PALOOZA IV

We have never needed this more

September 24–27, 2026 | Sonoma Coast Villa

Bodega, California

The Official DanaPalooza IV Briefing Film

The Setting

Sonoma Coast Villa

A villa on the Sonoma coast, and for one long weekend in September, the center of the Danaverse. Most of the property is ours — Danizens have already claimed their rooms.

What's on This Site

Everything we know so far, organized with love and only minor confusion.

The Schedule tells you where to be and when, with particular emphasis on Saturday trivia, which is not optional and never was. The FAQ answers the questions you were going to ask anyway. Breakfast has photos, plans, and the path to Wild Flour, so you can study up before you commit to carbs. And Local Spots covers the coast, the towns, and where to eat chowder on a curb.

Coming soon: specific hikes, with actual trail names and honest assessments of how much uphill is involved.

This site will keep growing as we do. Check back often. We are not above adding things at the last minute.

Four days. One Danaverse.

  • Description

    • 3:00 PM — Check-in. Report to HQ, claim your bunk, accept your welcome glass of wine. You've traveled far. You've earned it.

    • 6:00 PM — Dinner @ Dinucci's Italian Dinners — a Valley Ford institution older than all of us combined.  (RSVP required — the Count must be counted.)

    • 8:00 PM — Games + catching up in the Grand Villa. A full year of gossip does not summarize itself.

    • 10:00 PM — Quiet Time™. The danaverse respects its elders. We are the elders.

    • 8:00 AM — Brekkie, included with room (link coming to full details).  (ME has the coffee situation handled. Do not worry about the coffee. The coffee is handled.)

    • 9:00 AM – Noon — Hiking. Coastal hills, ocean views (sea-adjacent, as promised), smug feelings of accomplishment.

    • Noon – 4:00 PM — Free Play: wander to town, sit by the pool, commandeer the hot tub, deploy the games, or make the pilgrimage to Freestone bakery for lunch (featuring bread of legend).

    • 5:00 PM — Cocktail Hour @ the Grand Villa. Attendance technically optional, historically perfect.

    • 6:00 PM — Dinner @ the Grand Villa — lasagna two ways (veggie + meat) and salad.  (Again with the Count. Feed us your RSVP.)

    • 8:00 PM — Movie on the Deck: The Birds — filmed literally down the road in Bodega. Yes, the schoolhouse is real. Yes, it's still there. No, the birds are (probably) not organized anymore.

    • 10:00 PM — Quiet Time™ (see: elders, above).

    • 8:00 AM — Brekkie. The coffee bar at the grand residence self-serve lattes – yup you are worth it. (Amy's glorious Sweet Buns will be on display.)

    • 9:00 AM – Noon — Hike, the sequel. Same hills, new complaints.

    • Noon – 3:00 PM — Free Time. Nap loudly. We won't judge (we will discuss it at cocktails).

    • 3:00 PM — Cocktails + Charcuterie Summit. Cheese negotiations begin promptly.

    • 4:30 PM — TRIVIA. Reputations will be made. Alliances will crumble. Someone will dispute a ruling. It will be glorious.

    • 6:30 PM — Dinner — chicken, veggies + salad. Moved later so the kitchen crew can cook AND compete.

    • 8:30 PM — Games. Round two. Grudges from trivia may be settled here.

    • 10:00 PM — Quiet Time™. Tradition is tradition.

    • 8:00 AM — Farewell Brekkie.

    • 9:00 AM — Bay FC contingent departs for the match. Go loudly and represent us well.

    • 10:00 AM — Check-out. Hugs mandatory. Leftovers negotiable. See you at Palooza 5.

The Firepit
& Outdoor Cinema

Sonoma Coast Villa comes equipped with a firepit, s'mores provisions, and an outdoor movie screen — a combination of amenities the DanaPalooza Planning Committee has described as "frankly, suspiciously on-brand."

