in the scenic
20 minutes fromThe Sebastopol Community
Sebastopol was named for the Crimean seaport of Sevastopol in Russia in the 1850’s. In the late 1800’s when the Gravenstein apple was introduced, Sebastopol became the pioneer town of canned applesauce. In 1885 Luther Burbank purchased acreage in Sebastopol for an experimental nursery. It is known as Gold Ridge Farm and a small plot of land from the farm remains and is open to visitors. In 1890 the Northwestern Pacific Railroad opened a branch to Sebastopol. In 1904 an electric train carried passengers between Petaluma, Santa Rosa and Sebastopol. Sebastopol was incorporated as a City on June 13, 1902.
Since the early 1900’s Sebastopol has held harvest time Apple Fairs.
Now for more than 50 years its annual springtime Apple Blossom Festival has attracted thousands of flower lovers to the area for blossom tours and related festivities. In the countryside surrounding Sebastopol, properties with vineyards, apple orchards, redwoods, streams and other features are common. The City is located in a region that produces the majority of the world supply of Gravenstein apples and more recently has become a significant grape-growing region for fine quality wines.
Sebastopol is also the gateway to the popular Russian River and the coastal recreation areas including Freestone, Occidental, Bodega Bay, and the Sonoma County wine county, only about 1 hour from San Francisco. The Laguna de Santa Rosa is Sonoma County's Green Island, more than 250 square mile watershed-the largest fresh water wetland complex in coastal Northern California and is an integral part of the environment and economy of Sonoma County.
Sebastopol has more than 45 restaurants, nineteen churches, one public library, one weekly newspaper, three parks, five playgrounds and one public swimming pool. There is a Community Center and Art Center, ball parks, public golf course, skate park, tennis courts and the Veterans Memorial Building. Nearby resorts, campgrounds and State Parks including the Laguna de Santa Rosa Wetlands Preserve add to the recreation facilities. Art, gardening and music clubs are popular throughout West Sonoma County. Sebastopol is truly an artist community.