Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "tours"

FREE Sacramento Archives Crawl This Saturday!

2011-09-28T16:48:18Z

Come one, come all! In celebration of National Archives Month, archives and special collections libraries from throughout the region will showcase their rarely seen holdings for the public in the first ever “Explore History: Sacramento Archives Crawl” this Saturday, October 1. Historic treasures from twenty-one Northern California institutions will be on display at four downtown host locations – the California State Archives, the California State Library, the Center for Sacramento History, and the Sacramento Public Library. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and is free and open to the public.

Participants will “crawl” between four host locations, all located within downtown Sacramento. At the four locations, the public can view archival collections on display and take behind-the-scenes tours. A sampling of the items on special display for the event include a double elephant folio set of Audubon’s Birds of America; the papers of Nathaniel S. Colley, Sacramento’s nationally known civil rights attorney; and ephemera documenting California’s women’s suffrage movement.

In addition, representatives from other archives and special collections libraries will be at the host locations to discuss their archival collections - historic photographs, rare books, historic artifacts - and answer questions about how to connect with local history resources. Participating institutions include the following:

California Department of Transportation Library and History Center
California State Parks Archives
California State Railroad Museum Library
California State University, Chico – Meriam Library Special Collections
California State University, Sacramento – Special Collections and University Archives
El Dorado County Historical Museum
Lavender Library, Archives and Cultural Exchange
Little People of America Archive
National Archives at San Francisco
Placer County Museums Archives & Research Center
Root Cellar – Sacramento Genealogical Society Library
Sacramento City College Library Special Collections
Sacramento Historic City Cemetery Archives
Society of California Archivists
Temple/Congregation B'nai Israel Archives
University of California, Davis – Shields Library, Special Collections
Yolo County Archives

Archives Crawl Passports will be given to guests as they visit the host institutions. The passport provides a map of the event and information about the participating archives and special collection libraries. Event attendees who get their passport stamped at three of the four host sites will be given a set of limited-edition commemorative coasters. The coasters honor the pub crawl theme by featuring reproductions of the city’s former Buffalo Brewing Company and its advertising campaigns.

The California State Archives is located at 1020 O Street; the California State Library is located at 900 N Street; the Center for Sacramento History is located at 551 Sequoia Pacific Boulevard; and the Sacramento Room of the Sacramento Public Library is located at 828 I Street. Crawl participants may begin at any of the four locations.

This event was made possible by financial support from the Sacramento History Foundation, the California State Library Foundation, and the Gordon-Goldstein Foundation. For more information about the crawl, visit www.sacarchivescrawl.blogspot.com.

The Sacramento Archives Crawl is part of Archives Month, a nationwide celebration held each October to raise awareness of the value of archives and to recognize the archivists who bring the past to the present. For information about other events in California, visit www.calarchivesmonth.org.

Disclosure: Traci Rockefeller Cusack represents a number of businesses and organizations throughout the greater Sacramento area including the Center for Sacramento History.

Old Sac Underground Tours on Mondays thru Labor Day!

2011-08-04T18:11:38Z

Dig it!

Responding to the demand for more Old Sacramento Underground tour availability, tours are now available on Mondays through Labor Day. On most Mondays, four tours have been added and are offered from 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Then, on Labor Day (Monday, September 5), an expanded tour schedule is available with tours departing every half hour from 10:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. With schedules that fluctuate with the seasons, Old Sacramento Underground tours continue through Sunday, November 27.   Interested tour participants are encouraged to check the website -- www.historicoldsac.org -- for tour dates, times and availability.

“For a variety of reasons, possibly long weekends or hold-over stays during conventions, visitors to Old Sacramento have been asking for underground tours on Mondays,” said Marcia Eymann, Executive Director of the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation. “We are pleased to be able to respond accordingly with Monday tours at least for the next four weeks.”

Old Sacramento has the distinction of being the only city in California to raise its streets in the 1860s through the 1870s to protect the city from devastating flooding. Tour participants explore excavated foundations, an open archeological site and enclosed pathways all while entertaining and knowledgeable tour guides recount the tales of the devastation, perseverance, and determination that led to California’s only successful street-raising project.

The Old Sacramento Underground tour program is coordinated by the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation (HOSF) and in partnership with the City of Sacramento, California State Parks, Old Sacramento Business Association and participating merchants and businesses.

Tours of the underground last approximately one hour in length Tour check-in is located at the Sacramento History Museum, 101 I Street in Old Sacramento. Underground visitors will need to be prepared to walk on uneven surfaces in areas that have low ceilings and in occasional small spaces. Box office questions can be sent via email to scox@cityofsacramento.org and more information about Foundation membership is available by calling 916-808-7059.

About the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation
The Historic Old Sacramento Foundation (HOSF) is a 501(c)3 public benefit corporation. Old Sacramento is a living historic district.   The mission of HOSF is to convey the importance of historic Sacramento as a place that connects our past to our present and future through engaging and entertaining events, activities and programs. More information is available at www.historicoldsac.org.

