Cotati

The Laguna de Santa Rosa runs diagonally through Cotati from southeast to northwest, dividing the city. Also distinctive in the townscape are the unusual hexagonal plan of Cotati Downtown Plaza, the Cotati Laguna Trail, and the Veronda-Falletti Ranch. Together, these features offer different starting points for a stay: city history, getting around the city, agriculture, and culture. If you’re looking for a hotel in Cotati, these interests can help guide your travel planning.

Town Plan and History

The plan of Cotati Downtown Plaza is hexagonal and is one of only two such town plans in the United States. Newton Smyth designed it in the 1890s as an alternative to the traditional grid plan. The streets around Cotati Downtown Plaza also bear a historical mark: they are named after Page’s sons. In this way, the plaza’s distinctive shape and the names of the surrounding streets are connected to the city’s history.

The Cotati Historical Society preserves artifacts, photographs, archives, and other historical materials related to Cotati’s history. Alongside the town plan’s design, these preserved materials are also a focus. Visitors interested in historic Cotati can explore several different aspects here: the idea behind the hexagonal plan, the naming of the streets, and the preservation of objects, images, and archival materials related to local history.

Trails Through Cotati and to the Laguna

The first section of the Cotati Laguna Trail runs from the southeastern corner of the city through residential neighborhoods and downtown to Highway 101 at the border with Rohnert Park. The Laguna Trail can be accessed where it crosses streets or runs alongside Cotati city parks. A 3-mile loop hike leads from Downtown Cotati to the Laguna headwaters near Lydia Commons. These trail descriptions offer different points of reference: a section through the city to its boundary and a loop hike with the headwaters as its destination.

Veronda-Falletti Ranch: Agriculture and Culture

The Veronda-Falletti Ranch serves as a city demonstration farm and a center for arts and culture. The 4.37-acre site is protected as public open space for the long term. At the same time, the ranch has been in continuous agricultural use for more than 100 years. The long, narrow brooder house still stands as a built testament to this history.

The ranch offers farm workshops, festivals and events, and educational programs for young people. Agriculture, culture, and youth education together shape the character of this place. These different functions are useful distinctions to keep in mind for your visit: the ranch is not only connected to its long history of agricultural use, but also serves as a city venue for arts, culture, and educational programs.

Music Festival and Event Format

The Cotati Accordion Festival is a two-day, multicultural, multigenerational, international, nonprofit music festival. Its format includes five stages: a polka tent, a jam tent, two main stages, and the alternative Apocalypse stage. There is also a two-day Zydeco dance party. The dance party is therefore a separate element of the festival format, not an additional one of the five stages.

Family-oriented offerings include a large playground, a wildlife exhibit, a Children’s Museum, and face painting. The format described also includes 70 vendor booths and 19 food booths. These details may vary from one edition to another. The festival brings together different music and event areas with activities for families; the ranch, in turn, represents agricultural use, arts and culture, and youth education. These different focuses can help you identify the interests you’d like to shape your stay in Cotati.

Discover more destinations: Sea Ranch, Occidental, Rohnert Park, Vineburg, Glen Ellen, Forestville, Healdsburg, Geyserville.

For the broader travel overview: Sonoma.