Fairfield Archives - until suburbia!

Entrance of Sonoma Harvest in Fairfield, CA

Taste Test Sonoma Harvest Products, Fairfield

April 25, 2025Silvia

We received a warm welcome at the Sonoma Harvest tasting room in Fairfield. Since it was our first time, we were cleverly guided to the olive oils through a lot of really cute kitchen items.

There are a lot of flavored olive oils to try. You can cleanse your palate with some croutons. Next are the vinegars. Again, there are many interesting flavors to elevate your salads. Have you ever had balsamic vinegar so good that you might want to use it as an ice cream topping? Yes, that’s here for you to taste (you have to imagine the ice cream right now – but the richness is mind-blowing!). From sour to sweet, the next station was their creative jams. The strawberry chocolate and spicy peach are delish! We skipped the spicy section, with a BBQ sauce and chili oil, but returned to the kitchen gifts. This is the place if you like to buy local products.

The Sonoma Harvest tasting room is located at 770 Chadbourne Road in Fairfield. It’s close to the Jelly Belly factory. Free tastings are Wednesdays to Sundays from noon to 4 pm.

I am not affiliated with Sonoma Harvest.

Tour the Jelly Belly Factory, Fairfield

April 18, 2025April 18, 2025Silvia

The Easter candy of my youth was chocolate eggs. So, it was surprising to me to learn that the creator of Jelly Belly was a German immigrant. I always thought of these bean-shaped candies with the most unusual flavors and bright colors as very American.

I had planned to recommend the tour of the Jelly Belly factory as a fun Easter activity. But the production is on hold for 3 weeks (until April 23rd, 2025). You might think that the Easter Holiday would be the last time of year when they would stop production to clean. We took the tour last week anyway. And even though the factory was not producing, we paid the full admission of $8. Again, you might think ….. This is a self-guided tour with videos informing you throughout the walkway. They also added some interactive stations with video games and Ronald Reagan memorabilia. Reagan is the President who brought Jelly Belly to the nation’s attention. Jelly Belly is very appreciative.

I did enjoy the factory setting as I am a fan of production line equipment – like Boichik Bagels and Cocohodo. I can also appreciate that everything got a good cleaning, for the next flavors of jelly beans. And, we were able to admire the large, shiny vats used to polish the beans – you got a very clear view of the entire factory as you walked the glassed-in walkway one story up.

The kids might enjoy the little train ride across the parking lot to the museum. The museum is included in the admission. There are a lot of photo opps here. The end is currently a big Easter blow-up art scene. I do think the artwork created out of jelly beans is impressive. We admired Harry Potter and Star Wars characters at the factory entrance.

Wishing you a Happy Easter (if you celebrate).

The Jelly Belly factory is located at 1 Jelly Belly Lane, Fairfield. Tours are $8 per person, $4 for children ages 3-17, free for under 2-year-olds. The self-guided factory lane tours and museum experience is open from 9:15 am to 4 pm daily, 7 days a week. I’d advise you to check their calendar for special events and closures before you go.

What is your favorite jelly bean flavor?

I am not affiliated with Jelly Belly.

See Emerging Artists at the Solano Town Center Gallery in Fairfield

April 12, 2025Silvia

Right now, the Solano Town Center Gallery hosts the high school student art show. You can see the annual showcase of high school art until April 19th, 2025. It is a very impressive collection of multiple disciplines, from fine art to mixed media, photography, and ceramics.

The gallery is located in the Solano Town Center shopping mall. While they offer their space for the high school students the gallery artists’ artwork moved a few doors over to the Common Grounds coffee shop. After you see the student art show, come have coffee and admire the Cafe’s gallery.

The Solano Town Center Gallery and Gift Shop is located on 1350 Travis Blvd., on the second floor near the Edwards Stadium 16 Theater. Opening hours are Wednesday thru Sunday, from 11 am – 6 pm.