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

Despite running shorter and offering fewer speakers than past years, the Metro Chambers’ 17th annual Perspectives event offered a range of speakers diverse enough to make the morning entertaining and fascinating for all attendees. Perspectives is an annual event for individuals to see notable political and cultural leaders speak in the Sacramento Convention Center. This years speakers were Olympian Dara Torres, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, and former CIA Director Robert Gates. Previous speakers include Condoleezza Rice, Mikael Gorbachev, Margaret Thatcher and Elizabeth Dole. After videos of sponsors, various introductions to the event, and an audio-less video montage of Dara Torres sw

Generations of model train enthusiasts came to the Sacramento Convention Center this weekend to experience the ultimate showcase of model railroading. The 21st Annual National Train Show came to town with thousands of square feet devoted to model train displays inside the Convention Center. The National Train Show is held at different cities in the U.S. and showcases the industry’s new and one of a kind products and services from retailers and manufacturers from around the U.S. and world. Model trains, accessories, track and collectibles were shown at different miniature venues. This is a prime show for model train connoisseurs, from those who have been involved for the past half cent

The struggling California Musical Theatre in Sacramento will receive $300,000 from the city to help it stay afloat. The Sacramento City Council unanimously decided Wednesday to loan the amount to the theater over the next three years. The theater can withdraw the money in $50,000 increments each quarter until the $300,000 total is reached, according to a report by city staff. The money will go toward the theater’s operations. California Musical Theatre runs Music Circus, the Broadway Series and Cosmopolitan Cabaret. “It’s an important piece of downtown,” Councilman Jay Schenirer said, referring to the theater. The business the theater brings to downtown is “incredibly important,” he add

Mayor Kevin Johnson on Thursday sounded resigned to the idea Sacramento may soon lose its professional basketball team. A day after his first conversation with the Sacramento Kings' owners in more than a month, Johnson said Anaheim and its city-owned arena, the Honda Center, have this city beaten on too many fronts. Anaheim has a lucrative TV market and the Walt Disney Company’s Disneyland and other Fortune 500 companies that can buy sponsorships and luxury boxes and suites – critical revenue streams for basketball teams, in addition to ticket sales. Sacramento's economy is struggling and its arena is outdated, he said. "It's a business decision and the economics of Anaheim are better t

In addition to breaking the news that former Washington, D.C., Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee would base her education group in Sacramento at Thursday’s State of the City address, Mayor Kevin Johnson also laid out his agenda for the environment, education and downtown development. Johnson’s speech was the key draw of the Sacramento Metro Chamber’s 19th annual event, held at the Sacramento Convention Center. The chamber’s communications director, Hal Silliman, said this year’s turnout of about 950 people set a record. In remarks before Johnson’s speech, Metro Chamber Board Chair Gregory Eldridge commented on the poor economic environment in Sacramento, saying “many of our members contin

"Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time: the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence. Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love." - Martin Luther King, Jr., Nobel Prize acceptance speech, Stockholm, Sweden, December 11, 1964.   The words of Martin Luther King, Jr. continue to inspire decades after his departure. Monday’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration was a day to remember one of America’s greatest heroes. Monday commemorated the 25th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s Holiday. March

Billed as the "Biggest, Baddest, Bike Show in America" the Easyriders Bike Show Tour came to town this weekend. Custom bikes, specialty motorcycle merchandise, live music, door prize giveaways, fashion and stunt shows were part of this annual event. (Easy Rider motorcycle) The roar of hundreds of motorcycles could be heard Saturday and Sunday all around Sacramento. The ever increasing popularity of the Easyriders Bike Show Tour could be seen and heard all around the downtown area. (Front of Sacramento Convention Center) The line to the ticket box office was long and it stretched halfway around the block. Once inside vendor stations spread throughout the exhibition halls. Over 500 mot

This is not a news story. It is not even opinion so much as it is a few words to accompany the photos attached to them. If the old saying has any truth, each shot is worth 1,000 words. The Easyriders Bike Show Tour traditionally makes its annual Sacramento pilgrimage this time of year and unlike last year, the weather did not present any hindrance to the literally thousands of motorcyclists who parked their bikes on J Street and on every other street around the Sacramento Convention Center. Although the show caters to all motorcycle enthusiasts, the vast majority of those in attendance hold allegiance to one brand in particular – Harley Davidson. As one might expect, the majority of the

Despite nationally known speakers Sarah Palin and Howard Dean headlining the Sacramento Metro Chamber’s Perspectives 2010 forum, it was the lesser-known speakers who had a greater effect on the audience. Terrence McNamara, a Sacramentan in the construction industry, said he found management consultant and author Marcus Buckingham to be the most interesting. “I’ve been coming to this for seven years, and it’s always the speaker you’re not interested in seeing who has the biggest impact,” he said. Buckingham offered his views on dealing with strengths and weaknesses. Traditionally, Buckingham said, people tend to think that weaknesses need to be worked on. According to Buckingham, howeve

