Culinary pleasures and artist displays are best enjoyed with family and friends, and what better occasion to do so than at Marin French Cheese’s third annual Summer Picnic, to be held Sunday, September 10, 2017, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the bucolic grounds surrounding the iconic creamery, better known to locals as the Cheese Factory, located just 10 miles west of Petaluma?
New to this year’s family-friendly event will be a selection of artists, including painters and a photographer, all hailing from Marin County and showcasing their crafts for all to behold. Live music by IrieFuse, a hot reggae trio from San Francisco’s Bay area, will keep the crowd upbeat while 25 food and beverage vendors from the surrounding locale will be sampling and selling new items along with their beloved classics, including the iconic yogurt purveyor, Saint Benoit Creamery, and Rians Crème Brûlée. To quench your thirst, first-time participant Apple-a-Day Ratzlaff Ranch will provide fresh apple juice and cider, while 3 Twins Ice Cream will keep you cool if you pony up to its food truck. Other new comestible additions to the picnic will include favorites such as Lala’s Jams, McEvoy Olive Oil, Sonoma Harvest, and Petaluma Toffee. Marin County’s French restaurant, L’Appart Resto, will be on the grounds as well as Sonoma’s The Girl & The Fig’s food truck, The Fig Rig.
Returning with samples to taste and product to sell will be a wide variety of purveyors of charcuterie, honey, crackers, dips, spreads and olive oils, including Angelo’s Smokehouse and Fabrique Délice. Not only do these products all pair perfectly with artisan cheeses from Marin French Cheese, Laura Chenel’s, Nicasio Valley Cheese, Le Roulé Premium Spreadable Cheese, and Point Reyes Cheese, but crackers from Rustic Bakery as well as bread from Costeaux Bakery and La Boulangerie of San Francisco will also complement the specialty product offerings. Available for purchase by The California Artisan Cheese Guild will be a cheese-centered item as well as wine and beer from local vineyards and breweries, respectively. Proceeds from the Guild’s offerings will support the nonprofit and its educational programs.
Family-focused, interactive demos will feature cheesemaking, beekeeping, and a garden art project for kids organized by the North Bay Children’s Center. Local historian and writer Kathleen Hill will have her collection of culinary antiques on display to peruse and enjoy.
The whole family is welcome to attend and participate, and all are encouraged to bring a shopping bag, a picnic blanket and an appetite! Tickets are $20 each (children ages 12 and under are free), and are available through Eventbrite. While 600 tickets will be available, the event is expected to sell out quickly as it did last year. For those driving to Marin French Cheese Company, the best address for GPS is 7510 Pt. Reyes-Petaluma Rd, Petaluma 94952.
