Wine Tasting

LOS GATOS, CA — A tasting room in downtown Los Gatos is closing at the end of this week.

The Left Bend Tasting Room on Santa Cruz Avenue has served Silicon Valley since 2010. But its co-owners have decided to relocate, according to the Mercury News. Wine club members will have access to tastings at the Redwood Grade Vineyard in Watsonville, a vineyard that co-owner Richard Hanke also runs.

Named for the slight leftward bend in the San Andreas Fault that helped form the Santa Cruz Mountains, Left Bend is conducting tastings on a drop-in basis this week, according to a post on its website.

The tasting room is also offering a sale on its wines for the rest of the week. Deals include a 20 percent discount on a purchase of 12 bottles or 30 percent off on 24 bottles or more.

Click here for more information on the tasting room’s closure and here to read the Mercury News’ report.

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A reported theft of alcoholic beverages from the south Napa Target store led to the arrest of a Napa resident early Saturday evening, according to police.

Officers were called to the store at 205 Soscol Ave. shortly before 5:54 p.m. after a report that a man had stolen about $350 worth of alcohol that day and the day before, according to Sgt. Omar Salem. Police arriving at Target detained 31-year-old Francisco Javier Magadeleno Octaviano, who threatened to harm officers as he was being detained, Salem said.

Octaviano was booked into the Napa County jail on a felony allegation of resisting arrest, as well as misdemeanor counts of shoplifting and public intoxication.

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Burning, burning, disco-inferno-ing questions. . .

• If Oakland can snag that $352 million in state and federal infrastructure-improvement funds, is the best way to spend that money helping a rich guy build rich-people housing plus a ballpark where the tickets will be too expensive for many of the loyal A’s fans who haven’t yet been driven away by the rich owner’s ownership style?

• Has anyone asked the good people of Oakland if that’s how they want the city to spend this infrastructure gift certificate from the government?

• When are Giants’ fans who believe in cornball stuff like truth and democracy going to let the Giants know how they feel about the majority team owner who breaks his promises, as reported by SFGATE, to stop supporting politicians who support right-wing extremism and the Big Lie?

• Do you know that if you buy a Giants’ ticket, some of your money, funneled through the wallet of Charles Johnson, will directly support the re-election of several U.S. representatives who voted not to ratify the 2020 election? Enjoy the garlic fries!

• Is there a list of the Top 10 Most Likable Pro Sports Team Owners? Yes there is, and here is that list: 1. Marshawn Lynch.

• If major development projects, like the Giants are doing near their ballpark and the A’s hope to do at Howard Terminal, must include affordable housing, why aren’t ballparks that are built with the aid of public funds required to include a certain percentage of affordable seating?

• If those cardboard beds in the athletes’ Olympic Village in Tokyo are designed to discourage athletes from having sex, as some speculated, is this something you might overhear at the Olympic Village? “Doggone, that bed looks way too flimsy. Let’s just play Boggle instead.”

• Do you think Olympic athletes who are adventuresome enough to come to Tokyo without being vaccinated are going to be scared off by cardboard beds?

• In the athletes’ Olympic Village, are some of the athletes winning cardboard medals?

• The players on the Norwegian women’s beach handball team were fined for refusing to wear bikinis, which raises the question: Is every Olympic sport now played on sand? Aren’t the cyclists’ times going to be really slow?

• Isn’t it silly that someone thinks we viewers need some cheesy lure to get us to watch beach handball?

• Is there an Olympic sport for writers covering the games? Yes! It’s called “closing the bar,” and nobody ever wins because the media bars never close, although in the Tokyo media village, no bars!

• Is it true that the first Olympics basketball competition, in Berlin in 1936, was played on a court made of clay? Yes! And the U.S. won the gold-medal game 19-8. And no, wise guy, I did not cover that game. I was too hung over.

• Didn’t the modern Olympics begin in 1896? If the goal of the Olympics is to unify the world in peace and brotherhood, when does that start kicking in?

• Isn’t it funny that every time an aspiring Olympian gets injured, or a Games is postponed, the narrative is, “What a shame, he/she worked a lifetime for this opportunity”? Because America sent about 100 athletes to Tokyo who were willing to wreck their Olympic dream and that of U.S. teammates by non-vaxxing.

