Climate change is a "low grade fever for the planet and for our environment, and it weakens the planet's immune system and makes all other environmental stresses more significant." With those words, Dan Adler, President of the California Clean Energy Fund (CalCEF), began his keynote speech at the 2012 Green California Summit and Exposition on Thursday at the Sacramento Convention Center. Adler described a "Green Bank" for California, a funding model for clean energy initiatives that would return the benefits to Californians. He said, "There is a way that we can collectively participate in the economic development that this environmental policy will yield." In its sixth year, the Green Ca

Around mid-May, members of beer-themed fraternity Tapakegaday will stand outside the Sacramento Convention Center holding signs in protest of an authoritarian events coordinator. But that’s just an act – and May 7, Sacramentans will get the chance to play those roles and others at a casting call for the pilot episode of a new comedy show, “Better than Unemployed?” Sacramento resident Michele Smith, 36, wrote “Better than Unemployed?” and said it is designed to appeal to anyone who has worked in a corporate setting, had a terrible boss or attended trade shows. “Basically, what it’s about is a woman named Sam, and every episode is a different trade show,” Smith said, explaining that Sam t

While canned food drives and holiday donations may bring awareness to the needs of homeless people in the community, the need for donations exists year-round, and sometimes those needs are filled by unexpected donors. For the past 10 to 15 years, Classique Catering – which contracts with the Sacramento Convention Center to provide food for convention center events – has been donating its excess to charity. “A lot of times, there will be events where a company plans on 800 people showing up, and they pay for food for that many, but maybe only 600 show up, leaving us with 200 extra meals,” said Classique Catering General Manager Vickie Housholder. Those extra 200 meals – whether they be i

In case you didn't already know: it's a great weekend to be in Sacramento. In addition to the arrival of the North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS) at the Convention Center, it's also the finale weekend of Sacramento Beer Week. Both were epitomized at Thursday's Art Bike Kick Off Party at Hot Italian. Hot Italian was serving their Beer Week special--a Moretti in a glass you get to keep--and Sierra Nevada was on site giving out samples of their beers. Three Art Bikes were on display (have you seen the other nine around town?): a Trike (that you were encouraged to climb on for a photo opp), a Shark Bike, and a St. Patty's Day Bike. The crowd was asked to submit their vote for their fa

Not everyone has this coming Monday off (alas!) but for those that do, Sacramento has a few options for using your day off to celebrate the man it honors—Martin Luther King, Jr. MLK365 is presenting the 31st Annual March for the Dream, which includes a peaceful march (choose to begin from the Oak Park Community Center, Grant High School, or Sacramento City College) that convenes on the Sacramento Convention Center for an afternoon of celebration. There will be something for all ages and interests—vendor booths, kids’ crafts & activities, entertainment, an art village featuring local artists, and more. The Crocker Art Museum is opening their doors for their free Holiday Monday program. Mo

This month is the one-year anniversary of the opening of the restaurant Muntean’s Soups, Salads, and Sandwiches at 1225 J St. George Muntean owns the restaurant with his wife, and while soup is the specialty, Muntean is no soup nazi. Entering the restaurant, a customer is likely to be surprised by a barrage of soup samples offered as he or she contemplates what to buy. Muntean said his generosity is a product of his Romanian heritage as well as his business philosophy. “Romanians are very friendly,” he said. “(This work) is my bread and butter. I offer the customer as much as I can if they are new here. I want them to choose something they like,” he said. Muntean’s offers 12-15 soups p

More than $100 million in rare coins and banknotes will be joining the biggest gold nugget still in existence  ever discovered in California next week as the National Money Show comes to Sacramento. “You’ll never see this much money in one place at any other time,” said Jay Beeton, marketing and education director of the American Numismatic Association, organizers of the National Money Show. Numismatists collect coins, banknotes and precious metals. “You don’t have to be a coin collector to enjoy the show,” he added. “If you have an appreciation of history and you want to spend a day doing something different, this is an opportunity to make this a family day.” In addition to the nearly

The first organized group in Sacramento to march in Martin Luther King Jr.’s honor did so in January, 1981. At 9 a.m. Jan. 17, 30 years later, more than 10,000 are expected to gather at Grant High School, Sacramento City College and Oak Park Community Center to march for civil rights and social justice in the MLK365 March. “This march in a real sense is a way of dramatizing the needs of our generation, coming up with a whole set of values that meet the needs of people today,” said event spokesman Sam Starks. “We will march until we bring into existence those things.” The march is a celebration of King’s work and the work of all who participated in the civil rights movement, but it is als

