FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mendocino County CA: It’s Spooky How Much Fun You Can Have!

MENDOCINO COUNTY, Calif. (September 2008) – Autumn in Northern California’s Mendocino County brings the awe of turning leaves, unique food festivals such as the Abalone Cook-off and Annual Mushroom Festival, and wonderful wineries opening their doors for informal barrel-tasting events -- all against the mellow backdrop of the relaxed Fall season. Add in fields of pumpkins, crisp starry nights, and haunted Victorians, and you’ll quickly see why Mendocino Count is one of the best places for Halloween fun.

Just South of Mendocino Village, Fensalden Inn is a former stagecoach stop that offers everything you crave in a charming B & B – and something special and scary to boot! Murder Mystery Weekends are held there throughout the year and can be set up anytime by special arrangement to accommodate groups of up to 14 people.

The fun includes a secret séance, hidden clues, and mirth and mayhem – all combined with special wine pourings from Anderson Valley Vineyards, gourmet dinner Saturday night, and lavish breakfasts every day.

Special group rates are available and it makes an excellent team building experience!

Fensalden Inn
33810 Navarro Ridge Road
Albion CA 95410
(707) 937-4042
www.bbonline.com/ca/fensalden

The Willits Shakespeare Company in Willits, CA presents four one-act plays based on the works of suspense master Edgar Allen Poe. Performances will be held Thursday the 30th, Friday the 31st, and Saturday November 1st starting at 8 p.m. Friday’s performance to be followed by a Halloween Costume party with live music!

The Willits Shakespeare Company
212 S Main St, #23
Willits, CA 95490
(707) 456-0152
www.willitsbard.com

The fabulous Little River Inn is the anchor location for the second annual county-wide Day of the Dead Festival, this October 27th through November 2nd. The festivities will take place all over -- from Gualala to Willits to Mendocino Village – and include crafting classes, a “how to” mole making demonstration, a hands-on sugar skull workshop, a silent auction, tequila tasting, and much more.

An Altar Trail commemorating loved ones lost will take the form of installations at wineries, galleries, restaurants and inns – including the picturesque Whitegate Inn in Mendocino Village, which is holding a Day of the Dead Feast on All Saints Day, also known as November 1st. The feast will cost $30 per person for non-inn guests and $25 for guests. The menu, which will be made from scratch from authentic recipes, will include Pollo Mole Negro Oaxaqueno, Champurado (a warm chocolate beverage said to nourish and warm the spirits as they come or leave) and Calabaza en Tacha (candied pumpkin).

Whitegate Inn
Mendocino, CA 95460
(800) 531-7282
www.whitegateinn.com

Little River Inn
Little River CA 95456
(888) INN LOVE
www.littleriverinn.com

Ukiah’s Country Pumpkinfest (October 18th and 19th) blends a harvest and music festival into the Halloween holiday. Along with a variety of delicious foods, the streets of downtown Ukiah are filled with craft vendors, fine arts exhibits, and "Scarecrow City". Enjoy live music, a country fiddle contest and the ever-popular children's carnival including games and amusements. Try your luck at a pie-eating contest or show off your green (or orange) thumb by entering the great pumpkin weigh-off!

Ukiah, CA 95482
(707) 463-6712
www.cityofukiah.com

The City of Willits is one of the hosts of the 2nd Annual Hallowmas Celebration, October 25th through November 2nd. Events will include a children’s Halloween Parade and Pinata Party, starting at 4 p.m. Halloween, October 31st and a Mystic’s Faire from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on November 1st.

Willits Community Center
111 E. Commercial Street
Willits, CA 94590
(707) 354-0242

Headquarters for the 2006 California Ghost Hunter Conference, the venerable Mendocino Hotel and Garden Suites is ground zero for ghosts in downtown Mendocino Village. The beautiful Victorian is known to be haunted – but with a brand new chef getting raves in the restaurant, sumptuous period-appropriate antiques, cozy blazes in all the fireplaces, and sweeping views of the crashing Pacific, this full service hotel is a pretty good place for the living too.

Mendocino Hotel and Garden Suites
45080 Main Street
Mendocino CA 95460
(800) 548-0513
www.mendocinohotel.com


For more information on spending the holidays in Mendocino County, call (866) 782-9636 (866 STAY-MENDO), or visit: http://www.gomendo.com


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Media Contact:
Emily Polsby, HypeHouse Inc., emily@hypehouse.com, 415-788-4114