photographs by Barry Wisdom It wasn't the glitziest parade on the block, and more ads passed by than during a Talladega Superspeedway Nascar event, but the smiles that beamed from the shoulder-to-shoulder spectators at Sacramento's 2011 Santa Parade are the stuff that Christmas dreams are made of. Presented Dec. 9 by D&H Special Event Management, the capital city's 29th annual holiday tradition once again delighted young and old with an eclectic lineup of merry marching bands, a spate of sports cars, a bunch of Boy Scouts, a gaggle of Girl Scouts and a Santa in a pear tree. (OK – a Santa in a horse-drawn carriage.) Horses aside, chances are if it had an internal-combustion engine, it tr

As a child in Waterford, Ireland, a breezy, often cold yet verdant town where time seems to move at a slower pace, Jim O’Leary often escaped to more exciting locales via movies — especially documentaries. “I always loved the sound of foreign places, I loved geography,” said O’Leary, design director for Waterford Crystal. “I’d even collect the (overseas) stamps that came in the mail.” In 1960, just barely into his teens, he found another escape, however, in the form of a job at the town’s most famous employer, Waterford Crystal.  “We had this wonderful factory that gave employment to the local community,” he said. “At 14, I was good at drawing and was attracted to the company in a very s

Yellow flowers, silver ribbons, and shopping bags line the white linen covered tables in the Macy's courtyard of the Downtown Plaza Mall in preparation for a 10th Anniversary benefit fashion show for United Way's Women in Philanthropy. More than 230 women attended the luncheon to honor the group that brings women together to foster youths towards adulthood. Honorees walked the runway with great reason to celebrate being that the day marks a milestone. Reaching $1 million in funds for programs, 1,223 towel sets, 75 luggage, 904 holiday gifts, and 34 life skills workshops given to foster youths aging out of the system. This year, the group shares a new idea, $en$e –ability, individual deve

Beatnik Studios hosted its Last Friday art showings for November. Musical guests were The Dreaded Diamond and Exquisite Corps. Art surrounded the walls on the entrance area and a fashion show took place in the Beatnik studio area in the back of the building. I got the opportunity to listen to one of Dreaded Diamond’s songs as they were ending their set when I arrived. . Exquisite Corps followed and I was able to enjoy some of their set. The last time I saw them was at the Chalk It Up event in September and enjoyed their venue. Their unique blend of a cello, violin, drums, guitar and vocals always makes it a joy to listen to. (Exquisite Corps) A charity fashion event benefiting Feeding

Fashion was the name of the game for this month's Third Saturday event held at the Westfield Galleria at the Downtown Plaza in Sacramento. Sacramento News and Review presented the event with Tais serving as emcee. Tais was there without his shadow Adam Saake but was there with his much lovelier fiancé. Instagon was the only musical guess during the time I was at the event. Fans of their music were able to enjoy an extra long set of their performance. A couple of the same vendors from previous months came back this month to sell their merchandise. Many new vendors occupied spots in the courtyard in front of Macy's. Corey de Roo owner of the French Cuff Consignment was on hand to introdu

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg gave Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson advice on what makes other cities successful at a meeting in New York City. Johnson also met with NBA Commissioner David Stern and Macy’s CEO Terry Lundgren. "You have to be responsive to the needs of your city," Johnson said that Bloomberg told him.  "You have to not only prioritize, but you have to be able to implement, execute and actualize whatever those happen to be." Johnson listed public safety, education, job creation and economic development as the city's top priorities. There are other issues that Johnson will be looking at. "Then he said that (there are) things that aren't your priorities that you shou

Sacramento retailers are still feeling the bitter sting of the recession this holiday season. Local merchants selling everything from kids' snowshoes to William Shatner's first album are mostly reporting decreased sales — although some say 2009 holiday sales haven't been as dire as predicted. "I think the holiday season will be a disappointment to most merchants," said Ed Castro, who owns Ed's Threads at 1125 21st St. "I'm not shooting for the moon, so I'm not going to be disappointed." With the country's economy in its third year of recession, retailers operating downtown and throughout the central city are struggling the same as retailers elsewhere. Industry-wide, holiday retail sale