Newest articles on The Sacramento Press written by Lisa Martinez

Friday Night Concerts in the Park launches SCVNGR Trek and Concert Deals

2011-05-13T21:46:40Z

Tonight, the Downtown Sacramento Partnership (DSP) is adding a new twist to the Friday Night Concerts in the Park. Concertgoers can now compete for prizes in a series of challenges and receive special Concert Deals at local businesses on their mobile phones via the SCVNGR app.

Participants start by downloading the free SCVNGR app for iPhone or Android. To play, look for the “Friday Night Concerts” trek and complete a series of quick concert-themed challenges to earn points. Challenges consist of snapping pictures, answering trivia questions, and social check-ins by bumping phones with friends. Challenges will rotate each week throughout the concert series giving players more chances to win.

Downtown businesses are also offering special Concert Deals for event goers with concert wristbands every Friday night via SCVNGR. Participating businesses include 4th Street Grille, Ambrosia Café, Blue Prynt, Dive Bar, Marilyn's on K, Pyramid, and Torch Club.

“It’s our 20th season this year and while we’re sticking to our roots of live local music, SVNGR is a great new addition to the Concerts. It’s a fun platform that will allow people to interact, compete with each other, and win prizes from local businesses,” said Michael Ault, DSP Executive Director. “It’s all the fun of an old-school scavenger hunt with the bells and whistles of Facebook and Foursquare.”

Party in the Park to benefit homeless women & children

2011-03-15T17:20:46Z

This year de Vere’s Irish Pub and the Downtown Sacramento Partnership (DSP) are teaming up to host Sacramento’s biggest St. Patrick’s Day event at Cesar Chavez Plaza on March 17 and to give back to a good cause. The de Vere’s Party in the Park will benefit Maryhouse, a daytime women and children’s homeless shelter at Loaves and Fishes.

“We started this party years ago to create a signature event for Sacramento and give back to the community that had been so supportive of us as a new business,” said de Vere’s Irish Pub Owner Henry de Vere White. “By moving to a larger venue, we’ll be able to do more for our charity partner Maryhouse and continue our mother’s legacy for their cause.”

The de Vere family’s affiliation with Maryhouse began when de Vere’s mother, Antoinette de Vere White, first got involved with a homeless lunch program over 27 years ago. “We started to talk to the women and children to find out what they did after they had lunch with us, and we realized that they had absolutely nowhere to go. The women had to just walk about with their children, carrying all their belongings,” Antoinette de Vere White, associate director of Maryhouse explained, “So the idea for a place where they could come throughout the day, be indoors, and try and retrieve their lives again seemed like a very essential service.”

Maryhouse Women & Children’s Day Shelter serves as a home address for their clients and provides a place to be during the day. Homeless women and their children can shower, have a meal from the Hot Breakfast Meal Program, and continue education at the Mustard Seed School. Maryhouse also offers mail service and telephones so their guests can contact potential rentals, welfare agents, and family members.

Antoinette, a Maryhouse volunteer since its inception, began working full time for the organization after her children, Mark, Henry, and Simon de Vere White, had grown. “The women are just very special people. The humor and strength that is shown by them, many of whom are just there because of poverty, is tremendous,” Antoinette said. “When you are living paycheck to paycheck, one small thing and it’s all over, and you’re out on the street again. When you are very poor, it is very hard to hold onto a roof over your head.”

Funds raised by the de Vere’s St. Patrick’s Day Party in the Park will be used to purchase vital supplies to keep the day shelter stocked as donations run low. Such items include baby formula, jars of baby food, diapers, warm clothing, blankets and other supplies.

Additionally, proceeds will be used for the organization’s Crisis Fund. According to Antoinette, the Crisis Fund is there to help the most vulnerable women and families when all other resources have been exhausted. The fund is a direct response to the current economic climate and increase incidences of first time homelessness.

“The County of Sacramento has been unable to provide a winter shelter this year for men, women, and children. We set up this fund to help families with small children, as well as ill or elderly women, who have no shelter in bad weather,” Antoinette said, “The fund can provide respite room for those who are ill, transportation for those who need to get to their families, and, if funds are sufficient, an emergency motel room for a family in dire need.”

de Vere’s Irish Pub and DSP hope that moving the event to Cesar Chavez Plaza, a much larger venue than the previous one, will allow the St. Patrick’s Day festivities to make an even bigger impact for Maryhouse.

