Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "family activities"

A Community Celebration of Art: CurtisFest, Tomorrow, Sept. 10, 2011 at William Curtis Park!

2011-09-09T21:45:53Z

Join us for a day of art, music, and fun for the whole family, Saturday, September 10, 2011!

Creations in all art forms, domestic and exotic animals who allow you to pet them, a fairy who paints a glittering swan on your face, and musicians whose songs are brand new each time they perform. These are only some of the imaginative artists and activities that await kids and adults at the 5th Annual CurtisFest on Saturday, September 10th. Presented by the Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association (SCNA), Curtis Fest will be held from 10am until 4pm in William Curtis Park, an eighteen-acre parcel of ground surrounded by quaint bungalows and shaded by renown heritage trees.

CurtisFest was established in 2007 to give local artists a venue at which to exhibit and sell their work. This free fall event will feature almost sixty artists and artisans who will present samples of their creations, great food from local vendors, and live music. Ceramicists, watercolorists, jewelry artists, photographers, potters, portraitists, fabric and giclee artists, and many more will be on hand to provide a fall feast of visual delight.

There will be lots more for attendees to do as they delight in the work of the visual artists. Offering their musical take on the richly creative atmosphereof CurtisFest will be the improvisational project band Instagon. Begun in 1993 as a musical experiment in the unexpectedly compelling sounds that can be created from everyday objects and situations, Instagon formed when a number of local musicians began incorporating this “noise” into a fusion of progressive rock, jazz, and drunge punk. Different musicians join Instagon for each performance, keeping the vibe crisp, intoxicating, and very much alive.

In 2007 a trio of musicians from Instagon developed the idea of creating a band with a solid lineup of jazz cover-versions of popular songs and riffs. The idea caught on with fans, and Garage Jazz Architects was born. Now on indie label TIF Recordings, Garage Jazz Architects will bring their spontaneous garage-jazz covers to CurtisFest to share with all.

The third musical group on board for CurtisFest is The Mike Justis Band. After performing together throughout northern California for twenty-five years with the popular band, Poetic Justis, Steve Mc Iane, Kathy Barwick and Mike Justis formed a trio to bring their mix of country rock and blues to venues in and around Sacramento.

Children are perhaps the most special part of CurtisFest, and this year’s festival offers two events that have proven to captivate children of all ages. Voted 2010 Family Favorite by the Bay Area Parent magazine, Happily Ever Laughter is an ensemble of specially-trained performers who’ve created a cast of singular characters to entertain at all sorts of children’s events. These professional “faeries” are known to enthrall children with not only their extraordinary face-painting, singing, magic, and balloon art, but also their genuine connection to the children with whom they “play.”

After conversing with the fairy from Happily Ever Laughter, kids can wind their way over to visit the animals of Pony Ranch Parties. The law firm of Soluri Meserve is sponsoring the return of the CurtisFest petting zoo. Expert at providing a safe and fun experience for both children and animals, Pony Ranch Parties introduces children to a variety of domestic and exotic animals. The adult staff members of Pony Ranch Parties go the extra mile to share and teach in this memorable interactive experience.

For more information on the Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Associations 5th Annual CurtisFest, call (916) 452-3005 or email faith@sierra2.org.

The Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association (SCNA) formed in the 1970’s to rescue the old Sierra School from demolition. Since then, SCNA has brought neighbors together for a diverse slate of year-round events, and has offered a cohesive voice for community concerns. The restored Sierra 2 Center serves as a focal point for artists, teachers, students, parents, children, and seniors, who rely upon its dance studios, gardens, performance spaces, meeting halls and class rooms to provide a secure, charming home. Curtis Park is a neighborhood of approximately 2500 homes, a patchwork of diverse architectural styles situated around a quaint park.

Music in the Park this Sunday, Aug. 28, in Curtis Park

2011-08-26T18:47:06Z

The final Music in the Park concert event of the summer in Curtis Park!

Bring a picnic basket, a blanket, and friends and family this Sunday as we bring the Music in the Park concert series to a close for the summer. This event is FREE and open to the public, brought to you by Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association and sponsors Cook Realty, Surewest, and with support from City Councilman Jay Schenirer.