• And while we’re allowing those 100 or so Olympians their personal freedom to infect the rest of us, Sha’Carri Richardson is sitting on a couch somewhere, watching her Olympics?

• Shouldn’t the NFL’s new directive about teams forfeiting if a COVID outbreak limits their roster include this clause: If the outbreak can be traced to a specific non-vaccinated player, that player shall be docked his salary for the entire season?

• We’re not here to criticize the Cleveland baseball team ownership for re-naming its team the Guardians, but don’t those folks know there is a two-syllable limit for sports names? Isn’t that why the 49ers became the Niners and the Warriors became the Dubs? Don’t those Cleveland people realize that fans will come up with a two-syllable nickname to use instead of Guardians, and it probably will be Mall Cops?

• With baseball experimenting with electronic catcher’s signs to pitchers, isn’t it only a matter of time before a catcher dials up a fastball on his wrist device and hears in his earpiece, “We are experiencing a higher-than-normal call volume, but your sign is very important to us …”?

• I enjoy Chronicle wine critic Esther Mobley’s reports on our region’s top wine-tasting experiences, but have you ever been to a bad winery?

Scott Ostler is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. Email: sostler@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @scottostler

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COVID-19 is upending live events in San Diego County again.

Meals on Wheels and the San Diego County Taxpayers Association canceled upcoming fundraisers this week, citing the recent surge in coronavirus infections and the uncertainty among members of the public about gathering in large numbers.

“Better safe than sorry,” said Haney Hong, president and CEO of the non-profit taxpayers group, which had been planning to host its first-ever “Taxpayer Olympics” on July 29 at Liberty Station. “We didn’t want this to be a thing where COVID gets spread.”

Brent Wakefield, president and CEO of Meals on Wheels San Diego County, also cited an “excess of caution” as a driving force behind the decision to call off his organization’s “Reels on Wheels” gala planned for Aug. 14 at a hotel on Harbor Island.

“We’ve been that way since the pandemic started,” he said. “We had to ask ourselves, ‘Is holding this event a responsible thing for us to do?’ And ultimately the answer was no.”

It’s too soon to tell whether the cancellations are aberrations amid what has been a much-celebrated reopening of public life in San Diego, or the leading edge of a new wave of retrenchments.

Every event is different, and there can be any number of reasons why one gets scuttled. Maybe ticket sales are slow because the public isn’t excited about the activities offered, or turned off by the price of attending. Maybe the date selected turns out to conflict with too many other things going on.

But the leaders at Meals on Wheels and the Taxpayers Association said they also sensed an undercurrent of unease among potential attendees because of the surge in COVID cases.

“It just boils down to a lot of uncertainty about how people are feeling about the Delta variant,” the highly contagious strain of COVID responsible for the spike, Hong said. “We were even hearing from folks who are already vaccinated that they are worried about getting infected, too.”

The Taxpayer Olympics were planned as “a light-hearted, friendly way to get people from across the community together,” Hong said. It was to feature games of golf and cornhole, wine tasting, and political trivia at The Loma Club. Tickets were $400 for individuals and $3,500 for teams.

Hong said “a good number” of 10-person teams had signed up, and playful taunting — “My team is going to crush yours” — had begun. “But in the end, with so much uncertainty, it just didn’t seem worth it” to hold the event, he said.

At Meals on Wheels, planning for the Aug. 14 gala began in February. The non-profit typically holds its biggest fundraiser in the summer, indoors, and after last year’s event was forced into the virtual realm by the pandemic, organizers were looking forward to gathering again in person, while recognizing that some social distancing might still be necessary.

They settled on a drive-in movie theme featuring “Grease” and scheduled it for the parking lot at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina. General admission tickets were $250 each. Organizers were hoping for about 250 attendees.

Wakefield said interest in a fundraiser like this typically increases about a month out from the date of the event. This year, he said, “there was no frenzy.” They reached 100 tickets sold and stalled.

Sponsors were pulling back, saying they weren’t sure it would be safe, Wakefield said. Potential ticket-buyers told them the same thing. So they decided to cancel.

The gala was intended in part as a celebration. Requests for Meals on Wheels rose 47 percent during the pandemic, Wakefield said, and the group was able to meet that demand thanks to the help of donors and volunteers.

