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Good morning, Santa Rosa! In today’s edition: Letters as art exhibition, Aki Kumar’s Bollywood Blues, a $100 million public works push, and more. Let’s get to it!
— Cait Baker
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📰 In the news
From hieroglyphs to Cubism: A new exhibition at the Santa Rosa Arts Center explores the power of words, treating letters as shapes, with work by Sherrie Lovler and Ellen Skagerberg — get all the exhibit details.
From coder to frontman: Mumbai-born musician Aki Kumar brings his Bollywood Blues to The California in Santa Rosa today at Donny Mederos’ Monday Night Pro Jam, and returns March 14 for his birthday bash — read the full story.
Major public works push: Santa Rosa has $100 million in road, park, and utility projects underway, with 17 contracts awarded in 2025 and up to 20 bids expected through the first quarter of 2026 — see what’s planned and why.
Compare rates for free: The national average for car insurance is around $175 per month. Paying more than that? Same, so I did some shopping around and ended up cutting my premium in half. If you haven’t checked in a while, you’re probably overpaying too — here’s the comparison tool I used.
Protect your nest egg: Savvy investors are turning to gold amidst today’s inflation, national debt, and market uncertainty for a reason. It holds its value when everything else feels shaky. Case in point: it’s up ~62% since this month last year. If you’re curious about adding it and other precious metals to your portfolio, American Hartford has a super helpful guide that covers everything you need to know. It’s free, and definitely worth a read — check it out here.
*We do our best to avoid paywalled articles. If any slip through, let me know which ones and I’ll permanently remove them from our source list!
Highlights this week:
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🫶 We got your back
Balancing harvest and safety: Sonoma Coast’s commercial Dungeness crab season opens today with limits on traps to protect migrating humpback whales. Waters north of Sonoma County to the Oregon border remain delayed due to domoic acid detected in testing. The fishery is closely managed and rated by Seafood Watch. Get details on restrictions and delays.
More courts, more rallies: Need a low-fuss drop-in? Finley Community Park offers dedicated courts and overflow lined courts, so finding a game is easy most days. Expect a friendly crew, quick rallies, and stress-free cardio that fits between errands without much waiting.
Rainy day sanity saver: When cabin fever hits, The Children’s Museum of Sonoma County delivers hands-on fun with Imagination Playground builds, air tube contraptions, a sea grotto with a ball pit, and a real art studio. Kids burn energy, spark curiosity, and leave grinning.
Thinning hair? Same: I’ve been shedding a lot, and recently noticed my ponytail feeling thinner. After way too much panic-Googling, I discovered Keranique’s hair regrowth system. Everything with them is surprisingly easy: no quizzes, no pills, no choosing between dozens of products. Just grab the kit and follow the instructions. The best part? It’s $75 off right now, you’ll get three free gifts, AND you’ll get your money back if you don’t love the results.
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📆 Around town this week
All events are subject to change without notice. Always check official event pages for the most up to date information.
🧘 Vortex Group Healing/Meditation @ Downtown Santa Rosa | Monday (1/5) at 7:00 PM – Feel like your nervous system is buffering? This blend of meditation and Vortex energy work for gay, bi, and trans men offers a calm reset, a tune up led by a practitioner, and real community. No crystals required, just breathe, relax, and leave lighter.
📚 Holiday Book Sale: Dec. 5-7 @ Central Santa Rosa Library | Tuesday (1/6) at 12:00 PM – Clear a spot on the bookshelf and hit the Friends of the Santa Rosa Libraries holiday sale. Thousands of gently used books, DVDs, CDs, puzzles, and games, all priced for guilt-free browsing. Support the stacks, snag stocking stuffers, and outsmart the algorithm.
💉 20th Annual Bucket Brigade Blood Drive Challenge @ Healdsburg Fire Station #1 | Wednesday (1/7) at 1:00 PM – Think you’ve still got that hometown grit? The 20th Annual Bucket Brigade is back at Healdsburg Fire Station No. 1, and they need sleeves rolled, veins cooperative, and bragging rights secured. Donate a pint, outdo the neighbors, then treat yourself on the Plaza afterward.
🏛 Children’s Museum of Sonoma County @ Children’s Museum of Sonoma County | Thursday (1/8) at 10:30 AM – Whether you call it strategic parenting or basic survival, 10:30 at the children’s museum is prime time for hands-on chaos. Kids tinker, splash, and burn energy, while you sip coffee, swap nods with Santa Rosa parents, and call it quality time.
🍷 Wine Country Bingo @ Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Building | Thursday (1/8) at 5:00 PM – Take a break from wine talk and play some legit bingo in the Lodge Room at the Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Building. Second Thursdays mean games, community, and just enough excitement to shout BINGO without sloshing your Pinot. Bring a dauber, not tasting notes.
♻ Free E-waste Recycling Event @ Luther Burbank Center for the Arts | Friday (1/9) at 9:00 AM – Clear out the garage gremlins, Sonoma County, the Luther Burbank Center lot in Santa Rosa is hosting free e-waste drop-off for residents and businesses. Retire that beige printer, the floppy-era tower, and the cords breeding in the junk drawer, responsibly, and without a guilt trip.
🎤 Friday Night Comedy @ Barrel Proof Lounge | Friday (1/9) at 8:00 PM – Friday night in downtown Santa Rosa means laughs with Nina G, and VIP tables are a thing. Grab a table for four with preferred seating, a call button for service, and your first round or a bottle of wine for 95 bucks. Date night upgraded.
Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →
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📻 Santa Rosa report
Weather forecast
Today – High: 50°F – Low: 44°F – Precip: 91%
Rain showers. Cloudy, with a high near 50. Southeast wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible. Later: Rain showers likely before 1am, then a chance of rain showers and patchy fog between 1am and 4am, then patchy fog and a slight chance of rain showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 44. East wind 2 to 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
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Tomorrow – High: 55°F – Low: 41°F – Precip: 19%
Patchy fog and a slight chance of rain showers before 10am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 55. East northeast wind around 2 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Later: Patchy fog between 7pm and 10pm, then areas of fog and a slight chance of rain showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
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Set among rolling hills and majestic oaks, this residence pairs modern comfort with crafted details. Soaring ceilings showcase wood and iron accents. The living room features a gas fireplace and custom built-ins. A kitchen with stainless appliances, a large island, and a butler’s pantry handles everyday and entertaining. The primary suite adds a private office and fireplace. Five additional bedrooms each include an ensuite bath and large closets.
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Take a peek inside →
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