With an exciting stage show featuring top-drawer choreography, tight vocal harmony, and fantastic screaming horns, the ever popular band, On Air, will be an appropriate grand finale for the concert series. At the children's stage, GWhiz, returns to present his clever line-up of songs and games for children.

In addition to the music and the outdoor setting that inspires a 'kick back and relax' mindset, sponsor Cook Realty will be dishing out ice cream bon bons from Gunther's Ice Cream. Supporting sponsors Surewest and Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op will also be on hand to engage attendees with their goodies.

*Per City ordinance, alcohol is not permitted in the park. However, by special permit, beer and wine will be available for purchase during the event. Sodas and water will also be available.

Come on over to Curtis Park and bring summer to a close with great music, bon bons, and a picnic under the canopy of the historical Curtis Park trees!

Event Info
William Curtis Park
Sacramento, California 95818
Sunday, Aug. 28
6:30PM-8:30PM

Disclosure: Written by SCNA's Executive Director

Sacramento's Gold Rush Days

2009-09-03T05:46:39Z

Old Sacramento will be transported back to the mid-1800s once again for its 10th Annual Sacramento Gold Rush Days this Labor Day weekend.

Two hundred tons of dirt will transform this already rustic landmark heritage site into the appropriate mid-1850s California Gold Rush setting. Walking along the dusty trail, be prepared to witness a flurry of time-piece bands, costumed Wild West reenactors, horse-drawn carriages and Gold Rush activities for all ages — such as gold panning.

Sloughs for gold panning will be located in a few different locations, by the Railroad Museum and Wells Fargo Museum. Bits of real gold can also be found for the lucky few, according to Mike Testa, vice president of communications for the Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau.

"This is a great place to get entertainment," Testa said. "If you have never seen Old Sac before, it is worth seeing it during this time," said Mike Testa.

This free event will be spaced out over four days starting September 4th. Returning attractions include gunslinging reenactors along K Street, such as the Blue Canyon Gang and the Black Coat Sierra Nevada Guns for Hire. Don't worry about missing a performance, they will be performing every day at almost every hour.

"All of the [gunslingers] are hired guns," Testa said. "Some of them do this professionally for a living. Some in fact have worked in Western movies out of Hollywood or in Universal Studios," explains Mike Testa.

The event kicks off on Friday with music on the Embarcadero Stage, located in front of the Railroad Museum on I Street, along with gunslingers and street performers. A lot of the special events are on going all day and will repeat each hour. Tents will be set up with vendors, period artifacts and storytelling. Storytellers are all local volunteer docents with a wealth of knowledge and collaborative love of the Gold Rush Era.

Attendees can expect a tantalizing feast of barbecue meats and grilled vegetables at the surrounding eateries. All the restaurants will be open in Old Sacramento, along with Old West-style cooking demonstrations.

"Unfortunately, we can't sell the [demonstration] food because of health food regulations, but we can demonstrate how it was prepared," Testa said.

Quite a few of the restaurants will be running specials to coincide with the Western theme. The Delta King on the Sacramento River will be providing some specials, as will the famous burger joint Fanny Anne's.

But really, "All of the [restaurants] in Old Sac get involved in something fun," Testa said.

The cultural and ethnic performances have also expanded this year. At the Embarcadero Stage, some of the cultural variety pieces being presented will include European, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, African-American and Native Californian, according to the Gold Rush Days website. All of the performances will be done in authentic Gold Rush-era garb.

Dancing and musicians will be on hand to create a lively, Wild West atmosphere. According to Testa, a crowd favorite return will be the Johnny Cash Tribute Band performing on the Save Mart Stage on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. The Pony Express will be running the streets approximately three to four times per day. Visitors can expect uniformed postal workers on thundering horses galloping through the streets. A cannon-firing will take place each day at high noon at the Embarcadero Stage.

For a complete listing of performance times and scheduled events, please check the Sacramento Gold Rush website at Sacramento Gold Rush Days. Programs and walking maps will also be provided.

To help minimize parking issues, Testa encourages patrons to park at Downtown Plaza or use Regional Transit.

Photo courtesy of Sacramento History Museum.