Friday night's feature presentation is The Birds (1963), filmed just up the road in Bodega Bay, screened under the same skies Hitchcock once weaponized. Marshmallows will be toasted. Licorice will be judged. Crows may attend but are not permitted to vote in the Licorice Showdown.

  • WiFi: yes, and it works. Cell signal: adorable that you asked. Coverage is spotty out here — download your playlists and podcasts before you leave civilization, then enjoy being unreachable. It's a feature.

  • The campus is delightfully small. The farthest room is about a 2-minute walk from the main house and breakfast. Valley Ford (Dinucci's) is 5 minutes by car, Bodega Bay is about 12–15, Freestone (bread!) is about 12.

  • Confirmed on recon: the lot fits 10+ cars comfortably. Carpool anyway — it's more fun and the group chat needs the content.

  • Not entirely — a few rooms may be occupied by civilians who did not know they were booking a stay adjacent to DanaPalooza IV. Be your best danizen self: friendly waves, inside voices after 10, and no recruiting them for trivia (unless they seem really good).

  • Yes. Quiet hours start at 10 PM and management is firm on this. Fortunately, we invented Quiet Time™ years ago, so this is less a rule and more a lifestyle we already have merch for.

    • Layers and a warm jacket (coastal evenings are no joke)

    • a blanket or packable throw for firepit/outdoor seating. Bring your year one red blanket!

    • headlamp or flashlight, or year one Palooza lantern!

    • hiking shoes

    • daypack + water bottle

    • swimsuit (hot tub!)

    • binoculars (whales are a genuine possibility)

    • refillable coffee mug

    • a reusable wine cup

    • your favorite games

    • sunscreen, despite the fog.

    • If you have your lanyard from the original feel free to bring it!

  • Handled individually with the villa — check their website or contact them directly. The official Palooza window is 3:00 PM Thursday to 10:00 AM Sunday

Frequently asked questions

  • Thursday: Dinucci's, pay-your-own-tab (RSVP so the reservation is right). Friday: Lasagna Night at the villa. Saturday: cocktails, the famous charcuterie board, and a chicken dinner engineered around trivia. Friday and Saturday dinners are provided — there's a small per-person cost and an RSVP for each (details in the email). Breakfast is included every morning.

  • The email asks exactly this. Tell us everything — the kitchen crew plans around allergies like the professionals we pretend to be. (Spinach and shellfish are already banned from the menu. You're welcome.) If your gluten free or vegetarian - we got you.

  • Recon-tested: the Bodega Head Loop (~3 miles, easy, clifftop views, whale-watching potential) is the marquee hike and genuinely great for everyone. Kortum Trail at Sonoma Coast State Park is the big-scenery option. Pinnacle Gulch is the mellow choice (~1 mile to a hidden beach with tidepools — note: stairs). Doran Beach offers a flat stroll for the no-hike caucus.

  • Yes — BYO is fully allowed, and family-business bottles are enthusiastically encouraged. There will also be a case of pilsner for the beer people. We take care of our own. But there will be plenty from our sponsors Barber Lee Spirits and Barber Cellars Wine as well as Julie’s legendary cocktail bar.

  • Which ones? Amy's Sticky Buns of Legend appear at breakfast, as tradition demands — no travel required, just gratitude. If you need *more* baked goods (a recognized condition), Wild Flour Bread in Freestone is 12 minutes away and worth the trip — see the Need More Bread section for the full menu intel and directions. Checkout our recon pictures and information on Wildflour.

  • Yes. It's in Bodega, minutes away, and it's real. We're watching the movie Friday night essentially on location. The birds are (probably) not organized anymore.

  • You heard correctly. The Latte Your Way station will be set up in the Grand Villa as a companion to the regular breakfast coffee and tea. Espresso, steamed milks (a variety), froth to your specifications — cappuccino people, flat white people, and mostly-foam people are all provided for. Drip coffee remains available for those who prefer their caffeine without ceremony.

    Get all the breakfast details here.