The new Harvey House restaurant opens in Old Sacramento on Saturday, and co-owner Simon Mandell said it incorporates the area’s rich history while providing affordable family dining. “My wife works for the (California State) Railroad Museum, and she said the only complaint they ever get there is that they don’t have a good family restaurant nearby,” Mandell said. “Everything is either a bar or high-end dining or a hot dog.” Mandell, 62, got his start in the restaurant business in Orange County after graduating from culinary school. He’s lived in Sacramento for the past 20 years, and most recently, his focus was on his catering business, Simon’s Catering. Located at 900 Second St., the r

“Continual cheerfulness is a sign of wisdom,” says this old piece of Irish wisdom. Old Sac was full of that, as well as good luck, since no rain fell from the grey skies. Lots of folks were in Irish attire, some just wearing a bit of green. It seemed like parade watchers kept on coming. Lines were long in the Subway sandwich shop as well as parking. All coming to watch over 1,500 parade participants march through the historic streets of Old Sacramento. Cheerleaders, an over-sized motorized Save Mart shopping cart, Clydesdales and everything in between marched the streets of Old Sac for several hours. Girl Scout Troop 3890 behind the long banner, were leading the parade, a way of reco

I have fun venturing out amongst crowds of people I don't know. It's a fun-behind-the-lens-interaction experience. For the third year of Mardi Gras in Sac I was once again on a mission. It did tske patience finding a parking spot in Old Sac - lots of folks were out looking for fun. Some were costumed up.  My camera started clicking around 8pm in Old Sac: YESTERDAYS NEWS BAND kept folks dancing.   Headed east to the Sutter District and found things were starting to get interesting from 10pm on: I was treated especially nice by the young man, far left in photo above, at the entrance to Centro. More Mardi Gras fans kept on a' coming.

A windstorm that destroyed the Christmas tree in Old Sacramento didn’t get the last laugh, as the company that provided the tree worked over several days to replace it out of pocket. “There is really not a good explanation for what happened to the tree,” said Chris McSwain, district manager for the Old Sacramento Business Association. “The immediate cause is wind damage. I’d say two-thirds to three-fourths of the needles blew off.” Last weekend’s windstorm might have turned a once-full tree to a skeleton, but that’s when the tree provider, Carlton Christmas Trees from the Redding area, stepped up to replace it. “They’ve never seen anything like this happen in 40 or 50 years,” McSwain sa

Sacramento will be getting a dose of fresh, quality olive oil by late November, said Lisa Paskaly, owner of the Chef’s Olive Mix in Old Sacramento. The store, located on the corner of Second and J streets, will be what Paskaly described as an olive oil and balsamic vinegar tasting room, where customers will be able to sample oils and purchase bottles to take home. Bottles of olive oil, available in three different sizes, will range from $9-$16, and many types will be sold, including over 30 50 different extra virgin olive oils, as well as exotic flavors and organics. They will arranged from mild to medium to intense flavors. Fresh olives, cheeses, salads and hors d’oeuvre plates will also

As about 40 customers browsed Halloween costumes on the second floor of Old Sacramento’s Evangeline’s Costume Mansion Monday, Manager Jen Kossmann remarked that business was slow, as the rain kept people at home. Costumes for adults have grown in popularity over the past five years, and Kossmann said this year was no exception, with the store expanding its costume mansion opening hours from as early as February. Traditionally, the costume mansion opens around August. “We’ve just been really busy, and we normally only open (the costume shop) to escort people up in the off season,” Kossmann said. “This year, we had so many people going up there, it just made sense to open it all the time.”