“We wanted to gather to say, ‘We did it,’ ” Wakefield said. “But we don’t want to put people at risk just to pat ourselves on the back.”

Both groups said they hope to hold the events next year.

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McHENRY — Volunteers are needed for the annual Deep Creek Lake Art & Wine Festival scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Sept. 10-11, at the Garrett County Fairgrounds in McHenry.

This year, the committee added Friday night premium wine tasting to the weekend.

This is the largest fundraiser of the year for HART for Animals and Garrett Lakes Arts Festivals and provides participants the chance to taste new wines and see unusual wares of juried artists.

Volunteers will be needed for set up, Friday night and Saturday wine pouring, security, silent auction, tear-down, and staffing the front gate, wine store, and information areas.

Volunteers will receive free non-tasting admission and a festival T-shirt, or have the option to purchase a tasting ticket at a discounted price. For more information and to sign-up, go to deepcreekwinefest.com and click on “volunteer” at the bottom of the home page. It is requested that volunteers sign up by Aug. 5.

Advance tickets to the event may also be purchased on the website.

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Local nonprofit Visit Morgan Hill got off to a rough start in carrying out its mission to promote the city as a tourist destination, but now that travel demands and capacities are starting to return to consistent levels the organization’s marketing campaign is in full swing.

Visit Morgan Hill was formed in late 2019, and helped the City of Morgan Hill and local organizations pay for events like the Amgen Tour of California and a Tourism Symposium at Cordevalle Resort in San Martin.

When the Covid-19 pandemic started, restrictions on travel and events (and even leisure activities like wine tasting) brought a halt to tourism, making Visit Morgan Hill’s work quite a bit more difficult.

Visit Morgan Hill Executive Director Krista Rupp had been leading the nonprofit for only a few weeks before shelter-in-place orders effectively closed all hospitality sector business in March 2020. But she said the organization didn’t suffer, and rather used the industry slow-down to complete their long-term strategic marketing plan and develop Visit Morgan Hill’s brand.

“We are really still a startup organization, so we needed to establish our brand identity,” Rupp said. “So (the pandemic) gave us some time to ramp up without having to meet visitor demands.”

With their strategic plan completed in October 2020, Visit Morgan Hill kicked up their digital marketing campaign with tightly produced videos and social media content promoting Morgan Hill’s restaurants, wineries, recreation amenities and other attractions.

On Monday, the nonprofit—through public relations firm Argentum Partners—posted a press release touting Morgan Hill as “the chillest destination in Northern California.” The post includes links to Spotify playlists—with titles like “Cruise & Chill 101” and “Wine Down & Dine”—curated specifically for a visit to Morgan Hill.

The release lists the many destinations in Morgan Hill that sound inviting for a relaxed weekend getaway: Santa Clara Valley wineries and tasting rooms, more than 100 restaurants, premier hiking and mountain biking trails, plenty of open space, golf courses and local farms that invite visitors for tours or fruit stand sales.

“With eased travel restrictions, there’s an increased demand to get out and explore, providing us the perfect opportunity to illuminate and promote the laid-back atmosphere in Morgan Hill,” Rupp said in the press release. “Unlike crowded tourist hotspots, Morgan Hill offers visitors a more relaxed pace to discover our many leisure amenities and opportunities, which is why we’ve highlighted the top reasons to visit Morgan Hill this summer.”

The chief goal of Visit Morgan Hill’s marketing campaign is to reach travelers in “overnight markets” in the greater Bay Area, Sacramento and northern California, Rupp said, and encourage them to spend the night in local hotels and spend their money at local businesses.

Morgan Hill can’t yet rely on the return of business travel, which used to consistently pack the city’s hotels but also disappeared as the pandemic arrived. That’s why Visit Morgan Hill is trying to reach those looking for more of a leisurely getaway, Rupp explained.

Visit Morgan Hill’s board of directors consists of strong representation by local hoteliers and the City of Morgan Hill, as well as other businesses that contribute to the tourism sector.

Gene Guglielmo, of Guglielmo Winery in east Morgan Hill, is one of Visit Morgan Hill’s board members. Guglielmo Winery is often featured in Morgan Hill promotional materials for its award-winning wines, scenic location, active tasting room and summertime events open to the public.

