Summer Vacation: July 8, 2026
Petaluma Voice is going on vacation! Well, sort of. It's that time of year, and we are taking the opportunity to step back, recharge our batteries, and prepare for all that lies ahead. We may not be fully staffed, but don't worry. Despite the Fourth of July holiday, we are turning out some bang-up stories this week and next.
Thanks very much for reading. We hope you enjoy these summer break stories!
A great way to spend the dog days of summer is chilling in the newly modernized Petaluma Regional Library, which happens to have a birthday of its own this year. The library celebrates its 50th anniversary with a big shindig on Saturday, July 11. Our esteemed colleague, retired Petaluma Argus-Courier Managing Editor Chris Samson, gives us the scoop and takes us on a trip back in time to when he covered the grand opening – in 1976.
Do you find yourself reminiscing about the holiday weekend? We have some spectacular images of the fireworks by Petaluma native Frank Blue, and one cool patriotic dog in the Penngrove parade, snapped by our own Crissy Pascual.
Speaking of dogs, check out Zero, an adorable boxer-husky mix with mismatched eyes, up for adoption at Petaluma’s animal shelter. He’s looking for a good home for his own long-term family vacation!
What brings out the vibe of summer vacation more than the Bands on the Basin concert on Saturday, July 11? Editor Tobias Young tells us about the Petaluma Floathouse and several programs intended to bring people out to enjoy the Petaluma River.
What would the hot days of summer vacation be without a delicious serving of local handmade ice cream? Petaluma ice cream maker Pilar Bernard dives into her passion in our weekly series, 5Qs.
Summertime usually brings drinks, cooled with ice. However, another kind of ICE has Petalumans talking, and it's not the kind we use in vacation drinks. An overflow crowd on Monday, July 6, protested the actions of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency at city hall, demanding the Petaluma City Council adopt a non-cooperation ordinance with ICE.
Finally, our top story of the week by reporter Jennifer Sawhney involves doctors in high demand. These doctors have travelled all the way from Mexico to help alleviate an acute doctor shortage, especially for our Spanish-speaking community. It’s no vacation, but the doctors take satisfaction in working long hours at the Petaluma Health Center, which has hired 14 doctors, psychiatrists and dentists from Mexico in a new partnership program.
In case you missed it: Culture
Petaluma is a town steeped in culture, from its agricultural rivertown roots, to its art community, to its Day of the Dead celebrations, to its local music. If you, too, are on vacation, you might consider a View Master history tour from the Petalumans of Yesteryear, or catch a FIFA World Cup game at one of our local pubs.
And don’t forget to check our calendar of events for the Art and Garden Festival, an annual street fair held on Fourth and B streets from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 12.