Petaluma is about to get a brewery opening with considerably more fanfare than a ribbon-cutting and a few polite claps. Old Caz Backyard will open Saturday with a bicycle procession from Rohnert Park, live music, craft beer and a ceremonial tap-handle handoff that turns the new location into the finish line.
According to The Press Democrat, the Old Caz Cavalcade starts at 10 AM at the brewery’s Rohnert Park location and covers about 7.3 miles before reaching Petaluma. The ride will deliver an original handmade tap handle from Old Caz’s first brewpub, including the handle used to pour the brewery’s first beer, to the new backyard.
The route begins with a short stretch down Petaluma Hill Road before continuing along local roads and pathways, including the SMART trail. Riders do not need to preregister, and participants are promised a custom keychain, a chance to win an exclusive Old Caz bike jersey and 50% off their first beer at the new location. Those without bicycles can take SMART from Cotati to downtown Petaluma, because even a beer parade apparently needs a public transit option.
Old Caz Takes Over The Former Block Space
At noon, Old Caz Backyard will open at the former home of The Block on Grey Street, with the brewery’s grand-opening party scheduled to continue until 10 PM. The Press Democrat reports that the space has undergone significant renovations ahead of the debut and will feature three bands throughout the day.
The Petaluma venue is designed as more than a taproom. Plans call for 30 taps pouring Old Caz beer alongside locally made wines and ciders, a full kitchen serving pub food, rotating food trucks, indoor and outdoor seating, an outdoor firepit and an expanded stage for live music.
There is also a children’s play area with arcade games, giving families a reason to stay while the adults debate whether the next round should be an IPA, lager or something less aggressively beer-shaped. The brewery’s official website describes Old Caz as Rohnert Park’s first homegrown brewery, with a broad lineup that includes IPAs, lagers, hard seltzers and nonalcoholic beverages.
A Bigger Backyard For A Sonoma County Brewery
Old Caz was founded by Tom Edwards and Bryan Rengel, two former Sonoma State classmates who turned a shared interest in home brewing into a growing Sonoma County beer business. In a 2024 profile, SOMO Village detailed how the pair built the brewery around an open-door, community-first approach and later expanded into a larger brewpub.
Saturday’s cavalcade is an extended version of a cyclist procession Old Caz held in 2024, when roughly 300 fans traveled from the original taproom to the brewery’s SOMO Village brewpub. This time, the route ends with a new Petaluma gathering place, a commemorative tap handle and enough live music to make the seven-mile ride feel like the opening act.