Disclosure: Traci Rockefeller Cusack represents a number of businesses and organizations throughout the Sacramento area including the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation.

Local Adventure on a Schwinn Tango Tandem.

2011-07-05T02:44:13Z

July 2011/Edition1 – Three Japanese places barely on your radar.
Location – Downtown 10th, 11th &12th Streets, between Broadway & R.

Summer is here. It’s hot. Tomato plants are hitting their stride – if you listen hard enough you can practically hear them growing inches by the hour. But it’s still early for the Early Girls, and it’s too hot to cook. So, time to take the cruiser for a spin and see what we can find.

R Street has new restaurants and is usually hopping. The city is repaving this neglected corridor and restoring the historic rail. (If only they would put a trolley on it.)

What's this? The new Shoki Ramen House!

Their first location off 2nd Ave near Crepeville always has a line out the door – definitely a sign of good food (and limited seating). This place specializes in ramen noodles which I like better than udon noodles. And there's no fish involved. These folks focus on one thing and do it well … reminds me of Tampopo – a Japanese “spaghetti western” from the late 80s. A look at the short menu and moderate prices ($8) assures me Shoki– like the movie – doesn't take itself too seriously. I slurped the noodles loudly and enjoyed every miso-flavored bite.

Back on the bike, we cruised to Fremont Park and found we had worked up a thirst. So we headed for the best snow cones in town – Osaka-Ya at 10th and V. The window on the left serves up the colorful cones and various other frozen treats. You may wait a bit, but the secret of their success is the fresh ice shaved-to-order. Inside the shop you can fine a variety of Japanese foodstuffs. Osaka-Ya’s other unique offering is authentic mochi – sweet rice paste stuffed with sweet fillings such as peanut butter (not ice cream).

We continued south on 10th street toward the city cemetery -- always a meaningful place for a bike ride and full of lively twists and turns on narrow lanes. We made our escape from the land of the inliving, exiting onto Riverside and ran into Yorozu Oriental Gifts (next to Target). This shop has been here since the 50s and is the place for all things Japanese: dishes, chop sticks, origami kits, cards, dolls, kites, books, magazines, etc.. I bought a carp wind sock called a Koi Nobori and tried on a pair of wooden geta (sandals). Browsing slowly through the store I almost thought I was in Tokyo for a moment ... it was a great way to end a local adventure on a hot afternoon.

Until next time, keep it low and slow…

Spring is in bloom at the Historic Cemetery

2011-05-23T06:59:59Z

The Sacramento Historic Cemetery on Broadway hosted an informational flower tour on Saturday.

The 10-person tour group, led by guide Sharon Patrician, made its way around the cemetery, enjoying the multitude of plant life that the site has to offer. Members of the tour group were free to ask Patrician questions, explore plots and take photos.

Patrician pointed out noteworthy plants and flowers along the way. Tour favorites were the fragrant historic rose bushes, vibrant red poppies and the rice flower, named for its pearl-like formation.

Patrician passed around a primrose flower from a plant that has been in the ground for 10 years, encouraging attendees to feel its “silken quality.”

One bloom that Patrician is eagerly anticipating is that of the Neo-American iris, a flower she described as “like no other,” with brown, yellow and blue stripes.

Patrician said the cemetery’s plots are maintained by some 120 volunteers. People with a love for gardening adopt a plot and, with their own funds, plant, groom and maintain flowers and other plant-life plant life.

Patrician explained that there are different approaches to maintaining a plot, and pointed out one area she described as having an “Oriental scheme,” in that it had a lot of green, not many flowers and a sense of serenity, with everything thoroughly clipped back.

In contrast to the “Oriental scheme,” Patrician maintains her own plot, Hamilton Square, with an approach she describes as “rambling:” plants draping over the sides of walls, mingling plant species and the occasional weed.

She said that although volunteers have a lot of freedom with how they maintain their plots, it's also important to respect the fact that people do come to the cemetary looking for their ancestors. Plant growth isn't allowed to get so unruly that it obscures the information on a gravestone, Patrician said.

Walking under a canopy of weeping cypress, Patrician talked about the cemetery’s resident barn owl, who hides in the trees during the day to avoid being harassed by crows.

Patrician informed the tour that cypress are planted as “memorial trees” because the Victorians associated their dark green foliage with “mourning and life everlasting.”

Patrician explained that though the trees aren’t labeled, the cemetery keeps a complete inventory of the trees on the property.

According to Patrician, plants prefer nitrogen-rich rain water to treated water. She also said that thoroughly watering plants can be a blessing and a curse: doing so results in more weeds, but it also encourages plant growth that may not otherwise have been possible.

In addition to watering strategies, Patrician talked about the crucial role bees play in the success of plant life. If the honey bee doesn’t survive, she said, native bees will have to take over their share of the work.

The cemetery is home to over 65 native bee species, but, unlike honey bees, they are hard to round up and have very specific tastes, Patrician said.

We learned that since black bees are too big to fit inside a flower’s opening, their method is to punch a hole in the base of a plant and extract the pollen that way.

