some of the most scenic areas in the downtown area. This event is open to individual runners, families, groups, and those that would just like to take a morning walk.

Vallejo’s Daughters Weddings starts at 10 a.m. as the wonderful costumed reenactment of a beautiful piece of Sonoma history plays out in front of the Mission.

The Vintage Parade follows. Now this, my friends, is a sight to see. If you are not joining in the parade, you better at least watch it. The elaborate costumes, floats and marching bands make you feel like it was 1897.

The remainder of the day follows with live music, arts and crafts, food and wine and a weekend to remember. Whiskey Thieves will headline on Sunday at the Plaza Main Stage at noon, followed by an incredible lineup up local musical artists.

There will be several social media meet-up opportunities throughout the festival and much of the weekend’s festivities will be broadcast live on KSVY radio 91.3 FM in Sonoma. You can also connect with the Vintage Festival up to the minute happenings on Facebook www.facebook.com/VintageFestival or on twitter www.twitter.com/vintagefestival .

Since 1897 the Valley of the Moon Vintage Festival has been celebrating the Sonoma Valley’s bounty, community, and local culture. California’s oldest festival, this Sonoma tradition takes place the last full weekend of September in downtown Sonoma’s historic Plaza. The Valley of the Moon Vintage Festival benefits many Sonoma Valley community projects and non-profits. This three-day event is organized and presented by a group of local volunteers, including an all-volunteer Board of Directors.

The Valley of the Moon Vintage Festival 2010 is sponsored by Trilogy Glass and Packaging.