November 1-December 21
Saint Barthélemy, French West Indies—11th Annual Festival Gastronomique |
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Chef Sylvain Humbert of Chateau de Valmer, near St. Tropez, will have a starring role on St. Barts when Hôtel Guanahani & Spa presents its 11th annual Festival Gastronomique. Working with the hotel’s executive chef Philippe Masseglia, Humbert will create a nightly dinner menu that is included in the price of a night’s stay during the festival. With this culinary collaboration, Masseglia honors his roots, as his career began at Château du Domaine St. Martin. Gourmands will savor the talents of this dynamic duo at Bartolomeo, Guanahani’s gourmet restaurant which is now open year-round. In addition to the dinner, the gourmet festival rate includes breakfast and all taxes and service charges. Reservations can be made by calling direct at (011 590) 590-27-6660 or by email at guanahani@wanadoo.fr. For more information, visit www.leguanahani.com. |
November 2-December 4
Yosemite National Park, CA—Vintners' Holidays
This is The
Ahwahnee's annual celebration of fall and the
bounty of top vineyards. Each Vintners' Holidays session
features four prominent wineries and industry experts
through informative seminars, panel discussions and
wine tastings moderated by nationally recognized wine
authorities. The sessions conclude with a five-course
Gala Vintners' Dinner in the Ahwahnee Dining Room,
highlighting wines from the session's participating
wineries, paired with a custom gourmet menu by Ahwahnee's
executive chef. Participating wineries include Tablas Creek Vineyards, Silver Oak Cellars,
Dutton-Goldfield and Ravenswood. Hotel packages are
available for Vintners' Holiday guests. Be sure to
reserve your space early. Call 559-253-5635 or visit www.yosemitepark.com for further details.
| December 1-December 30 |
Ventura, CA—California-Style Sleigh Rides
Sail the waters of the Ventura Keys and Ventura harbor on a holiday sleigh ride—California style. Every night in December (except December 24 and 25), the good ship Dreamer departs for a "sleigh ride" past shoreline homes lit up with twinkling Holiday lights that cast picturesque reflections in the nighttime waters. Cruises take place nightly from 6:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m. and from 8:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Each cruise offers a full bar, soft drinks and seasonal beverage concoctions such as “reindeer milk” and hot chocolate. Cruises cost $20 for adults and $10 for children two to twelve years old. For more information, call 805-642-7753 or visit www.venturaboatrentals.com. |
| December 5-December 7 |
Pomona,
CA—Harvest Festival Original Art & Craft Show
Fairplex
Park hosts this annual, touring, indoor festival bringing
in art-and-craft talent from all over the country, not
to mention great eats from local restaurants, all presented
with live musical accompaniment. Check out the latest
in furniture, clothing, garden art, ornaments, jewelry (such
as the bracelet pictured) and more. The hours are 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Friday, 10
a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday.
Pomona Fairplex, 1101 W. McKinley Ave. Tickets, which
are good for all three days, are $9 for adults and $4
for youth 13-17 years old. Kids 12 years old and younger
enter for free if accompanied by an adult. For more
information, call 800-321-1213 or visit www.harvestfestival.com. |
December 5-6, 12-13, 19-20
Fredericksburg,
TX—Holiday Wine Trail
Begin
your holiday festivities off right with a trip down
the Holiday Wine Trail in the heart of Texas Hill Country.
You can visit wineries decked for the season and stocked
with wines perfect for gifts, parties and special dinners. In addition, the wineries will each be doing
special food pairings, barrel tastings and art shows
as well as special releases of new wines. Wreaths are
limited and this popular event sells out every year,
so pre-registration is highly suggested. Buy a ticket
for yourself, or give it to someone as a present. To
purchase tickets, call 866-621-9463, or for more information
visit www.texaswinetrail.com.
December
6-7
Franschhoek,
SOUTH AFRICA—Franschhoek Nedbank Cap Classique
And
Champagne
Festival
Come
celebrate the "Magic of Bubbles" in the country's
gourmet capital. This festival in the village of Franschhoek
has previously hosted several celebrated Cap Classique producers
such as Cabrière, Graham Beck, Krone and Colmant
as well as Champagne Houses such as Bollinger, Laurent-Perrier
and Veuve Clicquot. In addition, take in the music and cuisine. Bubbly will also be sold throughout
the two-day revelry. Tickets costs R150 per head. To purchase tickets or for more
information, call 27-021- 876-3603, e-mail info@franschhoek.org.za or visit www.franschhoek.org.za.
| December
7 |
Carmel
Valley, CA—Holiday Spectacular
For the holiday season, Chateau Julien Wine Estate presents
their "Holiday Spectacular," featuring the musical
entertainment of The Choral Project of San Jose amidst the near-ideal acoustics of the
aging oak barrels in the Wine Estate's Chai. A reception
of unique holiday gift ideas, hors d'oeuvres and wine tasting will follow in the festively decorated
Great Hall. The event is from 2:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. and
tickets are $50 per person. Go to www.chateaujulien.com to make your reservations online. Chateau Julien Wine
Estate is located at 8940 Carmel Valley Rd. |
| December
7 |
Ventura, CA—Holiday Street Festival
Get into the season spirit at the 32nd annual Holiday Street Festival in downtown Ventura. The event, whose theme this year is “Holidays in Paradise,” is amongst the largest of its kind in Southern California, drawing an estimated 30,000-50,000 people each year. Stroll down Main Street as you enjoy live entertainment, shop for quality arts and crafts, and sample a variety of food throughout the nine blocks of the Downtown Cultural District of Ventura. For the kids, photos with Santa Claus will be taken at the Midtown Community Council booth. The event is free to the public and will take place from 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Complimentary shuttle service to the event from the Ventura County Government Center will be available. For more information, call 805.654.7830 or visit www.cityofventura.net. |
Back
to the Calendar
(Updated:
12/02/08 ET)
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