The tour's final stop was the grave of Alexander Hamilton’s youngest son, William, who had come to California to seek his fortune in the gold rush. Positioned beaneath a low-branched Valley oak, Patrician called the grave an example of “cemetery politics.” William’s family had a monument built for him that included on it a large bust of his father along with his father’s name. Patrician explained that the family wanted to make certain that everyone who visited the grave site would know that Alexander Hamilton was William’s father, which she described as being “rather disingenuous.”

Finishing the tour, Patrician lamented the difficult financial situation that nonprofits, including the cemetery, are facing. She added that in difficult times, when a lack of funding means losing those things that “keep you sane in a urban setting,” the Historic Cemetery’s strong volunteer base is what will keep it going.

“If the parks ever close, you can always come to the cemetery,” she said.

For more information on the cemetery's guided tours, check out their website.

For information about volunteering, contact the Volunteer Coordinator at patricianone@att.net.

"Jane's Walk" Urban Planning Walks

2011-05-04T05:27:47Z

Sacramento Jane’s Walk 2011: Saturday, May 7 and Sunday, May 8

Jane’s Walk USA is a series of free neighborhood walking tours that helps put people in touch with their environment and with each other, by bridging social and geographic gaps and creating a space for cities to discover themselves. Since its inception in 2007, Jane’s Walk has happened in cities across North America, and is growing internationally. Sacramento’s Jane’s Walk series incorporates elements of urban planning, neighborhood advocacy, urban history, and architectural history, to demonstrate how a neighborhood’s physical form promotes its walkability, sustainability and economic and social vitality. All tours are free of charge; show up at the starting point at the designated time in comfortable walking shoes. No RSVP is necessary.

In 2010, Sacramento's first Jane's Walk series took place on May 1 with four simultaneous tours. This year, five total tours are being held over two days; except for the Oak Park and Southside Park tours, the tours are held at different times, so people can attend more than one.

Sacramento Jane’s Walk Schedule

Saturday, May 7

Alkali Flat
10 AM – Noon
Tour Guide: Luis Sumpter, Sacramento Old City Association Board Member
Starting Point: Shine Coffee, 1400 E Street
SOCA and Alkali Flat Neighborhood Association board member Luis Sumpter will lead a tour of Sacramento’s oldest surviving residential neighborhood, Alkali Flat. This tour will visit local architectural landmarks, neighborhood businesses, adaptive reuse projects, and new mixed-use projects under construction.

Midtown
2 PM – 4 PM
Tour Guide: William Burg, Sacramento Old City Association Board Member
Starting Point: Mondo Bizarro, 1827 I Street
William Burg, historian and author of Sacramento’s Streetcars, will guide this tour of Midtown’s mixed-use business corridors and adjacent residential neighborhoods, from the days of Sutter through the streetcar era to the present day. The tour will focus on walkability, transit, mixed-use neighborhoods, and Midtown’s legacy as a regional epicenter of creativity and art.

Sunday, May 8

Southside Park
10 AM-Noon
Tour Guide: William Burg, Sacramento Old City Association Board Member
Starting Point: Callahan Bandstand, 7th and T Street, Southside Park
William Burg, historian and author of Sacramento’s Southside Park, will lead this tour, focusing on the neighborhood’s rich cultural diversity, transportation, landscape and urban design, neighborhood activism, and adaptation to changing neighborhood roles.

Central Oak Park Walking Tour
10 AM-Noon
Tour Guide: Tom Sumpter, Oak Park Neighborhood Association
Starting Point: Guild Theater, 2828 35th Street
Neighborhood activist Tom Sumpter will lead a tour of Oak Park’s historic business district along Broadway and nearby landmarks, designed by Sacramento State geography professor Robin Datel and using a tour brochure published by the Center for Sacramento History.

Downtown: From the Railroad Tracks to the Civic Center
2 PM – 4 PM
Tour Guide: Melisa Gaudreau, Sacramento Heritage Inc. Board Member
Starting Point: Sacramento City Hall, 915 I Street
Historic architect Melisa Gaudreau will lead a tour of downtown Sacramento, focusing on Sacramento Heritage Inc.’s new tour of the Civic Center area along H, I and J Street between the historic Southern Pacific passenger depot and City Hall.

About Jane’s Walks
Jane’s Walk USA honors the legacy and ideas of urban activist and writer Jane Jacobs who championed the interests of local residents and pedestrians over a car-centered approach to planning. Jane’s Walk USA helps knit people together into a strong and resourceful community, instilling belonging and encouraging civic leadership.

All Jane’s Walk USA tours are given and taken for free. These walks are led by anyone who has an interest in the neighborhoods where they live, work or hang out. They are not always about architecture and heritage, and offer a more personal take on the local culture, the social history and the planning issues faced by the residents. Jane Jacobs believed strongly that local residents understood best how their neighborhood works, and what is needed to strengthen and improve them. Jane’s Walks are meant to be fun, engaged and participatory – everyone’s got a story and they’re usually keen to share it.

