See You on the Plaza for Back to School @the Market!

Event series will celebrate students, teachers, and schools at Sonoma's Tuesday Night Market

Logo design by Lilly Streb, SVHS Class of 2026

A month-long celebration of Sonoma public schools, students and teachers kicks off Tuesday, Sept. 9, at Sonoma’s Tuesday Night Market on the Sonoma Plaza, presented by the SVEF.

Back to School @the Market will be held at four Tuesday evening markets Sept. 9, 16, 23, and 30, starting at 4:30 p.m. Each week will focus on a theme and feature free interactive activities, said Sarah Carroll, SVEF executive director. 

The first showcase on Sept. 9 will coincide with the Sonoma Plein Air festival’s “Quick Draw” event and will focus on the arts, Carroll said. Artwork will be on display and short films will play, all created by Sonoma Valley High School students. 

Sports will be featured Sept. 16, while Sept. 23 will focus on career and technical education.

The final night of the series is Sept. 30, which is also the last Tuesday night market of the year. The theme will be student leadership and attendees are encouraged to wear “Red for Ed” to show off their pride in Sonoma schools, Carroll said.

Back to School @the Market is the next evolution of SVEF’s Red & White Ball, the former gala fundraiser that transformed into a community event in the wake of the COVID pandemic. 

“With this exciting new format, SVEF is expanding to a month-long celebration,” said Carroll. “There are more opportunities than ever to learn about the ingenuity and creativity of our local public school students and educators.”

In addition to coordinating programming for the free series, SVEF will provide information at its booth about how the community can get involved and support local students and schools throughout the year.  

---