Nesteed towering redwoods, dense fog, and snow-dusted hills lies your next holiday getaway, and it is going to blow your fuzzy Christmas socks right off. Healdsburg, California is nothing if not the idyllic, quaint town that fills all your winter dreams. Just 70 miles north of San Francisco, Healdsburg is chock full of mouthwatering restaurants, world-class wines, charming and unique boutiques and shops, pristine hiking trails leading to magnificent views, and kind humans ready to help you have an unforgettable experience in Wine Country. The holiday to-do list in Healdsburg goes on and on, so we’ve rounded up some of the very best events and experiences to make your December in Healdsburg the perfect holiday visit.

First and foremost, Wine Country Walking Tours is excited to offer their 8th annual “Holidays in Healdsburg” Tours! Only running from November 29 thru December 31, these wine & food pairing walking tours are the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit, and for the spirit to get into your tummy! We focus on the flavors of the season-pumpkin, ginger, peppermint, spices-and pair those with some absolutely enchanting wines and other beverages. Get ready to experience incredible spiced wines from Spicy Vines, calming peppermint teas from the Russian River Tea Company holiday inspired snacks and treats, and so much more. Join us for either the day tours from 11 am to 3 pm or our evening tours from 5 pm to 7 pm. Head to Wine Country Walking Tours to book you exquisite “Holidays in Healdsburg ” Tour  today! 

Next up: Hotel Healdsburg! This charming downtown hotel has so much to offer this holiday season. For the whole family, Hotel Healdsburg is having a delightful Holiday Tea every Saturday and Sunday throughout December. Enjoy petit treats and live music with exclusive teas or with specialty cocktails while watching the holiday shoppers meander through the illuminated Healdsburg plaza. Later in the evening, come on back to the Fireplace Lounge at Hotel Healdsburg and enjoy their Winter Music Series every Saturday through the end of the month. This series highlights some of the best jazz artists throughout the region and you won’t want to miss it!

It has been said before and will surely be said again that walking around the Healdsburg plaza during Christmastime is like stepping into Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (without any ghosts of Christmas, however). The carolers gathered in the square underneath the lights of the towering Christmas tree, the horse drawn carriages carting families to and fro, the glimmering street lamps all add up to an overwhelming feeling of holiday joy and excitement. So, what better way to embody the Dickens feeling than attending a traditional Dickens Dinner at Madrona Manor! From December 7 through December 25, you can enjoy a 5 course meal prepared by a Michelin star chef while listening to the Twelfth Night Singers adorned in 19th century garb happily caroling throughout the dinner. No bah humbug here.

And of course, it wouldn’t be the holiday season if we didn’t see some Nutcrackers somewhere, right? Never fear. Healdsburg provides. Costeaux French Bakery, a Healdsburg staple that’s been around for nearly a century, celebrates the holidays by putting up an impressive collection of Nutcrackers from near and far. The collection has grown to over 500 Nutcrackers, who line the walls and stand watch over the delicious bread and pastries that Costeaux is famous for. As one of the main stops on our Holidays in Healdsburg tours, you can see and hear about the history of the Nutcracker collection for yourself while nibbling delightful treats.

The restaurants and wineries offering festive holiday events are countless, and we hope you can get to as many of them as possible during your visit to Healdsburg. But we simply have to mention all of your shopping opportunities for the holiday season. Our tours around the Healdsburg Plaza will definitely give you an idea of how many gift-buying opportunities you have here! The Healdsburg Plaza is an excellent place to find unique, hand-crafted, and personal holiday gifts for all your favorite people in life.

For your foodies, head to Oakville Grocery (another one of our favorite tour stops) where you can find all sorts of gourmet cheeses, meats, jams, sauces, breads and so much more. For those relatives who always have their nose in a book, Levin and Co. and Copperfield’s Books have you covered, both offering a wide range of books, gifts, music, and art.

For those brave souls who brave the holiday cooking and baking, Plaza Gourmet is the ideal spot to get all the gadgets and gizmos that will make the meal prep easy and fun for all involved. For the turkey trotters and resolution runners, Healdsburg Running Company has all your running and workout necessities, as well as an incredibly helpful and friendly staff. And for all those looking for an extra special something this holiday season for their loved ones, Healdsburg has multiple jewelry stores such as Noble Designs and Mario’s Jewelry. And we can’t forget about all the clothing stores that Healdsburg has to offer. From trendy and hip men’s clothing at ereloom to one-of-a-kind women’s fashion at Yasuko, you can find anything and everything you need around the Healdsburg plaza.

So, head on over to the Downtown Bakery for a sticky bun or doughnut muffin and a cup of coffee and stroll along the plaza, delight in the unique shops, art galleries, and tasting rooms, turn strangers into friends, and make lasting memories in this beautiful wine country town. Healdsburg awaits!

For more information on holiday events in Healdsburg, check out the Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce. For more information on holiday events and happening in Sonoma County, check out Sonoma County Holiday Events and Sonoma Mag.