A Half-Day Workshop in Ceramics

Patricia Griffin is a master ceramist and people flock to her two-day workshops. Here’s your unique opportunity for a half-day introduction to make your own ceramic plate. Patty will provide supplies, introduce you to a decorative technique called sgraffito, and guide you through learning to etch, underglazing your plate, picking out imagery and etching your plate. At the end, you will leave your newly created plate with Patty who will dry and fire the plates. You can pick up the finished plate later or arrange with Patty to ship it to you. Refreshments will be served.

• Friday, July 6, 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
• Limited to 9 persons
• Price $65 per person ($35 tax deductible)
• Location: Cambria

A Three-Hour Tutorial with Patrick Dennis

Learn from a master:  Patrick Dennis is a local artist, art festival director, and gallery owner known for his contemporary landscapes. During this workshop led by Patrick, guests will be invited to learn basic painting techniques in contemporary style using oil paints, mark-making implements, and textures. All materials (including canvas, brushes and paint) will be provided. Artwork completed during the course will be left with Patrick to dry, be completed as needed, and varnished. Guests will pick up the final painting a few days later.

• Saturday, July 14, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
• Limited to 4 persons
• Price $95 per person ($50 tax deductible)
• Location: Cambria

A Two-Hour Tour of Niner Estates with Tasting

Heart Hill has long been a local landmark in Paso Robles. This tasting experience allows you to wine taste inside Niner Estate’s famed heart-shaped oak grove. You will start with an off-road vehicle excursion to the highest point in the vineyard. Your guide will take you out into the vines for insight into Niner’s farming and sustainable efforts. You will then enjoy a ride through the vines to get to the Heart. Relax on the patio and taste a special selection of Reserve + Library wines paired with special cheeses.

• Saturday, July 22, 10:00 am to Noon
• Limited to 4 persons
• Price $85 per person ($45 tax deductible)
• Location: Paso Robles

An Afternoon of Winetasting and Pizza at a Historic Ranch

Over a century ago, the Bassetti Ranch began as a dairy farm. Today, the grandson of those pioneers, along with his wife, raises grapes, olives, flowers, and herbs. The ranch, one of only a handful of vineyards so near the coast, grows Syrah, Grenache and Viognier varietals. Spend a lovely afternoon exploring this historic ranch, tasting superb wines under their pergola and eating wonderful pizza cooked in the outdoor pizza oven.  (And if you’re in a shopping mood, you’ll also receive a 10% discount on any of the offerings purchased that day from their farm store.)

• Saturday, August 11, 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
• Limited to 20 persons
• Price $45 per person ($25 tax deductible)
• Location: Cambria

Spend your Happy Hour painting with wine at Cambria’s famed Robins Restaurant

Come join us in the garden at Robins Restaurant for a special wine and paint party—and at the same time help support the annual Cambria Scarecrow Festival! The event features 2 hours of painting instruction led by San Luis Obispo artist, Drew Davis. No experience necessary! Complimentary glass of wine, plus all art supplies included (you are welcome to bring your own favorites). At the end of the evening, take home your very own 16×20 canvas painting!

• Thursday, August 23, 5 pm to 7 pm
• Limited to 20 persons
• Price: $55 per person ($20 tax deductible)
• Location: Cambria

A Guided Tour to Cambria’s Hidden Gem—the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve

A dramatic ocean bluff. One of the last remaining natural stands of Monterey Pine. Tidal pools and freshwater wetlands. An amazing array of mammal (sea and land), birds and reptiles. Reminders of former Native American villages. You truly need a guide to appreciate the treasures of the Fiscalini Ranch. Join us for a continental breakfast in the home of Tom and Barbara Gray, adjacent to a Ranch entrance, before joining a docent on a guided two-hour introductory hike which will introduce you to some of the preserve’s hidden delights.

• Saturday, September 9, 9 am to 11:30 am
• Limited to 16 persons
• Price: $35 per person ($25 tax deductible)
• Location: Cambria

Premiere of “And The World Goes Round” . . . plus gourmet dinner with wine

Dinner theater with a real twist. Begin your evening with a four-course gourmet dinner paired with wine and served in a Park Hills area private home. During appetizers, enjoy some live piano jazz riffing off favorite Hollywood and Broadway musicals. Then head over to the Cambria Center for the Arts Theatre for the local premiere of And the World Goes Round: the Music of Kander and Ebb. This revue features songs from such well-known Broadway shows and movies as Cabaret, Chicago, and New York, New York.

• Friday, July 27, 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm
• Limited to 6 persons
• Price: $75 per person ($50 tax deductible)
• Location: Cambria

An Evening of Food and Wine in the Historic Squibb House

Bruce Black restored the Squibb House in the East Village of Cambria years ago. Now he has recreated the original barn built on this site in the late 1800s and detailed it with wood from the Pennsylvania barn of his great-great-grandfather, Matha Black. The space features barn wood beams, wide plank floors, custom built Amish furniture, generous windows, lots of light and a charm that is unlike anything else. And the evening will become even more charming as you delight in an array of tapas prepared by Susan Bassetti—all designed for a perfect pairing with a vertical tasting of Bassetti Vineyards wines.

• Thursday, September 13, 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
• Limited to 20 persons
• Price $55 per person ($35 tax deductible)
• Location: Cambria

• Saturday, October 20, 11:00 am to 5:00 pm
• Location: Cambria, Pinedorado Grounds

A Special Guided Tour of the Rookery. Plus Coffee and Danish

Elephant seals return to their land-based rookery near Piedras Blancas for birthing, breeding, molting, and rest. Join us on a custom tour of this rookery during the fall haul out—one of the most populous times for elephant seals throughout the year. A knowledgeable docent from the Friends of the Elephant Seals will provide a custom one-hour tour. After the tour, the group will return to a room at the Cavalier Hotel in San Simeon for complimentary coffee, Danish, and juices with added time to talk to your docent volunteer. And you will also have an opportunity to visit the visitor center and bookstore of the Friends of the Elephant Seals, where you will enjoy a 20 percent discount on any purchase.

• Sunday, October 27, 9:00 to 11:00 am
• Limited to 10 persons
• Price $30 per person ($20 tax deductible)
• Location: San Simeon