Thousands of people have taken part in a Jane’s Walk USA. Past walks have explored a wide range of urban landscapes, from social housing slated for redevelopment to areas with a rich architectural and cultural heritage, to teen hangouts and secret gardens. Walks are led by individuals and small groups. Some are focused around historical themes more than geographical areas, for instance, some strolls have been built around ideas like the history of the bicycle, gay and lesbian history, places of relevance to the homeless, the history of ‘skid row’, and urgent planning matters facing certain neighborhoods.

About the Sacramento Old City Association
The Sacramento Old City Association promotes actions that preserve and enhance a high quality of life for Central City residents, businesses, working people and visitors. The organization works to achieve balanced and harmonious relationships among residential, commercial and employment uses in the Central City. To achieve these goals the Sacramento Old City Association works to:

•Increase public awareness of the irreplaceable historic, architectural and cultural resources of the Central City
•Gather and disseminate information useful in the preservation of structures and neighborhoods of Sacramento.
•Advocate the policies and positions of the organization to the appropriate public agencies and private parties.
•Build and strengthen coalitions with other organizations working to achieve similar goals.
•Promote a quality urban environment through the encouragement of compatibly designed and constructed housing, commercial and office buildings.

For More Information about Jane's Walk or the Sacramento Old City Association:

http://www.sacoldcity.org
http://janeswalkusa.wordpress.com/

Disclosure: William Burg is a board member of the Sacramento Old City Association.

City Cemetery tour celebrates Black History Month

2011-02-24T06:43:06Z

In celebration of Black History Month, the Old City Cemetery Committee will be giving a free tour at 10 a.m. on Saturday detailing the fascinating history of African-Americans during the 1800s.

Bob LaPerriere will be the main tour guide Saturday along with other members of the committee.

“I was involved in starting the Old City Cemetery Committee,” LaPerriere said. “ Now I’m the tour coordinator for this particular tour”.

LaPerriere has been giving tours for 25 years. Every year he conducts a tour at the old cemetery, which covers the extensive history of physicians and medicine from the 1800s.

This tour celebrating Black History Month is not shown every year. It’s been at least eight years since the committee has been able to do this type of tour.

“It’s just a matter of volunteers,” LaPerriere explained. “If we get more volunteers, we can have these tours on a more regular basis. It takes an awful lot of work to put these tours together, a lot of research and a lot of work”.

Laperriere said the main purpose of this tour is, “ to make people more familiar with the history of African-Americans in the 1800s”.

Some of the key individuals being discussed include: Edwin Crocker (an abolitionist), Vaardmen Bullard (a former slave), Ernest Houston Johnston (an African-American graduate of Stanford University, first graduating class), Sarah Jones (a prominent African-American educator), and Henry Yantis (a church deacon and champion of education).

“It’s important that people realize the struggles that African-Americans went through in the 1800s for independence in the time of slavery, even though California was a non-slave state,” LaPerriere said.

“You have to research old burial records and old written records from the area, and sometimes it is very difficult to find any information on a particular person,” he said.

The Old City Cemetery is located at 1000 Broadway, between Muir Way and Riverside Boulevard. Parking is free and is located across the street from the cemetery.

Local Halloween Events

2010-10-15T00:32:07Z

Celebrating Halloween is now a month-long occasion. Here are some spooky activities to get your skin crawling and set your nerves on end all the way through the 31st. All events are in Sacramento, unless noted otherwise.

Trash Film Orgy Halloween 2010

Crest Theatre, 1013 K St.
Oct. 31: 8 p.m. (doors open) 9 p.m. (show begins)
All seats cost $10 ($1 discount for those wearing costumes)
Ages 18 and older only
More information: www.trashfilmorgy.com or call 916-44-CREST

Trash Film Orgy presents “Heavy Metal Halloween” at the Crest Theatre. Live bloody stage shows, audience participation, games and costume contests will accompany a showing of the 1986 film “Trick or Treat,” featuring cameos by Gene Simmons and Ozzy Osbourne. The bar will be open at 8 p.m. to hydrate a lobby full of crazy games, including a series of interactive games helping people become heavy-metal rock stars.

Haunted Hagan Screampark

Hagan Community Park, 2197 Chase Drive, Rancho Cordova
Oct. 8 - 28: 7:30 - 10:00 p.m.
Oct. 29 - 31: 7:30 - 11:00 p.m.
Ticket info: www.hauntedhagan.com/default.html

Haunted Hagan Screampark brags of hosting one of “Northern California’s most popular haunts; the Heartstoppers Haunted House.” In addition to having two haunted houses, the Screampark also features a train ride through the woods – operated by the Sacramento Valley Live Steamers Railroad Museum. The Screampark also promises a generous onslaught of walking dead.

Living History “Ghost Tours” offered by Historic Old Sacramento Foundation

Eagle Theater, 925 Front St.
Oct. 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30: 6:30 - 9 p.m.
Adults: $15. Youth (ages 6-17): $10. Ages 5 and under: Free.
More information: www.historicoldsac.org or call 916-808-4980

This walking tour leads visitors through the spooky history of Old Sacramento, dating back to the 19th century. Tour guides are in costume and lead an entertaining and insightful trip through the streets of Old Sacramento.