Guglielmo said tourism is a “win-win” for everyone involved—the businesses that are visited, the residents of Morgan Hill and those who are discovering local attractions for the first time.

The benefit to the community is clear, he said. When people from outside Morgan Hill spend money here, they contribute to the city revenues that pay for basic services for residents like public safety and street repairs.

“Our residents should be ambassadors for what a great community we have,” Guglielmo said. “A lot of them don’t even know about some of the jewels we have here. I see it as a double win-win situation.”

Visit Morgan Hill was created largely due to the city’s creation in 2019 of a Tourism Based Improvement District, which is financed by a hotel fee paid by hotel guests. The TBID is expected to raise about $400,000 annually, which is dedicated to efforts like Visit Morgan Hill’s marketing campaign to promote the area as a tourism destination.

Morgan Hill Assistant City Manager Edith Ramirez, also a Visit Morgan Hill board member, has long played a key role in developing the city’s tourism marketing efforts, which started in 2013. She said the current, focused campaign by Visit Morgan Hill “has been long in the making.”

“It has been exciting to get to where we see the fruits of our labor, and it could not come at a better time,” Ramirez said. “After the Covid-19 pandemic, having an engine like this in Morgan Hill actively working toward putting us on the map, getting visitors to come and spend money in Morgan Hill, is going to provide tremendous support for the city.”

For more information about Visit Morgan Hill, visit their website at visitmorganhill.org.

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The Smith Mountain Lake Wine Festival, one of the area’s larger annual events, will take place at a new location this September, the Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce announced Tuesday.

Mariners Landing will host the event for 2021 as the wine festival looks to revamp in its 32nd year. The festival was canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was most recently held at the Crazy Horse Marina. The festival has been held at various locations over the last three decades of operation.

“We are very excited to bring it back this year better than ever,” said SMLRCC executive director Andy Bruns.

According to a news release from the SMLRCC, the new location for the festival will provide a more intimate setting to enjoy all the weekend has to offer: artisan craft vendors, music, and wine tasting from multiple wineries across Virginia. Mariners Landing was also chosen for “picturesque views” and top of the line facilities, Bruns said.

In addition to ticket costs, attendees have the option of renting a boat slip and private chalets.

Three nationally acclaimed bands will provide music and entertainment this year, according to the news release. Nashville-based bluegrass group The SteelDrivers, soul band St. Paul & The Broken Bones, and a yet-unannounced third band are scheduled to perform. Additional featured bands include a yacht rock band from Richmond — Three Sheets to the Wind — and Empire Strikes Brass, a North Carolina-based funk band.

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The prospective menu of food options at POST Houston Market Hall is taking on an international flavor as developer Lovett Commercial is adding 11 additional restaurants to a food hall roster that is expected to ultimately surpass 30 restaurants and stores. Among the recently revealed new eateries taking shape in the former Barbara Jordan Post Office are Scandinavian, West African, Asian, South American and Caribbean spots.

“In an effort to create a destination that celebrates diversity through food, art and culture, we are committed to opening a property that offers businesses of all sizes opportunities to grow and showcase their product at POST Houston,” Frank Liu, president of Lovett Commercial, says in a statement. “Our vision from the start has been to create a one-of-a-kind cultural experience for Houstonians and the millions of visitors that come through our incredible city each year.”

The 11 new spots that have been confirmed:

Golfstrømmen Seafood Market

The first American restaurant from Chef Christopher Haatuft of Bergen Norway’s Lysverket restaurant. Once dubbed the “punk chef godfather of Neo-Fjordic cuisine,” Haatuft will bring not only a fresh seafood menu with his Nordic bent but will also sell fresh Gulf seafood. Of note, sustainability is  a core value for Haatuft and his market will sell and prepare only sustainably and ethically harvested seafood.

Chef Christopher Haatuft

Saison Cellar

An international selection of top-tier wines will be on the table when Mark Bright, partner and wine director at San Francisco’s Michelin star Saison, opens his first location highlighting his expertise and wine world connections. Offerings will include cellar consultation and management, private sommelier tastings and guided wine tasting trips worldwide.

