Welcome to Healdsburg
An unexpected culinary surprise in California’s wine country
Within the heart of Sonoma’s wine country lies Healdsburg, a mid-sized town on the shores of the Russian River. Shady trees line the streets, mountain views are appreciated from almost everywhere in town, and homes are positioned on oversized lots, allowing for maximum elbow room. While this community may be smaller than others, locals enjoy an exquisite food scene, Healdsburg Plaza hosts buzzy events and festivals, and dozens of vineyards are a stone’s throw from residential enclaves.
Villages were established along the Russian River in the mid-19th century, with the city officially being incorporated in 1867. This farming community is fraught with history, with several spots in town having been labeled as historically significant by the city and the National Register of Historic Places. Today, Healdsburg is home to eclectic boutiques, an incredible lineup of delicious restaurants, and art galleries, making it one of its most well-balanced towns.
What to Love
- Meeting point for three of Northern California’s top wine regions
- Great concentration of wine bars, vineyards, restaurants, and culture
- Consistently named one of the top places to live in the United States
Local Lifestyle
Healdsburg residents enjoy a well-balanced life boasting the best of both worlds. A charming town complete with a lush, green, town square is also home to an incredible cultural scene, attracting foodies, art aficionados, and winos from all over. Hailed by Vogue as California’s next great culinary destination, Healdsburg is home to Michelin-starred restaurants and honorees. Despite these glamorous and prestigious eateries lining the streets of this quaint community, a slower pace of life is appreciated in Healdsburg and residents have no problem enjoying every facet of this lifestyle.
Dining, Entertainment, and Shopping
One of Northern California’s buzziest social scenes covers a wide variety of cuisine, several entertainment venues, and a great number of local businesses sprinkled across the center of town. Lively streets surrounding Healdsburg Plaza are protected beneath towering green trees, serving as the perfect backdrop to create memories for generations to come.
A warm dining room is found at Willi’s Seafood & Raw Bar. Willi’s features a long wine list and flavorful tapas menu of ceviche, pork belly rolls, and fresh calamari. Their lobster rolls are also particularly popular with Healdsburg locals, marinated in fresh garlic butter and sprinkled with locally grown fennel.
Old-world delights from Campo Fino are reminiscent of casual meals enjoyed with the family in Italy. Patrons can dine on their romantic patio or in the red brick-clad dining room while feasting upon pork belly pizza, honey roasted carrots, tomato braised chicken, and decadent buttermilk panna cotta for dessert.
One of the most storied wineries in the region is the Francis Ford Coppola Winery, owned by the legendary director of “The Godfather” and winner of countless, prestigious awards. Their award-winning wines come in a wide variety and can all be enjoyed in their tasting room seven days a week.
Healdsburg is home to a number of specialized local shops, like Healdsburg Running Company. HRC carries the latest footwear, apparel, and snacks needed to fuel your next trek, and also puts on a number of the area’s best running events. Weekly running groups are small happenings, many of which end at one of the community’s several great wine or beer tasting rooms.
Things To Do
While Healdsburg has recently become home to some of wine country’s finest dining establishments, the community boasts plenty of other non-wine festivities. For one week during the summer, the Healdsburg Jazz Festival aims to educate Northern California about jazz culture and its origins, while putting on plenty of delightful shows for the public to enjoy. The last festival consisted of over 120 performances, with over 75% of them being free to the public. Throughout the summer, locals enjoy live music performances from some of the area's most talented artists at Sundays in the Plaza. Locals are encouraged to bring a lawn chair and a picnic while they soak in this relaxing experience. The Healdsburg Plaza Fourth of July Kids Celebration attracts thousands of families and children each year. In addition to the parade, children enjoy face painting, a duck race, and lawn games. The Future Farmers Country Fair features another fun parade, acting as the kick-off to the large regional FFA and 4-H stock show.
Schools
Healdsburg children attend exceptional schools. Some great campuses are found at:
- St. John the Baptist Catholic School, transitional kindergarten-8th grade; recent additions to campus technology include the purchase of Google Chromebooks for all students
- The Healdsburg School, kindergarten-8th grade; this prestigious private school has an unparalleled 8:1 student-teacher ratio
- Healdsburg High School, grades 9-12; with the majority of students participating in advanced placement courses, HHS has been named as one of Niche.com’s standout campuses
