Down Home Day - a Centennial Celebration in Penngrove

Artful Arrangements is hosting “Down Home Day,” a free event for fun-loving pet owners and country people on May 31, 2015, from 10am-5:30pm, on the grounds of a 1915 Sonoma County homestead at 205 Orchard Lane, Penngrove.

Featured attractions are:

1) Live music in Homestead Gardens: HotGrubb from 11am-2pm, and The Spyralites from 2:30-5:30pm, with a drop in by country singer Scott Gerber;

2) Children’s entertainment in Homestead Gardens: James K from 11am-1pm, and Los Guachis from 1:30pm-3:30pm;

3) Fun games at $1 each, such as the Egg Toss, Hugs & Kisses Booth, Best Hat Photo Contest, Homestead Coloring, The Quest, A Self-Guided Tour Map, Amazing Pet Photo, Cutest Baby Photo, How Many Are “In” There?, and How Much Do These Weigh?;

4) Fair Fare by Preferred Sonoma Caterers – a hardy Homesteader’s hot lunch ($10 adults, $7 kids);

5) Dedication of The Portal of Time, an Art Installation you can walk through. Visit www.artfularrangements.org for more information.

The “Portal of Time” is an Art Installation that will be unveiled at 10:30am. It’s a 12’ diameter wreath made of redwood branches from the property, standing tall on the Homestead Tour route, just after the History Kiosk, and it represents the passage of time – from the past, into the future. It is being dedicated as a reminder that “history” matters, because, when people remember the role homesteading played in the settlement of Sonoma County, it is easy to recognize that today’s decisions shape the future – so, when visitors walk through The Portal of Time, they emerge with a renewed understanding of the importance of making good decisions today for a better tomorrow.

Artful Arrangements founder Diane H. Davis says the nonprofit organization is rooted in agriculture. She propagates the plants on site and has been a member of Sonoma County Farm Trials since 2007, and Sonoma County Farm Bureau since 2013. The Mission is to reach peoples’ hearts through living plant arrangements (verses cut flowers) that need ongoing care – a reminder that accepting respon-sibility has rewards.

She also advocates for the future through affordable child-centered programs, as well as gifting to aligned nonprofits. “The children are our future, and the good, long-range decisions people make today determine how things will be,” says Diane. “Young families are struggling to find time to simply be with their children – before cell phones and other distractions grab their attention.”

Down Home Day is a Centennial Celebration as the Homestead turns 100 years old, and the day is geared toward wholesome, old-fashioned fun. Eleven local merchants have donated wonderful prizes for the games.

“There’s something for everyone in the family,” says Diane, “from coloring, to music, to food, mixed in with an appreciation of history, and an eye to the future. So gather the children and their grandparents, and the family dog, and come on down to Down Home Day, and be sure to wear a hat!”