The Mansion After Dark

Governor’s Mansion State Historic Park 1526 H St.

Oct. 23, 30 6 - 9 p.m.
Adults: $6. Youth (ages 6-17): $4. Ages 5 and under: Free.
More information: www.parks.ca.gov/governorsmansion/ or call 916-323-5916

The mansion is embracing Halloween by decorating its rooms, playing scary music, providing only dim lighting and having costumed characters share stories of past governors. Fortune tellers will also be on-hand to share their predictions regarding the future. Tours through the darkened mansion are self-guided and appropriate for all ages.

The Haunted Fort

Sutter's Fort State Historic Park, 2701 L St.

Oct. 29 - 30: 6:30 - 9 p.m.
Adults: $6. Youth (ages 6-17): $4. Ages 5 and under: Free.
More information: www.suttersfort.org or call 916-323-7626

Sutter Fort’s State Historic Park offers this new Halloween-related event for visitors to learn more about the melancholy lives of pioneers from the 1800s. The tour lasts 45 minutes and guides visitors through darkened rooms and through the park as it is illuminated by the glow of firelight.

Spookomotive Train

Central Pacific Railroad Freight Depot
Front and K streets in Old Sacramento

Oct. 16, 17, 23, 24, 30, 31: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Adults: $9. Youth (ages 6-17): $4. Ages 5 and under: Free.
More information: www.californiastaterailroadmuseum.org or call 916-445-6645

A skeleton crew silently implores visitors to hitch a ride on this Halloween-themed diesel train. With cobwebs hanging uncomfortably overhead, the Spookomotive train transports visitors a total of six miles along the Sacramento River and through Old Sacramento’s streets, which will be decorated for the Fall Harvest Days activities. The ride is described as being “delightful, but not frightful,” so all ages are encouraged to hop aboard.

Blood Moon Regale

The Colonial Theatre
3522 Stockton Blvd.

Oct. 16: 6:30 p.m. (doors open) 7 p.m. (performance begins)
$20 for advance tickets, $25 at the door
Ages 18 and up
More information: www.bloodmoonregale.com/ or call 916-308-9573

Celebrating its 10th year of performing, Blood Moon’s theatrical dance showcase features students from Hot Pot Studios as well as performers from all over the world. Presented by Unmata, Blood Moon Regale’s “Now That’s Fun” includes jump rope, bath time, magic, threesomes, a trampoline, synchronized swimming and so many other bizarre things that it would be counter-productive to list them all here. To understand the intriguing quality of this performance, you will have to go and see it for yourself.

Sacramento Horror Film Festival

The Colonial Theatre
3522 Stockton Blvd.

Oct. 21-24
A full calendar of film showings and ticket packages can be viewed at: www.sachorrorfilmfest.com/

This annual film festival offers an eclectic mix of film screenings, performances and activities all paying homage to the horror genre. Special guests at this year’s event include performances by Jill Tracy and renaissance man Voltaire. A Zombie Beauty Pageant will also be held with prize packages for those who place first, second, and third.

Safe and Super Halloween Monster Mash

Fairytale Town
3901 Land Park Drive

Oct. 22-24: 5 - 9 p.m.
Members: $10. Nonmembers: $7
Children 1-year old or younger have free admittance
More information: www.fairytaletown.org/ or call 916-808-7462

Fairytale Town will feature 17 candy stations and classic monsters, including Dracula, Dr. Jekyll, Frankenstein, witches and werewolves. The park has been made over for Halloween, offering hands-on activities and sets themed after spooky storybook tales. This event provides a wonderful Halloween experience for children and adults young at heart.

Haunted House at Maines Mansion

Midtown
2501 I St.

Oct. 22-31 (except on Monday and Tuesday): Dusk until 10 p.m.
Free admission, but donations are encouraged and accepted
More information: www.myramaines.com/

The Haunted House at Maines Mansion is celebrating its fifth anniversary. About 20 actors and special effects technicians bring the 30-minute show to guests exploring the century-old Victorian home. All donations will benefit Sunburst Projects (sunburstprojects.org) – an organization that helps children and families in the Sacramento area who are affected by HIV/AIDS.

Haunted Stacks

Central Library Galleria
828 I St.

Oct. 22: 7 p.m.
Free admission
More information: www.altlibrary.com/ and RSVP at www.meetup.com/altlibrary/

Be unnerved with an evening of paranormal investigation, a big-screen showing of “Ghostbusters” and an after-hours tour of the Sacramento Room. Participants will seek out the lady in red as they wander through some of the oldest parts of the library. There will also be a sharing time dedicated to some of Sacramento’s most popular ghosts.

