It’s the Mendocino County Mushroom Wine and Beer Festival. And it’s hardly all mushrooms; there’s a beer festival, food pairings with beers, winemaker dinners and all kinds of events at wineries, breweries, bars, restaurants and hotels in Mendocino County.
The 2017 event is Nov. 3-12.
The Little River Inn serves as a nice headquarters for all of it, in large part because it hosts one of the festival’s top event. On Friday, November 10th, CIA-trained Chef Marc Dym presents the inn’s Annual Mushroom and Belgian Beer Dinner, a multi-course meal featuring local mushrooms paired with handcrafted ale from Russian River Brewing Company’s Brewmaster Vinnie Cilurzo.
Register for it at: www.littleriverinn.com.
Plus, there’s daily mushroom specials at its award-winning restaurant and in the atmospheric Ole’s Whale Watch Bar.
Like many hotels in Mendocino County, Little River Inn has specials on rooms. Here it’s the Mushroom Mania rate; stay in Seaside Luxury Rooms for $279 ($50 savings), Ocean View Deluxe Rooms for $215 ($40 savings), and Ocean View Gas Fireplace Rooms for $165 ($30 savings). There’s a two-night minimum.
A new event at the festival this year is the Homebrew Festival. It’s Saturday, Nov. 4 at the Ukiah Valley Conference Center. Tickets are $30 in advance; $40 at the door. Register for it at: www.mendohomebrewfest.com.
From there, take your pick (so to speak) of the dozens of other events in this scenic Northern California county. A full rundown of all those events is listed, with brief descriptions, at: www.mendocino.com/pdf/2017-wine-mushroom-festival.
Locally-foraged abundance appears in Chef Dym’s dishes long after the festival is over, so if you can’t find time to taste Mendocino’s early fall flavors, don’t worry. When you book by November 15th for a stay between November 26th and December 21st (two-night minimum) you can take advantage of the WINTER SPECIAL and get 25% off any room. Book online using the code WINTER, but if online booking isn’t showing availability for your dates and room, please call 707.937.5942. Must book by Nov 15 for a stay between Nov. 26 and Dec. 21; Two-night minimum. https://www.littleriverinn.com/25-off-winter-discount/
Wintertime Mendocino County Event – Festival Of Lights
Later in the year, the Festival of Lights takes place from Nov. 26-Dec. 17. The The Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden is transformed into a nationally-recognized area with tens of thousands of lights. It morphs into an underwater scene and a sailing brig that wrecked on the Mendocino coast in 1850. The event’s website is: www.gardenbythesea.org.
The Little River Inn has lodging packages for this event, as well:
• Two nights lodging in an Ocean View Gas Fireplace Room
• Dinner for two in Ole’s Whale Watch Bar. (Dinner is served in Ole’s from 4-8 p.m.)
• Admission to the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens; Festival of Lights on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday evening from 5- 7:30 p.m.
• Breakfast for two in our Garden Dining Room
Packages begin at $435 for two, exclusive of tax and gratuity. Add additional nights and enjoy our best rates of the year during our WINTER SPECIAL (above) – 25% off all rooms between Nov. 26-Dec. 21.
Link: http://www.littleriverinn.com/little-river-inns-festival-of-lights-winter-package/
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