“Through the DSP’s ongoing homeless outreach efforts, we’ve seen the devastating effects the recession has had on our community. The face of homelessness is changing and sadly this includes more families with children,” said DSP Executive Director Michael Ault. “This event is a opportunity to pull our community together to raise awareness for homelessness and to give back to those in need.”

Admission to the event is $25 and tickets are now on sale at SacStPats.com. The event will feature food from local restaurants and live entertainment throughout the day including Irish dancers, Sacramento Firefighters Pipes and Drums, and live performances by local bands Nine 8ths Irish, Whiskey and Stitches, and the Black-Eyed Dempseys. The evening will end with headliner and San Francisco U2 tribute band, Zoo Station.

The de Vere’s St. Patrick’s Day Party in the Park will end Sacramento’s weeklong celebration which included the Old Sacramento St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 12, Shamrock’n Half Marathon on March 13, St. Baldrick’s Day on March 14 and a St. Patrick’s Day celebration at de Vere’s Irish Pub on March 17. For tips for planning your week, hotel specials and more; visit SacStPats.com or follow Twitter @SacStPats..

Sacramento's biggest St. Patrick's Day Party

2011-03-15T15:25:59Z

This year, de Vere’s Irish Pub and the Downtown Sacramento Partnership (DSP) are teaming up to host Sacramento’s biggest St. Patrick’s Day event at Cesar Chavez Plaza at 10th and J streets on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Proceeds from the event will benefit Maryhouse, a daytime women’s and children’s homeless shelter at Loaves & Fishes. Maryhouse provides much-needed support and services for this vulnerable population, including the Hot Breakfast Meal Program and crisis management.

“We’re moving our annual block party to the park, but will still host a pub party at de Vere’s on St. Patrick’s Day. By moving to a larger venue, we can do more for our charity partner, Maryhouse,” said de Vere’s Irish Pub co-owner Henry de Vere White. “DSP is a natural partner for Party in the Park because of their experience producing signature events downtown and for their ongoing homeless outreach efforts downtown.”

Admission to the Party in the Park is $20 in advance online and $25 at the door. Admission to the Pub Party is $10. Tickets are for sale at SacStPats.com.

The event will feature food from local restaurants and live entertainment throughout the day, including Irish dancers and the Sacramento Firefighters Pipes and Drums band. Live musical performances begin at 2:30 p.m. and continue throughout the day with Nine 8ths Irish, Whiskey and Stitches and the Black-Eyed Dempseys. The evening will end with headliner and San Francisco U2 tribute band Zoo Station.
The Sacramento Press will be live-streaming video and photos of the event from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. See videos of interviews and performances from the bands, event representatives and organizers, the Firefighter Pipe and Drum Corps, Irish dancers and much more.

Photo stream of the event will also be available through Liveshare, a photo-streaming application available for download to your iPhone or Android smart phone. Photos will be uploaded throughout the day right here on The Sacramento Press, de Vere’s Irish Pub’s Facebook page and a special de Vere's St. Partrick’s Day Party in the Park Facebook page, created to provide the photo stream as well as updates and details on the festivities.

Interviewees for the live stream will include, but are not limited to: pub owners Henry and Simon de Vere White, Lisa Martinez of the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, a representative of Maryhouse, Vince Koll of Last Call Sacramento and the Guinness Girls and Tulamore Dew Girls.

The de Vere’s St. Patrick’s Day Party in the Park and Pub Party will end Sacramento’s week long celebration, which so far has included the Old Sacramento St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 12, Shamrock’n Half Marathon on March 13 and St. Baldrick’s Day on March 14 . For tips for planning your week, hotel specials and more, visit SacStPats.com or follow us on Twitter @SacStPats.

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Study identifies potential economic impact of downtown entertainment & sports complex

2010-06-30T20:21:32Z

The Downtown Sacramento Partnership (DSP), in collaboration with a consulting team from the UC Davis Graduate School of Management, released a report on the potential economic impacts of an Entertainment and Sports Complex (ESC) in the Railyards earlier this month. The report suggests that a well-integrated complex with parallel investment in Downtown’s core assets, including Old Sacramento, Downtown Plaza, JKL Retail Corridor, and the Convention Center, will maximize economic impact and strengthen the surrounding neighborhood.