Hundreds of eager patrons filled the Sacramento Convention Center on Friday for the annual Taste of Sacramento. This Easter Seals signature fundraising event celebrated its 12th year, showcasing over 80 of the best wineries, breweries and restaurants the Sacramento region has to offer. I was able to visit the majority of the vendors due to the well organized arrangement provided by the event planners. Although there were many familiar food and beverage merchants, I managed to add a few new ones to my list of favorites. You can find a complete list of vendors by visiting Participating Vendors. Those who attended also had the opportunity to bid on over 200 items donated for the silent auct

Cal Expo and the State Fair hosted the 15th annual Grape & Gourmet wine event at the Sacramento Convention Center Wednesday. The convention center was a perfect venue for the largest showcase of award-winning California wines in the world. There were over 700 California wines from more than 200 wineries. Those who attended enjoyed unlimited food, wine, micro-brewed beer and music. Prior to entering the event, each “wino” received a free commemorative wineglass and wine tote to encourage sampling and purchasing. There were approximately 3,000 guests who attended, and, surprisingly, it was not overcrowded. There were booths and booths of wineries, many with gold, silver and bronze ribbons

Looking for a little push to get a tattoo? Now's the time to work up your courage, because tattoo artists from all over the world will be inking it up at Sacramento’s All-American Tattoo Festival at the Sacramento Convention Center this weekend. Hosted by Forever Tattoo and held in the Sacramento Convention Center, the festival celebrates tattoos and the people who love them. Forever Tattoo’s Eiland Hogan said his gang of artists have been to tattoo festivals all over the world, including London, Asia and Greece. The crew decided they wanted something in Sacramento that would operate on an international scale. “A lot of tattoo conventions are going on in California, but none of them ar

This year's Neighborhood Summit, "Healthy Neighborhoods = A Sustainable City," was held Friday at the Sacramento Convention Center. The meeting was sponsored by the city's Neighborhood Services Department, and had three categories of workshops: Sustainability and Wellness; Maintain, Promote and Revitalize Neighborhoods; and Community Resources and Partnerships. Registration, a continental breakfast and opening session were held before the workshops began. The Sustainability and Wellness portion was held from 9:40 to 10:45 a.m. and had seven workshops. Maintain, Promote and Revitalize Neighborhoods went from 10:55 a.m. to noon and had six workshops. A networking lunch included "resource p

More than a thousand businesses from across the region will gather Tuesday, May 25, at the Sacramento Convention Center to discover new contacts, exchange leads and obtain useful management skills and information on the latest products and services. Metro Expo is part of Governor Schwarzenegger’s Collaboration Conference, which is an ongoing effort to connect small business with contracting opportunities and certification information. Metro Expo features city, state and federal agencies (below) seeking small- and medium-sized vendors for bid opportunities. The annual business-to-business trade show hosted by the Sacramento Metro Chamber will also include more than 120 top service and pro

11 a.m. - 3p.m. Caltrans is hosting its annual Workers Memorial on the west steps of the Capitol. The memorial will honor workers who died in the line of duty while fixing signs and potholes, working on highways and other transportation-related jobs. Business, Transportation and Housing Secretary Dale E. Bonner will be at the memorial along with people from Caltrans and the Office of Traffic Safety. It is expected to be an emotional and moving event. About 800 people are expected to attend. 2-3 p.m. The California State PTA (California Congress of Parents, Teachers, and Students, Inc.) is holding a Rally for the Children on the north steps of the Capitol. The rally is part of the PTA's

Let's just say that you bought tickets to your favorite musical but had to sit in the back because those were the only seats available for a wheelchair user. Or you're a woman who needed to use the bathroom at intermission, but the lines were so long you had to miss the first 10 minutes of the second act. If you've been to the Community Center Theatre since it opened in 1974, you could have experienced a problem of this sort, said Convention Center Manager Judy Goldbar. Luckily, those are two major issues that a proposed $40 million renovation seeks to address. The theater, run by the Sacramento Convention Center, hosts a number of local and touring productions, including Broadway Sacrame

The fourth annual Green California Summit and Exhibition wrapped up today at the Sacramento Convention Center, giving attendees a look at new green technology that provided a glimpse into what the world could look like in the near future. The summit featured keynote presentations from four speakers: 15-year-old Alec Loorz, founder of Kids vs. Global Warming; Noel Perry, Next 10 founder; David Roland-Holst, director of the University of California at Berkeley's Center for Energy, Resources and Economic Sustainability; and Fran Pavley, the state senator who authored Assembly Bill 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. The summit also offered classes on green building codes, new media