Haunted Oasis Bellydance Showcase

Lido Bar & Grill
7739 Fair Oaks Blvd.
Carmichael

Oct. 23: 6 - 9 p.m.
Free Admission
All ages
More information: www.mychelledancer.com/hauntedoasis.htm

Join the belly dance community as it celebrates Halloween. Sacramento’s best belly dancers will be performing “A Night in the Oasis,” with dancers Rak’elle, Nour, Nyla Crystal, Radhia, Badia of Farasha Storm, Kelly, Jewels of the North and more.

Pumpkin Carving Workshop and Contest

Gluten Free Specialty
2612 J St.

Oct. 24: Noon - 4 p.m.
$20 a person, $30 for a pair (registration required)
Register by visiting the store or calling 916-442-5241

Gluten Free Specialty is making space for pumpkin carvers of all skill levels to join in its inaugural pumpkin carving contest. The store allows participants to use carving tools and supplies. A pumpkin is provided with the price of entry, and the store will also be selling pumpkins all week leading up to Halloween. First prize will receive a $50 gift certificate to the store. Photos of the finished product will be posted for customers to view and vote on throughout the week.

One Scary Nite Halloween Party

Sacramento Auto Museum
2200 Front St.

Oct. 29: 9 p.m.
General Admission: $20
VIP Table: $70
Ages 21 and older
More information: www.onescarynite.com/ or call 916-649-2388

One Scary Nite 2 promises to be bigger, better and scarier than before. The night will include live mixing by “DJ Clue,” fire breathers, stilt walkers, jugglers, zombies, costume contests with cash prizes and a large dance floor. This year boasts star attendances like Denise Richards and Stacey Dash, Bobby Jackson, comedian Tony Roberts and more.

Halloween Blackout Skate

Roller King
889 Riverside Ave.
Roseville

Oct. 30: 7 - 10 p.m.
Free admission with any canned food item (skate rental not included)
All ages welcome
More information: www.rollerkingroseville.com or contact David Jacques at rollerking@surewest.net

This all-ages event benefits the Placer Food Bank. Games and prizes will be offered throughout the evening. Guest are encouraged to wear costumes, provided that they are able to safely skate in them.

Midtown Trick or Treat and Pooch Parade

Oct. 30:
11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Trick or Treat
Relles Florist, 2400 J St.

2 - 4 p.m.
Pooch Parade
Kennedy Gallery 1114 20th St.

2 - 4 p.m.
Pooch Costume Contest
24th and K Lot

For those who are scared of the dark, this daytime trick-or-treating event, supported by participating Midtown businesses, is the perfect way to get your candy fix. For those who enjoy dressing up their dogs, a pooch parade and costume contest will be taking place in the late afternoon. To enter the pooch costume contest there will be a $10 donation, which goes to the United Animal Nations. The times and locations listed above are meeting points during the day.

Halloween Carnival 2010

6446 Sylvan Rd.
Citrus Heights

Oct. 30: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Free admission
Ages 0-11
More information: www.creativefrontiers.com or call 916-502-6258

Creative Frontiers School and Radio Disney present a carnival full of activities for younger children. The carnival features vendors and food, live performances, raffles, costume contests, face-painting, hay rides, a bounce house, Radio Disney Live and much more.

Exotic Halloween Ball

Cal Expo

Oct. 30: 8:30 p.m. - 2 a.m.
General admission: $34 in advance
VIP Tickets: $100
21 and older
More information: now100fm.radio.com/events/2010/10/30/exotic-halloween-ball/

In its 14th year, NOW 100.5 is carrying on the tradition of 100.5 The Zone by presenting an event for the big kids. This huge party features costume contests, four dance clubs, live music from Wonderbread 5, laser light shows, bikini lap dances, a spanking and flogging stage, human petting zoo, mechanical bull rides and an exotic fun house.

Hallow’s Eve Red Carpet Halloween Ball

Shady Lady Saloon
1409 R St.

Oct. 30: 7 p.m.
Free for executive members, $15 for members, $20 for nonmembers
More information: www.metrospark.net

Come in costume and spend a night with the Halloween-outfitted Shady Lady Saloon. Live entertainment will start around 9:30 p.m., free psychic readings will be provided by Tammy Adams from House of Angels and goodie bags and prizes will be offered throughout the evening. The Harley White Jr. Orchestra will provide the music, and Fall-inspired cocktails will be served.

Dead Rockstars Show

Old Ironsides
1901 10th St.

Oct. 31: 8 p.m.
$8 cover at the door, 21 and older

This annual rock show, presented by Jerry Perry, will feature the likes of Adrian Bourgeous, Ricky Berger, I Scream on Sundae, Breaking Glass, Ol' Cotton Dreary, Crazy Ballhead, The Onlymen, 2 or 3 Guys, Saucer, Jet Black Pope and more.

Halloween Trick or Treat at The Fountains

The Fountains
Roseville Parkway and Galleria Boulevard

Oct. 31: 4 - 6 p.m.
More information: www.thefountainsatroseville.com
Free admission

Each of the retail stores at The Fountains will be throwing a trick-or-treat party. Main Street will be closed off for pedestrian traffic as visitors meander through the many different Halloween-inspired stations.