“We believe that an Entertainment and Sports Complex belongs Downtown and has the potential to stimulate economic activity,” said DSP Executive Director Michael Ault. “In cities like Denver and Indianapolis, development of these venues has been used as a tool to accelerate and compliment revitalization efforts.”

According to the study, transportation access and connectivity, public safety, and local business development in conjunction with reinvestment in the Downtown District are major factors in the future success of an ESC at the Railyards.

The report cites several case studies of both successes and failures of Downtown ESCs throughout the country. Indianapolis, which used ESC development as part of a long-term downtown revitalization strategy, reported a 78% increase in annual downtown visitors compared to 15 years ago. In contrast, Baltimore failed to connect two sports stadiums at Camden Yards and as a result experienced no additional development or revitalization in nearby neighborhoods.

“As the ESC discussion moves forward, this analysis will be a very effective tool to communicate priorities for future development,” said Ault. “It also supports the case for continued investment in Sacramento’s core assets and the Downtown District.

A full copy of the report is available for download at www.downtownsac.org.

Downtown announces call for artists

2010-06-24T23:56:58Z

Downtown is home to the region’s oldest and most recognized public art. From sculpture to large-scale murals, these works enhance public space and foster Sacramento’s identity as an arts-friendly city. The Downtown Sacramento Partnership (DSP) recently announced an opportunity for local artists to participate in a temporary public art exhibit of original paintings and drawings, titled K Street: The moment is NOW, that celebrates this pivotal moment in Downtown Sacramento’s revitalization efforts, in a medium befitting the subject – street banners. Artists are invited to visually express their distinct interpretation of K Street’s rich history as a vaudeville and entertainment hotspot or look toward the future with an imaginative concept for Downtown’s potential.

The goal of the project is to provide pedestrians with a new perspective of an otherwise familiar environment, broaden the outlook on the role public art plays in civic identity and encourage conversation on the relationship between urban revitalization and public spaces. “This exhibit was inspired by the ongoing buzz about the future of K Street and recent development activity,” said DSP Programming Manager Julia Beckner. “We want to know how the creative community relates to K Street. From the Renaissance-style Cathedral to the Crest Theatre’s neon marquee, there is a wealth of visual inspiration to draw upon.”

Last month, the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission and Crocker Art Museum launched West of 16th, East of the River, a summertime schedule of arts-related programming and special events throughout Downtown that aims to bridge the gap between permanent and temporary public art by installing hand painted street banners, temporary chalk murals on vacant building facades and phantom galleries in vacant retail spaces throughout Downtown.

The competition is open to local artists of all ages. All entries will be judged from digital images, thumbnail drawings or sketches and a short artist statement. DSP will select 15 local artists to execute their ideas onto a blank street banner. The finished works will be displayed on K Street between 9th and 13th streets this summer. Deadline to submit concepts by 5:00 p.m. on July 5, 2010. Winners will be announced on July 12, 2010. For full details, download entry form.

Local artists to transform Downtown into living gallery

2010-06-11T16:26:55Z

Vacant building or blank canvas? This weekend, local artists in collaboration with the Downtown Sacramento Partnership will blur the line with phantom galleries and temporary public art installations in vacant downtown buildings.

Chalk artists Stephanie Olivera and Jen Cimeglio will transform the façade of 1018 J Street by painting a temporary chalk mural as part of a live Second Saturday show from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The two-panel mural will feature a Japanese theme and span approximately 320 square feet. A new mural will be painted live every Second Saturday throughout the summer to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of Chalk It Up! on Labor Day weekend.

Contemporary artists Amber Dias, Sally Worthing and Kelli Trapani will display their latest works as part of a temporary exhibit, Only Time | Reflecting the female perspective. The exhibit will be on display in vacant storefronts at the 800 J Lofts along 8th, 9th and J streets.

“Art is an important part of any city and especially Downtown. I’m happy to promote the arts in any way and make people stop in their normal routine and appreciate their surroundings,” said Dias. “Working in an vacant space wasn’t a challenge. I was able to take unconventional objects in the space like a drop cloth, paint cans and a metal rack and make it into something new. I married my art to the building.”