Hawker Street Food Bar

With Hawker 45 named one of Conde Nast’s 30 bet restaurants in Barcelona, Chef Laila Bazahm is set to introduce her first United States concept at Post Market. Look for Southeast Asian and Latin American hybrid street cuisine.

East Side King

Top Chef winner and James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest recipient Chef Paul Qui returns to Houston with another restaurant that is Austin’s go-to spot for Japanese street food. Meshis, buns and bentos? Yes.

Soy Pinoy

Chef Paul Qui continues his Houston culinary statement with this Filipino-flavored menu.

ChòpnBlok

Chef Ope Amosu debuts his first brick-and-mortar restaurant featuring West African inspired plates, prepared under a West African flavor profile, packaged in a local, contemporary fashion.

Andes Café

Expect the return of flavors from each of the seven South American regions linked together by the Andes mountain range when Chef David Guerrero reprises his popular restaurant that closed following a successful six-year run.

Thai Kun

Thai Changthong, a native of Bangkok, brings his Austin restaurant to Houston with a menu of Thai street food. Heads up: It was named one of Bon Appetit’s Best New Restaurants in American for 2014.

Blendin Coffee Club

From Sugar Land then to Allen Parkway and now to downtown Houston, biochemist-turned-roaster Weihong Zhang brings his popular coffee shop with its applauded array of 10 single origin coffees from around the world.

Abu Omar Halal

The chef’s namesake food truck — Houston’s first halal food truck — becomes a brick-and-mortar restaurant at Post Market when Halal expands his arsenal of Mediterranean fast casual foods. Since its launch, Halal’s empire has grown to a shop on Westheimer, one in Pearland and a fleet of food trucks and restaurants in Florida and Oklahoma.

Sweets with L&L

This cotton candy fan’s dream features the luscious, sticky, melty treat in 20 different flavors. Thank you, Tameia Frank Jones for creating such a sweet treat.

Previously revealed spots are: Salt & Time Butcher Shop, sister vendor The Butcher’s Burger, Lea Jane’s Hot Chicken, Taco Fuego, Gelu Italian Ice, and new restaurant SOUPreme featuring Vietnamese pho and bun bo hue (vermicelli beef soup).

Additional vendors will be added as the official opening date approaches. POST Houston, the new mixed-use development taking shape in the former Barbara Jordan Post Office building at 401 Franklin Street, is scheduled to open in November.

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The University of Wisconsin-Madison Marching Band will perform at St. John’s Catholic Church Picnic Sunday, Aug. 15 in Princeton.

Approximately, 15 band members will come to put on a show with their music and dance moves as they wind their way through the crowd.

They are tentatively scheduled to perform at 1:30 p.m., but it may vary slightly due to their morning engagement. Organizers suggest attendees come early and bring a lawn chair, but be ready to dance and “jump around.”

The band will be a fun and entertaining highlight at the picnic, but there will be plenty to do before they arrive.

The picnic kicks off at 11 a.m. with live music by Tuba Dan for attendee’s listening and dancing pleasure.

A chicken dinner with all the sides also will be served until 1 p.m. in an air conditioned school gym or people may choose to get it to-go or have Patti deliver it. Cost is $15 and 750 meals will be served. Tickets may be purchased in advance.

Attendees may stroll through the car show and reminisce about old memories as they listen to music by the DJ Dan Bohleber. A corn-hole tournament with cash prizes for the top-three finishers also will be held.

This year, there will be free games with prizes and other activities for children.

Attendees may enjoy the day with some new choices of beverages. The bar this year will have its typical beer choices, but now attendees can try some new flavors with Knuth Brewing from Ripon.

Vines & Rushes of Ripon also will be on hand for wine tasting. Attendees may purchase bottles to take home. Soda and water, along with burgers, brats and hotdogs, also will be served.

A week-long online auction ends at 2 p.m. St. John’s will announce the winning bidders and then the grand finale for the day will be the big raffle drawing with 94 prizes.

Grand Prize is a John Deere Gator, second is an Amana washer & dryer and third is $1,000.

Picnic details and links to participate in the online auction, corn-hole tournament or purchase dinner tickets may be found at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church website or St. John the Baptist Catholic Church and Picnic Facebook page.

