St. Patrick’s Day is Thursday, and if you’re still undecided about how to spend it, The Sacramento Press has just the list for you. Whether you’re looking to stick to your New Year’s resolution of losing weight by running a half-marathon, or donate to a good cause, or eat some traditional corned beef and cabbage, you’re sure to find something to get you in the Irish spirit below. 15th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade & Festival Saturday, March 12 Old Sacramento Festival at noon Parade at 1 p.m. The parade will start at Second and L streets and has more than 60 entries with about 1,000 participants. “It’s very family-oriented in Old Sacramento,” said Nancy Mallory, the parade’s coordinato

Julia, a two-and-half year old paints while Johnny Murphy, I Dream of Johnny, looks on. Her painting was photographed and could be turned into wearable art.   ArtBeast children's studio partnered with Sacramento based online retailer Retail Therapy and Johnny Murphy I Dream of Johnny   for an afternoon event, "Where Art meets Fashion", as a fundraiser for the Tubman House, a nonprofit organization serving young homeless parents and their children. It was like a big art party full of paints, colored pens and a large canvas wall. Murphy demonstrated how he has turned art into fashion and worked with children individually to share his vision-turned-clothing.   This young artist wears a

Imagine being a child in a world with endless possibilities for creativity. Welcome to Art Beast, an art studio for children located at 2226 K St. Children of all ages are encouraged to act, paint, color, play and dream inside the sacred walls of Art Beast. Parents and adults feel like the visitors in this magical world. The Art Beast contains three floors and a basement perfect for letting your child's creativity run wild. "Everything is here in this building," grandma Rose Orlandi said as she watched her two grandchildren ages 4 and 2. "Clay. Sand. Paint. They have it all and I don't have to worry about getting it on my carpet. Where else can I play too?" Different floors are dedicate

Working with youth in crisis is a tough profession. Bridget Alexander can tell you firsthand. She and her partner Blithe Raines are the co-founders of the Waking the Village foundation. The nonprofit runs a transitional living community called The Tubman House, which serves young parents and their children. Alexander and Raines have worked with youth for over a decade, sometimes receiving gut-wrenching 2 a.m. phone calls about crises needing immediate action. Realizing they needed something fun, easy and not gut-wrenching at all, the couple decided last year to open Art Beast, a venue that introduces children under 7 to the arts. Kids are a good motivator, said Alexander, 42, who has thr

As you go about your life on Dec. 21, take a moment to stop, reflect and consider the fact that due to the earth's tilt on its axis, you are experiencing the shortest day, and hence, the longest night of the year. Termed the "Winter Solstice," societies throughout history have ritually welcomed this astronomical phenomenon in celebration.  In modern cultures, these gatherings are still valued for emotional and spiritual comfort — giving people something to look forward to at the darkest time of the year, while also serving as a reminder to connect back to the earth’s rhythms. This is the goal of Jennifer Riley, a CMT, reiki master and certified yoga instructor who teaches eco-yoga for kid

Hey parents, wondering how to keep your little beasts - er, I mean children - busy for the rest of the summer? Let your free-range kids explore Artbeast, a newly opened art studio for the little ones in midtown Sac. It's full of art exploration rooms and loads of classes. Kids can really dig into the arts. An ArtBeast monthly membership offers unlimited time in the open studio and arts exploration rooms, and one or two weekly arts classes.   Let 'em get their feet muddy.   And their hands, too!   They'll love it. Really!   They can sing and mess around playing somebody else. Dramatic play spaces change monthly so children can explore the creation of story lines wi