Trick or Treat Night at IKEA

IKEA West Sacramento
700 IKEA Ct.

Oct. 31: 5 - 7 p.m.
Free admission
Ages 3-12

Rather than getting lost in some real-world neighborhood setting, IKEA open openup to children and provided a series of candy stops throughout its massive store. Come get lost in a maze and mixture of bedroom and kitchen scenarios this Halloween. Kids can get their candy, and you can redesign your living room.

Kids Costume Brunch

de Vere’s Irish Pub
1521 L St.

Oct. 31: 9 a.m-2 p.m.
More information: www.deverespub.com/ or call 916-231-9947

This is de Veres’ inaugural Kids Costume Brunch, giving kids an arguing point for wearing their costumes all day on Halloween. A full brunch menu will be served, with cocktails for the parents. Special treats and giveaways will be available for children in costume. Some of the prizes include 30 passes to the Sacramento Zoo and four passes to the “Boo at the Zoo Party.”

Larry Scholl’s Folsom Ghost Train

City Lions Park
Stafford Way, Folsom

Oct. 22-31: 7 - 9 p.m.
All ages
Tickets are $8

More information: www.larryscholl.net/ghosttrain2010.html

Storyboard artist Larry Scholl put his 20 years’ worth of creative experience – most notably with Walt Disney – to work with the creation of the Folsom Ghost Train. The Ghost Train is the only independent, full audio-animatronic attraction in California.

In-depth coverage of Larry Scholl and the Ghost Train can be found by reading the article below:
www.sacramentopress.com/headline/38412/The_Ghost_Train_offers_scares_for_the_whole_family

Murder and Mayhem Scavenger Hunt

Evangeline’s Costume Mansion
113 K St.

Now through Oct. 31: 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Free admission
All ages welcome

More information: www.sacramentopress.com/headline/38078/Murder_and_mayhem_at_Evangelines or call 916-443-2181

A trip to Evangeline’s Costume Mansion provides entertainment for hours, with or without the scavenger hunt. But, in addition to the already-overwhelming stock of costumes, games, trinkets, and funny gadgets, the store now invites visitors to navigate the old mansion in pursuit of clues revealing the identity of murderers from throughout history.
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Photo one: Evangeline's Costume Mansion Scavenger Hunt

Photo two: Ghost Tour

Photo three through six: Trash Film Orgy's presentation of "Trick or Treat"

Photos seven and eight: Larry Scholl's Folsom Ghost Train

SCHS Presents: Sacramento's Underground

2010-05-22T01:11:54Z

Sacramento County Historical Society Presents:
Sacramento's Underground, a presentation by Heather Downey

Date: Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Location: 5380 Elvas Avenue (Sierra Sacramento Valley Medical Society Building), Sacramento

All Ages--Open to the Public

Before the long-anticipated Underground Tours kick off this summer in Old Sacramento, SCHS will host a talk about the origins and significance of the city’s underground sidewalks and raised streets.

Sacramento is the only city in California with raised streets and the lingering architectural features known as the “underground.” On the surface, the raising of Sacramento’s business district offers accounts of mishap, controversy and, of course, the pioneer-entrepreneurial spirit that has come to define the early history of not only the city, but the Western United States in general. Additionally, the history of this construction project illuminates the opinions and experiences that characterized the first and second generation of Sacramento citizenry while underscoring the one thing they had in common: the desire to ensure that their city remained economically and politically viable. Such an interpretation of Sacramento’s “underground” opens doors to enrich and expand Old Sacramento visitors' understanding of the city’s history, while also connecting that past to larger trends in American Western and urban history.

This month’s speaker, Heather Downey, is a graduate of Sacramento State’s Public History program. She is the subject matter expert for Sacramento’s forthcoming Underground Tours, and has designed two interpretive displays describing floods and street raisings in Sacramento.The underground sidewalks, and the interpretive plan for the tour, are the subject of her Master’s thesis.

For more information about the upcoming underground tours, visit the Sacramento History Museum website:

www.historicoldsac.org/education/tours.asp

For more information about the Sacramento County Historical Society, visit the SCHS website:

www.sachistoricalsociety.org

Disclosure: William Burg is vice-president of the Sacramento County Historical Society.

Got a bike? Take a tour!

2009-08-08T17:37:35Z

We have alot of history here in Sacramento -- so much that it might seem daunting to narrow it to a manageble list. Here is an attempt to do just that: seven "must see" places you can pedal to in about the time it takes to sit and watch a movie.

1. The State Capitol
Following less-than-satisfactory assemblies of the state Legislature in San Jose, Vallejo and Benicia, Sacramentans successfully bid to make their city the permanent site for such high-level meetings. Ground was broken in 1860 and the neo-classical dome of the California Capitol was completed in 1874. The lower level is made of granite quarried in Folsom; the upper levels are made of brick plastered and painted to look like granite. An extension to house the expanding bureaucracy was added on the east side in 1952.