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Sebastian, Florida, is still somewhat of a hidden gem on the Atlantic Coast. Nestled directly north of Vero Beach and a little south of Melbourne, Sebastian has amazing outdoor adventures along the Intracoastal Waterway and is minutes from the Wabasso bridge that takes you directly to the beach. It also has some unique attractions and offerings at a much lower price than some neighboring towns. Here is how to spend an amazing day in Sebastian, a growing city with oodles of charm and fun.

Note: I was hosted by Island View Cottages. All opinions are my own.

Melody Pittman

Great Restaurants

Roadside cafes and mom and pop restaurants are popular in Sebastian and deliver a hearty, tasty breakfast you can depend on for consistency and affordability. My favorites are Sebastian’s Roadside Restaurant, Hen House Eatery, and Country Ham N Egg Restaurant. Hen House Eatery has an impressive list of Eggs Benedict dishes, crepes, and a satisfying Monte Cristo sandwich. 

Melody Pittman

You’ll also find great fresh seafood eateries in Sebastian, with Crab Stop and Mo-Bay Grill being popular choices. Crab Stop has a delectable sharable Snow Deluxe Table Combo with snow crab legs, lobster, jumbo shrimp, potatoes, and corn. It also has an attractive waterfront patio. The seafood dishes are really good at Mo-Bay Grill, but I always go with the Jamaican-inspired pasta route with jerk chicken, mushrooms, and spinach.

Another neat little place tucked into an almost hidden shopping village is named The Village Tavern of Sebastian. You’ll feel like family in this quaint eatery with delicious pinwheel sandwich bites and potato skins. 

Mulligans Beach House, Squid Lips Overwater Grill, and Earl’s Hideaway, one of Florida’s best East Coast biker bars, are all perfect for a good cold beer or cocktail paired with yummy appetizers. At Mulligan’s, go for the spinach artichoke dip (also used on the early morning Spinach Benedict) and try the best Bloody Mary in town, and at Squid Lips, definitely try the bacon-wrapped plantains with orange chipotle glaze. 

I live in Vero Beach but find myself driving up to Sebastian often when we want to go out to eat. How about you? Will you travel to another city for a delicious meal?

Melody Pittman

LaPorte Farms

LaPorte Farms is a petting zoo on steroids, found on a street a few minutes from Sebastian’s main drag. Admission is free, while donations are strongly encouraged, to explore this 5-acre handicap-accessible property with quite a menagerie. You’ll find zebras, goats, donkeys, a llama, tortoises, and more. My favorite part is the many different birds and chickens that are in a coop and individual birdcages around the easy-to-walk-around property. 

LaPorte Farms offers critter food for sale to share with the animals and miniature horse rides if you are bringing your grandkids.

Pro Tip: Beat the crowds by coming early. LaPorte Farms opens at 8 a.m. Bring a book to share or exchange at its enormous Little Free Library. Bring or wear bug spray.

Melody Pittman

Outdoor Offerings

Parks are abundant in Sebastian, with Riverview and the Historic Jungle Trail being the most popular. 

Riverview has a playground, splash pad, picnic pavilions, restrooms, and plenty of space to roam around, but it is also the primary event space in Sebastian. Events at Riverview include craft shows, art shows, Easter egg hunts, Earth Day celebrations, and more. One unique thing about the park is that they have sand volleyball courts. You will also want to take note of the Veteran’s War Memorial and panoramic views of the Indian River.

You will find some excellent hiking trails at the Jungle trail, an almost 8-mile Old Florida hammock habitat, and a sand-covered public road between the National Refuge and local housing. We like to take our bikes up to the off-the-beaten-path Jungle Trail and ride them among the picturesque landscape. My husband also trained for his first 5K here. Be sure to stay well hydrated.

Kayaking and boating are popular in Sebastian, too, with easy river access and beautiful natural surroundings. If you like to fish, you will want to add this destination to your Sebastian itinerary.  You’ll find world-class bass fishing to deep-sea adventures that include fishing for Spanish mackerel, pompano, snook, flounder, and sheepshead. 

If golf is on your agenda, Sandridge Golf Club is a fun place to play a public course, and it’s always in pristine condition. With two Ron Garl 18-hole championship layouts (Dunes and Lakes courses), the club is actually in Vero Beach, but only minutes from downtown Sebastian. I’m not a golfer, but my husband tells me the par-four 14th is wicked. Golf Digest has given Sandridge a 4.5-star rating. 

