Eyes Wild Open

You've got eyes like a hawk when it comes to spotting an owl of a good time. So mark your calendar and get up to wine country for the 4th Annual Wine Country Optics and Nature Festival on the Sonoma Plaza. It's free and it's a sight to see! When: Sunday, September 20, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Where: The historic Sonoma Barracks—a California Historical Landmark facing the lively central plaza of Sonoma and within easy walking distance to fantastic wineries, boutique shops, hotels, and restaurants. So what will you see? Owls and hawks and birds galore, bats and falcons and live music and more! Over 50 Northern California nature organizations will be celebrating wildlife, wilderness, and the great outdoors. Check out works by renowned nature artists and enjoy a traditional procession by the Pomo Indians. Meet the people behind WildAid and the Snow Leopard Conservancy, plus get the buzz on the Urban Bee Lab of UC Berkeley. Even Smokey Bear will be there! With so much fun and cool stuff going on, how can you focus?! Very easily, thanks to the ten world-class optics companies who manufacture binoculars and spotting scopes. Leading optics companies including Swarovski, Nikon, and Zeiss will be doing demos and letting you try their latest products. This special event is free … so come to wine country September 20 and see!

The Wine Country Optics and Nature Festival is Sunday, September 20, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at the historic Sonoma Barracks & La Casa Grande Plaza (20 E. Spain St.), right across from Sonoma's historic plaza and surrounded by wineries, shopping boutiques, hotels, and restaurants. Celebrate Sonoma's good nature. There is no charge to attend this event.