2. Capitol Ave (M Street) Victorians
The Reign of Queen Victoria (1837 – 1901) helped define a stately and ornate style of architecture in the US, including Sacramento. Capitol Avenue features some of the city’s finest examples of high-water Victorian homes, where the first floor is often elevated above street level due to a fear of flooding. A variety of architectural styles can be found including Arts and Crafts, Mission, Dutch Colonial, American Colonial and modern shoebox.

3. Sutter’s Fort and Indian Museum
John Sutter arrived at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in 1839 and established his headquarters on high-ground about a mile inland. In 1840 he began construction of his fort using indigenous labor and old world technologies. By 1849 his New Helvetia venture was humming along and he had earned an excellent reputation as an organized and industrious leader and a warm and generous host. But the unintended consequence of discovering gold while setting up a lumber operation soon made his New Helvetia venture untenable as hordes of gold seekers rushed to the area and disrupted his business operations.

4. K Street and the Cathedral
K street has been, until recently, the major business district of the city. It’s revitalization is part of city hall’s redevelopment plan. On the other side of the popularity spectrum is The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament which has been seeing a resurgence in mass attendance as attested to by an overflow of parishioners at Sunday services. This is the city’s primary Cathedral since its construction in1887.

5. The Southern Pacific Train Depot
Constructed in 1925 at a time when transportation hubs were visible symbols of progress and celebrated public structures, the expansive scale of this cathedral-like terminal of the Southern Pacific Railroad is inspiring. No less impressive is the mural on the east wall depicting the Sacramento terminus of the transcontinental railroad at its inception. The terminal has been an Amtrak station since 1971 when Amtrak was created.

6. Old Sacramento
During the Gold Rush, the Sacramento river front was a bustle of activity as adventurers from around the world disembarked here making their way to the Sierra Nevada gold fields in search of fortunes. Sutter’s Fort was all but abandoned at this time and it was John Sutter Jr – the Captain’s son – along with engineer William H. Warner who was responsible for laying out the grid of streets which comprise the current city. Sacramento was an immediate success and became California’s first incorporated city in 1850. It evolved into a commercial center and a nexus for various modes of transport including steam ships, wagon trains, carriages, stagecoaches, trains, the Pony Express.

Gradually the surface lying placer gold was exhausted and extracting valuable ore required more sophisticated techniques; mining companies replaced the colorful forty-niner and settled in for the long-haul. Waterfront activity subsided and more permanent businesses were established pushing the commercial center east – primarily along K Street; the waterfront became a skid row.

Plans to revitalize it emerged in the mid 1960’s and the result was the West’s first historic district. Today this 28 acre Gold Rush time capsule has 53 historic buildings, cobble-stone streets, a genuine paddle-wheel steamer, horse-drawn carriages, a steam-powered train, a railroad museum and an annual historic festival complete with Pony Express reenactments. Old Sacramento is a registered National and California Historic Landmark.

7. The Leland Stanford Mansion
Located on N Street about midway between the Crocker mansion and the new State Capitol sits the Leland Stanford mansion—its most famous resident, not its original builder. Stanford, a lawyer by training, found success during the Gold Rush in the mercantile business and became even more influential as one of “The Big Four” who managed the construction of the Central Pacific Railroad – the western half of the transcontinental railroad. From 1862-1863 when Stanford was Governor, his magnificent French Second Empire mansion housed the state’s executive offices while the Capitol was under construction. He was also a US Senator from 1885-1893 and founded Stanford University in honor of his fifteen year old son who passed away unexpectedly. The mansion was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987.

Don't have a bike? Don't want to pedal? Velocab will pedal for you ... and here comes the full disclosure part: I am a downtown denizen and owner of Sacramento Valley Velocab. Give us a call for a tour Fri, Sat, Sun 10am - 6pm c.916-265-8640 or 916-498-9980

Walking tour to tackle downtown

2009-08-04T02:27:48Z

Tours of any sort within downtown Sacramento are in limited supply. However, those looking for an alternative, lively and up-close view of the historic grid can sign up for Hot Walkin' Nights, the weekly walking tour that's scheduled to tread through downtown Wednesday evening.

Organized by the Sacramento Walking Sticks, California's largest American Volkssport Association (AVA) walking group, Hot Walkin' Nights tours various parts of Sacramento County every Wednesday evening throughout June, July and August. This Wednesday, the place of interest is downtown, allowing people to come and go as they choose during the predetermined 6.2-mile route.

Beginning at 6 p.m., participants will meet at the Dragon Palace restaurant on 1620 W. El Camino Ave. and stroll through the downtown region, paying special attention to Discovery Park along the way. The program provides a unique opportunity to see an experience the Grid in a scenic and educational manner while also getting some exercise in the process. Topics of interest discussed on the way include artistic heritage, authors and literary landmarks, various museums, the Pony Express, Railroad Heritage and Riverwalk America, among others.

Registration is free, but those who wish to receive IVV credit must pay $3.00 to participate. More information on all the Hot Walkin' Nights, as well as other walking tours within the Sacramento community can be found at sacramentowalkingsticks.org