A veritable vampire weekend awaits local Halloween celebrants with a taste for blood (and beyond) as the veil thins this week.
It stands to reason—according to recent analysis by the fine folks at Lawn Love—San Francisco (and by extension the greater Bay Area) is among the researcher’s “Best and Worst Cities for Vampires.”
Their criteria for ranking metro centers was simple: “cities with plenty of warm bodies, blood centers, and vampire-friendly dwellings (a.k.a., casket suppliers and homes with basements).” They also tallied “deterrents like garlic festivals and sunshine, as well as community and entertainment factors, such as vampire groups, nightlife options, and vampire tours.”
So, how did we rank in the San Francisco Bay Area? We were fifth behind New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and Los Angeles, in that order, which I attribute to our relative lack of basements (it’s earthquake country after all) and a relatively low ebb—at least in recent years—of nightlife. That said, it does have plenty of blood centers and, wait for it…vampire groups.
Of course it does. And even if you don’t identify as a sanguisugent member of the undead, there are many ways to get your fix of Halloween, if not hemoglobin.
Nestled riverside at the edge of Guerneville, Dawn Ranch offers a “Blood Tasting” in lieu of the Russian River Valley’s usual oenophilic offerings. Wine partner Arista Winery is the “blood” donor in this case, providing a variety of, um, blood “types.” Additionally, Agriculture Public House, the rustic lodge’s eatery, offers anyone who dresses up in costume 10% off their meal during dinner service.
The tasting commences at 4pm, Saturday, Oct. 29, Dawn Ranch, 16467 California 116, Guerneville. dawnranch.com.