While I haven’t been skydiving in Sebastian, it is extremely popular. Skydive Sebastian is where to go for tandem or AFF (accelerated freefall) jumps for beginners or experienced skydivers. 

Pro Tip: Skydivers must be 18 years of age and weigh less than 230 pounds. 

Go Birding

Birding is another big deal on our Atlantic Coast, with Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge being a top-billed activity not only in Sebastian but on Florida’s Treasure Coast. The refuge, the first in the nation, was formed to protect the birds killed off by hunters for hat plumes. One hundred eighteen years later, there are 567 national refuges around the country. 

Melody Pittman

Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge is home to dozens of birds so you will enjoy a brush with nature on your visit, as well as a cool Centennial Trail Boardwalk, listing every national refuge listed in chronological order. The brown pelican rookery is what the sanctuary is most famous for, but you may also see wood storks, ibises, oystercatchers, egrets, and cormorants.

Fun Fact: President Teddy Roosevelt established Pelican Island in the Indian River Lagoon as the first-ever federal bird reservation, thus giving birth to the National Wildlife Refuge system in 1903. 

Festivals

Sebastian, Florida, has several festivals that draw decent-sized crowds. In November, the annual Clambake is one of our favorites with crafts, craft beer, music, and, of course, clams. The Music in the Park Concert Series, a family-friendly event, features live music on the first Friday of the month from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Bring a fold-out chair and blanket for your comfort. 

The Sebastian Fine Arts & Music Festival is a January event with an incredible group of artists and musicians. You’ll find photography, drawing, sculpture, glass, leather, fiber, pottery, and more categories in this show. Sebastian also has a great July 4 celebration, and Craft Brew Hullabaloo has me very intrigued. 

The Drinking Scene

Earl’s Hideaway Lounge is easily one of Florida’s best biker bars, but it is much more than that. Featuring live music, raved-about New York pizza, and a tiki bar setting. I’ve met people from all over the world who visited Florida and went to Earl’s. It’s that distinct. 

Two breweries come to mind when I visit Sebastian: Mash Monkeys and Pareidolia. Mash Monkeys has about 20+ tap beers and cider, and two specially made for its third anniversary: BBA Keel Haul and Existence is Punishment, an Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels with notes of oak and chocolate. 

Pareidolia is as favored for its food as its beer, which it has been brewing since 2014. Come experience live music in this pet-friendly space with fantastic river views as you drink great beer and munch on some pub grub, such as a spicy Italian panini, craft beer cheese dip (with pretzels), or rustic flatbread pizzas.  

Treasure Hunt

Mel Fisher’s Treasures is a terrific stop for a museum-like setting with displays of the 1715 Spanish treasure fleet, that carried priceless gold and silver, and the 1622 Atocha. The fleet left Havana, Cuba, and was en route to Spain before violent storms caused them to wreck and sink off the Treasure Coast. Mel Fisher’s museum has a working lab, and you can see artifacts brought up from dives by the world-famous treasure hunter being preserved in real time. 

FYI: There is a second Mel Fisher Museum in Key West. 

Melody Pittman

Island View Cottages

One of Florida’s best-kept secrets is the professionally decorated Island View Cottages along the Sebastian River, where I was hosted about a year ago. I was literally in awe when I stepped onto the property, which sits back from the road keeping all the treasures somewhat hidden for my stay. Because the units are so beautiful and desirable, you may want to consider an overnight stay in Sebastian.

Melody Pittman

Island View Cottages has a dozen units to choose from, each uniquely and professionally decorated, with modern amenities and all the comforts of home. Besides premium accommodations, there are also complimentary bikes and kayaks, a marina to fish from or drive your boat up to, grills and picnic tables, and the most relaxing hammocks that entice you to take a nap in. The fire pit totally rocks!

You can read more about my stay at Island View Cottages in this TravelAwaits post.

Pro Tip: Sebastian would be great as a home base for a week-long Florida Treasure Coast vacation. It will allow you to make day trips to Melbourne, Vero Beach, Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie, Titusville, and Jensen Beach.

All along Florida’s east coast, small beach towns and small cities beg to be discovered:

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