The 4th annual World Music & Dance Festival in Old Sacramento this past weekend featured a wide variety of live music, dance events and ethnic foods, as well as arts and crafts from all parts of the globe.  The main celebration was scheduled Sunday between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., although the Spotlight On: India! extravaganza kicked off the weekend’s events on Saturday evening at 6 p.m. In keeping with Sacramento’s reputation as the most multi-ethically integrated big city in America, performances were turned in by all levels of local talent, from student groups to nationally recognized performers who live in and near the Sacramento area.  Attendees of the event had unrestricte

Dancers and musicians with ties from all over the globe performed in the fourth annual World Music & Dance Festival in Old Sacramento. There were lots of activities just about everywhere; world class music and dance performances on several stages throughout the venue, educational and interactive experience that teaches children and families about our region’s cultures through hands-on experiences (craft and art activities, dance clinics, and musical instruments), stories, poetry, and talks geared toward youngsters and a learning experience from culinary experts cooked with spices from Around the world. Here's some of what I saw:

Over 100 nautical-looking folks showed up looking like creatures from the deep blue sea: pirates, lobsters, mermaids, walrus and others. The Mermaid Parade was a sort of preview for the midnight screening of Humanoids from the Deep, a classic b-horror movie with campy acting and aquatic horror scenes at The Crest. Here's the some of the creatures on parade today in Old Sac:

Join WEAVE and TheGridLife.com on June 9th for a charity happy hour aboard the Delta King! Enjoy your favorite drink in a great atmosphere and meet some of this seasons Sacramento Mountain Lions Cheerleaders! There will be LIVE music by Hans Eberbach. This is going to be a good time for a great cause! Event Info: 1000 Front Street Sacramento, CA Thursday, June 9th 2011 6:00PM-8:30PM Hosted by: TheGridLife.com Featuring: Sacramento Mountain Lion Cheerleaders and live music by Hans Eberbach Watch the video on YouTube Share the event on Facebook In full disclosure, this article was written by a WEAVE employee in the hopes of spreading the word far and wide. We are grateful to Sacramento

Gaelic music filled the air of St. Stephen the First Martyr Parish Tuesday afternoon as the St. Patrick’s Pipe Band of Sacramento prepared for the festivities of the upcoming week. Youths ranging in age from 8 to 18 practiced everything from marching to timing and rhythm in preparation for St. Patrick’s Day performances at schools and the city’s parade on Saturday, March 12. The holiday holds a special significance for Sacramento-area Catholics, said Band Manager Matthew White. “St. Patrick is a co-patron of the Diocese of Sacramento,” he said. “When we formed back in 2005, we wanted to start something for Catholics, and we had a lot of interest (in a bagpipe band).” Despite being chie

The streets of Old Sac were packed New Years Eve night in anticipation of the fireworks show announcing the year 2011. The Theatre of Lights showcased as well as music and fun things for the kids. Here's a glimpse of what was happening: At the conclusion of the Theatre of Lights show on K St. confetti was sprayed onto the crowd. Kids and their parents enjoyed the evening with food and glow lights. RadioDisney.com offered contests for the little ones in the Waterfront Tent on Front St (above and below). A youngster tosses a hula-hoop trying to encircle the gal in white at right. On his first try, the hoop caught me, but that didn't count. Contestants ran across the stage with recyclab

One of Sacramento’s iconic landmarks, Tower Bridge, celebrates its 75th anniversary Wednesday. At its inauguration on Dec. 15, 1935, the opening was heralded with the release of about 100 homing pigeons, who carried the news throughout the state. Although it’s now a lot easier to spread news, Caltrans spokesman Mike Dinger said the bridge operates with the same basic equipment it has for the past three quarters of a century. “We’ve made some upgrades for safety, but it’s almost all the original equipment,” he said. Bridge construction began in July of 1934, using some of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal funds for the project, which was estimated to cost $700,000. The final price

“Once, during Prohibition, I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water.” ~W.C. Fields     The 18th Amendment, which banned the sale, manufacture and transportation of alcohol in the United States, was ratified on Jan. 16, 1919. As a result, drinking in the United States stopped almost completely. Drunk and disorderly behavior went the way of the dodo, crime rates sunk like a turd in a jug and America became an idyllic utopia full of stolid, sober, upright men and women who had finally been saved from that liquid Mephistopheles which had held them captive for so long. "Is this Heaven?" people were known to ask one another. "No, it's just government-mandated Prohibition" s