The installations and mural mark the beginning of West of 16th Street and East of the River – a series of downtown arts-related events and programs that showcases Downtown’s public art, cultural history and architecture through temporary art exhibits, walking tours and artists-in-action events. The series is produced by DSP, the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission (SMAC), Center for Contemporary Art, Crocker Art Museum and Chalk it Up!, and was inspired by the Mayor’s For Art Sake Initiative.

“We wanted to provide a way to support our identity as an arts-friendly city and affect change with a minimal budget. Using vacant spaces seemed like a natural match,” said DSP Programming Manager Julia Beckner. “Downtown is home to our region’s best public art, museums, theaters and arts groups. We reached out to local arts organizations to develop programs that connect Downtown’s history and cultural amenities.”

In addition to the art exhibit, pedestrians can experience Downtown’s impressive collection of public art and historic architecture on free public art tours presented by the Crocker Art Museum and SMAC. Tours are offered throughout the summer and fall, with special lunchtime chats and Second Saturday tours on topics ranging from the Crocker family legacy to Downtown’s collection of Chicano art. This weekend’s tour focuses on Merle Serlin’s collection at the Cal/EPA building at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, June 12. For full details on all West of 16th Street and East of the River events, visit http://www.downtownsac.org/secondsaturday.

Downtown Holiday Events this Week

2009-12-10T00:20:25Z

The holiday season has arrived – whether you’re ready or not. Brave the cold weather this weekend and get into the holiday spirit. As an added bonus the City of Sacramento is offering free parking at meters Downtown (I through L streets and Front to 29th streets) after 4:30 pm on weekdays and all day on Saturdays and Sundays.

This weekend’s events kick off on Thursday with the State Capitol’s annual tree lighting at 5:30 pm. If it’s lights you love, check out the 700 block of K Street across from the Carnival at St. Rose painted with thousands of LED lights. As a grand finale, experience the Theatre of Lights show in Old Sacramento. The free show illuminates the district Thursday through Sunday nights with a show at 6:30 pm and 8 pm.

State Capitol Tree Lighting
Where: State Capitol - West Steps
When: Thursday, December 10 at 5:30 pm

Carnival at St. Rose
Where: 7th & K streets
When: Open daily Noon – 8 pm thru January 3 (closed Christmas Day)
This whimsical holiday event is the perfect starting point for your visit downtown. The Carnival at St. Rose features a 30-foot ferris wheel, giant slide, classic carnival games and prizes and old school arcade games like Frogger, Ms. Pacman, skeeball and more. Don’t miss weekly events at the carnival including Karaoke at the Carnival every Thursday Night and Trivia every Friday Night.

Admission is $5 for a two-hour session that includes unlimited access to carnival games, rides and arcade. Park at the Westfield Downtown Plaza and the Carnival will validate your parking. www.downtownsac.org/carnival.

Theatre of Lights
Where: Front & K streets
When: Free shows every Thursday through Sunday nights at 6:30 & 8:00 pm
The Theatre of Lights brings history to life through a narrated show of lights, sounds and visual effects. The free light show will take visitors back to a time when the beloved poem The Night Before Christmas was first introduced in Sacramento in 1857. Two 10-minute light shows will run every Thursday through Sunday at 6:30 pm and 8:00 pm through January 3. For more information, visit www.oldsactheatreoflights.com

KHITS Christmas Concert: Tribute to Elvis and the Everly Brothers
Where: Crest Theatre, 1013 K Street
When: Saturday, December 12 at 7:30 pm
Oldies hits and Christmas classics come alive in this family-style double bill featuring oldies tribute artists Mark W. Curran & The Cruisin Oldies Showband. This evening features many of the traditional Christmas songs recorded by both Elvis and the Everly Brothers throughout their along with all their greatest hits. Tickets are on sale now at tickets.com, Crest box office, or call 1-800-225-2277.
www.thecrest.com

The Nutcracker
Where: Crest Theatre, 1013 K Street
When: This weekend shows include:
Friday, December 11, 7:00pm (Opening Night)
Saturday, December 12, 2:00pm & 7:00pm
Sunday, December 13, 1:00pm

Join the Sacramento Ballet in celebrating the 500th performance of The Nutcracker! The magic and wonder of Sacramento's most cherished holiday tradition returns to create memories to last families a lifetime. Over 200 costumed characters enthrall the audience to the majestic Tchaikovsky score played by the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra. Adults: $15.00 - $68.00, Children: $15.00 - $31.00. www.sacballet.org