Favorite West County Holiday Memories

The Sebastopol Area Chamber of Commerce wants to wish you and yours a very merry holidays! Our staff and board members feel so lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the country. We wanted to share our favorite West County memories of holidays past with our community.
 
“My Christmas tradition always involves remembering family in my home country of Ecuador. We love to share memories when we were little—everyone in my mom’s house with tons of family, laughing, playing games, and thankful for all the blessings in our lives.  Every Christmas, my daughter and I like to help in a shelter, make food for people in need, or give out time to a place in need.”
Susan Puga
Chamber Board Member
Owner, A&M Center 


“I remember as a young child (about 8 years old) until I graduated from high school, that our 4-H Club (Twin Hills 4-H Club) would tour all the convalescent homes in Sebastopol.  We would sing Christmas carols and visit with the elderly and sick. As a young child I was a little nervous and a bit scared to visit the convalescent homes, but as I got older I looked forward to this activity that brought so much joy to the elderly and sick.”
Mia Del Prete
Chamber Board Member
Director of Human Resources, WSCUHSD
 
“My first memory of Sebastopol was to come up from Marin in 1976 to a Christmas tree farm on Petersen Lane to cut a tree. Our son was 4 at the time. We all thought it was so cool to cut your own selected tree. We continued this tradition as our kids grew up for almost 40 years. We’ve been going to Garlock’s on Bloomfield Road for most of that time.”
Bob Aita
Chamber President  
Senior Benefits Consultant
Aita and Associates, Inc.
 
 
“On Christmas Eve my Nono would gather us all around an old metal fire pit he had made, and we would roast chestnuts. My Nono would sing Christmas songs to us in Italian, and we would all wait with anticipation of the first hot chestnut to come off the fire. They would be so warm and yummy!  This was a very special time for our family and so grateful of the experience.”
Linda M. Collins
Executive Director
Sebastopol Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center
 
“My partner, Jim and I are very much looking forward to our first Sebastopol Christmas, having moved from the River earlier this year. Jim is a master garden and we have plans to bring inside a small charlie brown tree and then later re-locate it in the yard. Wreath has already been selected and other out door decorations are being sorted. We are definitely looking forward to our first tree lighting on the 6th and hope to see all of our neighbors in the square. Wishing all a very peaceful holiday season. All Best, Stephen Zollman and Jim Haidler”
Stephen Zollman
Chamber Board Member
Attorney
 
“Every year, I take my children shopping in downtown Sebastopol to pick out presents for their mother. We love to support local business, and the kids love exploring the downtown shops. My son’s favorite place to pick out a gift is Cultivate Home. It’s one of my wife’s favorite stores. I remember he was 4 when he picked out a bird candle holder for her. The store wrapped the present for him. He was so proud to walk through town with his wrapped present to bring home and place under the tree”
Paul Butkus
Chamber Vice President
Farmers Insurance
 
It’s not only our geography that makes West County a great place to live—it’s our ability to appreciate what is truly important and to support each other as a community. From everyone at the Sebastopol Area Chamber of Commerce, we wish you the happiest of holidays and a joyful New Year.