Arm Wrestling, Arts and Animals in Healdsburg's Weekend

Healdsburg has a reputation for delicious food, great wine, and pretty darn nice weather, too. So it should come as something of a surprise to find out that here in town this weekend visitors can attend the Jimmy Payne Invitational United States Arm-wrestling Championship.

Payne, who passed away last year, was a champ himself, a former Mr. America and long-time owner of Healdsburg Community Health and Fitness. The event will open at 11:30 a.m. with a tribute to Payne from Mayor Gary Plass, followed by the tournament itself at noon.

The multi-weight class tournament, celebrating 60 years of arm wrestling in California, will be held at the Healdsburg Senior Living Center, across from Seghesio Winery on Grove St. A special guest will be John Brzenk, the Guinness Book of World Records' "greatest armwrestler of all time."

Attracting some of the best arm wrestlers in the United States, there will be over $15,000 in cash and awards to the winners. All proceeds from $10 tickets sales and concessions benefit Social Advocates for Youth. Complete information can be found here on the Senior Living Center website.

Turning, albeit regretfully, to the arts, the monthly Healdsburg Art Walk is also this Saturday, Oct. 13., 5 to 8 in the evening.

Of the 18 participating downtown galleries and art shops, at least 11 of them will have an artist present, and 7 of the galleries are owned by the artist him- or herself. 

The galleries often have nibbles or maybe a glass of wine for visitors, plus a number of other downtown business stay open in support of the Art Walk. There's a map available at participating galleries and tasting rooms with this article.

Speaking of local artists, the county-wide Art Trails also begin two-weekend exhibitions at local artists workshops, garages, studios and homes in Sonoma County. There are 9 participating artists in Healdsburg, and you can get information for all of them here.

Healdsburg artists include T Barney, Nancy Morgan, Mylette Welch, Jessica Felix, John Farnsworth, Jane Gardner, Joan January, Dana Hawley, and Willow LaLand-Yeilding, as well as several more in Geyserville and Windsor. See the map with this story for locations. (Although it is listed on the schedule, the studio of Horst B. Trave, who passed away last month, will not be open for visitors.)

Other weekend events inlcude:

• Saturday Farmer's Market will be open on schedule, 9 a.m. to noon, in its usual location. 
• There will be a 4H Yard Sale, benefiting the Healdsburg Animal Shelter, also Saturday from 8 to 11 a.m. It's at 317 Matheson St. and will include a petting zoo, ass 4-H club members exhibit their Chickens, Rabbits, Guinea Pigs, and other animals.
• Speaking of animals, Mutt Lynch Winery on Limerick Lane will have a Dog Days of Harvest open house on Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It's for the Green Dog Rescue Project, who benefit from the $10 ticket; you get wine and a logo glass.
• Saturday afternoon, 4 to 6, drop by the Seasons of the Vineyard tasting room and boutique for some funk, jazz, blues and Latin swing with the Jazz Mirage Quartet. Free, with Ferrari-Carano wines and bites.

Art alert: Next Wednesday, Oct. 17, local artist Bob Johnson will be in conversation with author B.A. Shapiro about her new novel, The Art Forger. Bob's a witty guy, and is keen on the book saying it's "a wonderful journey into the landscapes of art & intrigue… I give it five Impressionistic stars!"  The event will be at Copperfield's Healdsburg at 7 p.m., with a wine and food reception to follow at Johnson's upstairs gallery, 314 Center St.