Lake Sonoma Steelhead Festival

The Lake Sonoma Steelhead Festival set for March 7, 2026!

Save the date for Saturday, March 7, rain or shine.  10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Beer, wine, food trucks, lots of family-oriented activities, and fantastic fun.  Check out our new event website at:

www.steelheadfestival.org

There you will find links to become a sponsor, host a booth, donate to our silent auction or just donate to support the Steelhead Festival!

 

County Awards Gold Resolution to 2017 Festival

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors has issued a Concurrent Gold Resolution recognizing the Friends of Lake Sonoma and all sponsors of the 2017 Lake Sonoma Steelhead Festival. The resolution was presented to Steelhead Festival Chairman Rich Thomas at the supervisors meeting on March 28, 2017.

We Need Your Help!  Become a Sponsor of the Lake Sonoma Steelhead Festival!

Come run with us and participate in the Annual Lake Sonoma Steelhead Festival by becoming a sponsor.  This festival is one of California's biggest and best celebrations of the endangered Steelhead Trout, which return annually to the Congressman Don Clausen Fish Hatchery at Lake Sonoma to spawn the next generation of fish.

This free event attracts upwards of 12,000 people to the grounds of the Milt Brandt Visitor Center at Lake Sonoma. Adults and children enjoy tours of the hatchery and watch one of nature's most fascinating species -- Steelhead pushing upstream and leaping out of the water as they climb the fish ladder.

On hand to educate and entertain are more than 60 exhibitors.  Activities and entertainment include archery, art projects, a casting pond, food vendors, local beer and wine booths, a live band and a silent auction benefiting Friends of Lake Sonoma.

The Lake Sonoma Steelhead Festival is hosted by the Friends of Lake Sonoma, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Sonoma County Water Agency and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.  This event allows us to provide educational elements critical to increasing understanding of threatened and endangered species of not only the Steelhead, but also the Coho Salmon, and to increase awareness of water conservation and our watershed.

To keep this festival growing -- and allow us to offer this FREE to everyone that attends -- we appreciate the support of our business community.  Sponsorship levels range from $1,000 to $5,000.  Benefits include your company logo on all advertising and promotional materials, banners at the festival, a booth at the festival and other special rewards.

For more information and to find out how you can help, please contact Jane Young, Friends of Lake Sonoma Executive Director, at 707-694-1916.

 

Want to Exhibit at the Lake Sonoma Steelhead Festival?

The Friends of Lake Sonoma invites community non-profits and local businesses to exhibit at the 2026 Lake Sonoma Steelhead Festival.  Cost for a table is $125 for non-profits and $225 for small, local businesses.  You are in charge of setting up your table and providing approriate display materials.  Please contact us at info@lakesonoma.org if your group or business would like to participate.

 

Want to Donate to the Lake Sonoma Steelhead Festival Silent Auction?

The silent auction is a popular attraction at our annual Lake Sonoma Steelhead Festival.  Would you like to donate?  Gift cards, dining certificates, overnight stays at local inns and hotels, tickets to special events, wine -- you name it!  Contact Jane Young at jane@lakesonoma.org or call 707-694-1916.  All monies raised go to support the Friends of Lake Sonoma.

 

 

 

Ready? Set? Here comes the 2026 Lake Sonoma Steelhead Festival!

 

Check out our Steelhead Festival video!

Videographer George Dondero captured the spirit of the 2015 Lake Sonoma Steelhead Festival in this fantastic video, which provides a brief snapshot of all the fun activities.  Thanks to the Sonoma County Water Agency for providing this footage!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSa8T4Ozx8Is

 

ResortsandLodges.com salutes the Steelhead Festival

Check out what they say about us!

http://www.resortsandlodges.com/travelblog/a/lake-sonoma-steelhead-festival/

 

Thank you, sponsors!

We thank the following companies and organizations who are on board as sponsors of the 2026 Lake Sonoma Steelhead Festival:

Platinum Sponsors:

  • Californai Department of Fish & Wildlife
  • Friends of Lake Sonoma
  • Sonoma Water
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Gold Sponsors:

  • Bear Republic Brewing
  • Sonoma County Board of Supervisors

Steelhead Sponsors:

  • Brandt Insurance
  • Healdsburg Running Company
  • Lake Sonoma Marina
  • Recology Sonoma Marin
  • Redwood Credit Union
  • Russian River Watershed Association
  • Sonoma County Winegrape Commission

 

For more information and updates, please go online to www.steelheadfestival.org

 

Board of Directors

Skip Brand, chairman

Rick Herbert, vice chairman

Alyson White,  treasurer

Hailey Norman, secretary

 

Directors: Nikki Baxes, Joe Brandt, Carl Bowers, Miguel Crawford, Jayson Collard, Marci Cook, Dan Horn, Brent Swinth and Marshall Turbeville. 

Directors Emeritus:  Gordon Amrein, Harry Bosworth, Linda Clapp, Paul Finn, Dave Harmeson, Donna Meier, Tony Pettis, Phil Pinto, Arnold Santucci, Ken Screechfield, Brad Sherwood, Richard Thomas, Kasey Wade, Burrell Wyle

Tax Status

The Friends of Lake Sonoma is recognized as a non-profit cooperative association under section 501 (c) 3 of the United State Internal Revenue Service tax code.  Our tax identification number is 94-2260679.  We operate on a fiscal year from January 1 to December 31.  Monetary and in-kind donations to the Friends of Lake Sonoma are considered to be tax deductible, unless limited by law.

Partners

The Friends of Lake Sonoma relies on strong partnerships with key govenmental agencies and businesses, including:

United States Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco District

Sonoma Water

California Department of Fish and Wildlife

Sonoma County Tourism

Back Country Horsemen of California -- North Bay Chapter

Sonoma County Parks Department

Sonoma County Bowmen

United Flyers of Sonoma County

 

 

 

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