Mayor Kevin Johnson gave full endorsement of the 47th annual Sacramento Greek Festival on Friday, its opening day. In his address to festival-goers, Johnson shared his appreciation of the great music, art and food provided by the Greek community over the course of the weekend’s festivities, which took place at the Sacramento Convention Center. “It’s all about the gyros for me,” Johnson said. “We’ve got a lot of great Greek restaurants in Sacramento, but what’s neat about this event is that they all come here.” With more than 10,000 people attending the three-day event, Johnson clearly isn’t the only Sacramentan in support of celebrating all things Greek. Chefs from some of the best Gree

The 2010 Sacramento Jazz Festival and Jubilee has kicked off Memorial Day weekend in Old Sacramento and the Sacramento Convention Center area. Festivities will continue through Monday. According to the Jazz Festival's website, over 450 sets of live music will be performed this weekend. Featured artists include Arbors "Statesmen of Jazz," Molly Ringwald Quintet, Capitol Pops Concert Band and Mariachi Los Gallos. Tickets start at $25. For a schedule of events, visit the Jazz Festival's website. The Ophir Prison Marching Kazoo Band & Temperance Society performs. The Ophir Prison Marching Kazoo Band & Temperance Society performs. The Ophir Prison Marching Kazoo Band & Temperance Society

The Sacramento Metro Chamber announces that the 2010 Metro Expo trade show will be held Tuesday, May 25, at the Sacramento Convention Center. It will offer hundreds of opportunities for small businesses from around the region to meet other small business owners.   In a post-event survey, 49 responding businesses who exhibited in the 2009 Metro Expo reported inking deals worth more than $1 million. That’s more than $20,000 for each surveyed business. Last year’s trade show attracted more than 1,500 participants.   Case in point: Sue Peppers of Peppers TV, a Mather-based video production company. “From that event, we signed a $22,000 contract,” Peppers wrote in a thank-you letter.   Me

 The second day of the eighth annual All American Tattoo festival brought a much larger crowd to the Convention Center Saturday than on its opening night, Friday. Attendees had various reasons for checking out the tattoos and tattooed. Justin Maulit came with his wife and 16-month-old daughter to finish part of their wedding vows. “I’m here to get tattooed. It’s for our wedding. Me and my wife are getting matching ones. It’s a lady and a skull, and it says, ‘Til Death Do Us Part.’” She always wanted to get one, and we had [our daughter] and she couldn’t get one for the past two years, so now she’s getting hers done. [We brought our daughter] just as an experience, I’m pretty sure she’s

Tattoo artists from across the country and around the world will join local tattoo artists in offering their inking services to Sacramento for the eighth year in a row at the annual All American Tattoo Festival this weekend. The festival begins Friday and will continue through Sunday at the Sacramento Convention Center. The festival is organized in a joint effort between local promoter Alan Mahon and the owners of Sacramento's Forever Tattoo. Attendees can view over 100 art pieces, submissions of mainly paintings and drawings from the artists that won't include tattoo designs, on any of the three days of the festival, in addition to getting tattooed by world-renowned artists. “Fifty to 6

At the center of the United States’ wine making industry, Sacramento proved an ideal place to hold the Unified Wine & Grape symposium. About 11,000 of the country’s wine elite crowded the Sacramento Convention Center for four days where they educated themselves on the newest in wine technology. Thursday was the last day of the trade show exhibition at the symposium, which was presented by the American Society for Enology and Viticulture (ASEV) and California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG). Classes started Jan. 27 and ended Jan. 30, but exhibits were on display only Wednesday the 28th and Thursday the 29th. One of the most important topics addressed at this year's event, said M

On Monday, Martin Luther King Day, thousands marched from Oak Park to the Sacramento Convention Center as part of MLK365.org's "The Dream is Now" celebration. Police blocked off the streets for the marchers, led by a number of Martin-Luther-King-themed floats. Monday also marked the eve of President Barack Obama's inauguration, and the celebration seemed to have a dual role. Many were celebrating King's life, and at the same time paying a tribute to future President Obama, who as the first African American in the highest office of the United States, is already an historic President. The march proceeded across Sutterville Rd. to Freeport Blvd. and on to downtown. Once in the Convention Ce