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Sonoma's 19th Annual Salute to the Arts
Celebrates Italian heritage of the Wine Country

You Are Invited!

Sonoma's 19th Annual Salute to the Arts Celebrates the Italian heritage of the Wine Country

Dear Friends,

Sonoma’s 19th annual Salute to the Arts – the Wine Country’s most colorful, energetic, beloved, and emulated food, wine, and art festival, is the perfect time to celebrate Sonoma's bounty as we showcase the culinary, winemaking, visual and performing arts, July 30 & 31, and August 1, 2004.

Something new this year: The Salute to the Arts Visual Art Competition Silent Auction will be held in Sonoma Plaza. A Champage & Hors d'oeuvres Artists' Reception & Awards Presentation will kick off the weekend at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, July 30. Silent Auction bidding on the juried entries will open then, and continue on Saturday from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Art Contest entries that are not sold at Silent Auction will then be offered at retail prices in Sonoma Plaza for the duration of the weekend.

Pass through a tent filled with juried Visual Art Competition entries on Friday evening, bid on works you can’t resist, then shuttle free to the opening night gala.

Indulge in sumptuous cuisine and select vintages presented by Sonoma County chefs and winemakers at The Salute Celebration ; immerse yourself in Italian music; dance beneath the stars; and enjoy a panoply of surprises. Experience Italy, from the Tuscan countryside to the streets of Venice.

This is a party you won't want to miss!


Savor fine wines and regional cuisine at Salute to the Arts in the Sonoma Plaza on Saturday and Sunday... place your winning bid at the Visual Art Competition Silent Auction (bidding closes at 1 p.m. on Saturday) ;enjoy cooking demonstrations presented by Viking Range Corporation; meander through fine art exhibits; add your own brush stokes to the Sonoma Valley Arts Alliance mural for all ages; enjoy open air performances ~ theater, dance, and musical performances from classical and jazz to country western and rhythm & blues.


The entertainment continues at the Salute to the Arts Live Auction & Dinner on Saturday evening at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa. Indulge in sumptuous hors d’oeuvres and dinner, then raise your paddles high for the arts. Dozens of tantalizing lots – both live and silent - await your bid. The line up includes large format bottles of wine painted by well-known local artists, the original 2004 Salute to Arts poster painting by prominent artist Dick Cole, exotic vacation packages, and more! >>> 2003 Auction Teaser >>>

Please join us to partake of Northern California’s premier Wine Country event. Become a patron, benefactor, or sponsor. Immerse yourself in the art of living and well being – and help raise funding for some twenty arts, cultural and educational organizations.

We look forward to Saluting the Arts with you! Please see our Calendar of Events, and the Ticket Information page.

Bill Blum, Wendy Peterson, Annick Bouldt, and Paula Parks, Co-chairs
2003 Salute Celebrities, Fundraisers for the Art

Pat Summers, Founder & Producer Summers-McCann, Inc. Public Relations


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You are visiting the 2004 website - please click here to go to the current site.