Do you like history? How about ghosts? And puns? What about historically significant (and knowledgeable) pun-loving phantasms?  I, for one, am a glutton for punishment. In this case, incorporeal punishment. I received all that I wanted and more on Friday night at the Old Sacramento Ghost Tour. Put on by The Historic Old Sacramento Foundation, the Ghost Tour is an hour-long guided stroll around Old Sac that begins and ends at the Eagle Theater.  I arrived at the theater about 10 minutes before the tour was to begin and joined the crowd that was already milling about. Holding court on the theater steps with the rapt attention of a young family was a gentleman who looked eerily similar to

Do fiendish phantoms haunt the 1850s building at 114 J St. in Old Sacramento? According to rumors and legend: Yes. While none of the current tenants claim to have seen otherworldly beings, the stories persist. “This used to be a restaurant and bar, and the guy who owned it would go out front and barbecue, and his kids would run up to him saying, ‘Daddy, daddy, you have a customer,’ but when he went inside, no one was there,” said JoAnne Peterson, co-owner of Sacramento City Dry Goods. Another legend, according to Peterson, centers on the spirit of a girl who wanders one of the upper floors. “She’s very particular about you keeping things neat,” said Peterson, who emphasized that she d

The Hawaiian Chieftain had arrived in Old Sacramento just minutes before I got there on Friday, October 15. Leaving Antioch earlier that day, they sailed seven hours to reach Sacramento. They were hungry and had chores to do before they could call it a day. So, I captured their end-of-sail work before they were told to 'stand-down', which means you are 'free to do what you wish.' Six of the crew, four men and two women, secure the sails to the mast. They were way up there! They all scurried up the rope ladders on each side of the ship to reach the mainsails.   The sails at the bow are secured in place. Joel Ruud in the stern where maps and navigation tools are kept. The ship's rop

Eureka! I struck gold yesterday in Old Sac at Gold Rush Days. Well, more like the color of silver, tin to be exact. Tinsmith William Brown is worth his weight in gold. His window into the pre-Gold Rush days of tinning are educational. His tinsmith booth is in the tent city closest to the Railroad Museum. Step back in time. Stop at his booth. You'll be glad you did! He'll explain the origin of tole painting on tin, as well as the 'tippy-cup' babies drink from after giving up the bottle. William Brown peers through his wiring down machine used in tinsmithing.   Brown holds a tin coffeepot he created. He and another tinner are the only tinsmiths in the US that make the coffeepot. Br

Old Sacramento’s streets are once again dirt, and about 150 volunteers are dressed in their best 1850s fashion as the area reverts back to its rich history for Labor Day weekend. Visitors can rumble down the streets in a horse-drawn carriage, refresh themselves at the Stinking Tent Saloon, pan for gold and then gamble away their findings at one of the more lecherous tents in the frontier tent city that sprung up overnight in front of the Sacramento History Museum on First and I streets. “I think it’s really important for people now to know about the history that was happening right here in that time period,” said Janessa West, public programs coordinator for the Historic Old Sacramento F

Against the backdrop of Old Sacramento's historic architecture, participating Old Sacramento businesses will celebrate local art, wine, music and food every Second Saturday, 4-7:00PM. I have always considered Second Saturday to be a Midtown event. However, over the years I have also heard a growing number of complaints that Second Saturday was becoming less of an art walk and more of a party. Now Old Sacramento businesses including the Artists Collaborative Gallery, Cafe Americain, Delta King, Fat's Catering, Firehouse Restaurant, Skalet Family Jewlers, Steamers Bakery and Cafe, Taylor's Art and Soul, and Ten 22 have teamed up to bring "Art and Wine" to those who may be disenchanted with