The Sacramento History Alliance is proud and excited to announce the 5th Annual Burnett Awards celebration on Thursday evening, October 5, 2023, from 5 to 7 p.m. The Burnett Awards are named in honor of the late Burnett Miller – a native Sacramentan, former mayor, community icon, philanthropist, business leader and one of the city’s most prominent history enthusiasts. Each year, the Sacramento History Alliance honors local legacy businesses that have met and withstood the test of time and are recognized contributors to the community culture in the Sacramento region.
The high-profile evening gala will take place in the expansive lobby of the Sacramento History Museum at the Old Sacramento Waterfront and will include a fast-paced program. A benefit fundraiser for the Sacramento History Museum, the ticketed event is sponsored by Burnett & Sons, SMUD, Bank of Marin, California State Railroad Museum Foundation, Sacramento Pioneer Association, and North Sacramento Land Company.
The 2023 Burnett Award honorees include the following:
- The Firehouse Restaurant – Founded in 1960 in an 1853 historic firehouse building, the iconic restaurant has earned a reputation as a premier dining and drinking establishment and is a recognizable and longstanding symbol of the city’s thriving culinary scene.
- La Esperanza – Founded in 1969 to serve the growing LatinX community “home and pan dulce,” La Esperanza has expanded over the years to include a supermarket and deli that offers some of the area’s finest Mexican cuisine, unique cooking products and fresh ingredients.
- North Sacramento Land Company – Building community since it began as a family business in 1910, the company provided the impetus for the California State Railroad Museum and has also contributed to the Sacramento History Museum, Sacramento Valley Conservancy Land Trust, and many other cultural, social, and historic organizations.
- Pucci’s Pharmacy – Opening in 1930, the local pharmacy has aided the underserved in the community for more than 90 years. The pharmacy has provided low-cost or no cost medicines to the unhoused, and in the 1980s, it was one of the few dispensaries serving people living with HIV.
- Sacramento Pioneer Association (Community Partner Award) – Formed in 1854, the association is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the history and heritage of Sacramento and early pioneers.
Valet parking is available, and gala participants will enjoy wine and appetizers as part of the evening festivities. In addition to a limited number of sponsorships that are still available, individual 2023 Burnett Award ceremony and reception tickets cost $75 per person and can be purchased online at www.burnettawards.org. The Sacramento History Museum is managed by the Sacramento History Alliance, a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that also manages the Sacramento Visitors Center, Old Sacramento Underground Tours, Gold Fever! Games, Anytime Tours, and Living History Programs. For more information about the Sacramento History Museum and Sacramento History Alliance, please visit www.sachistorymuseum.org.
*Photo of 2022 Presenter Matias Bombal courtesy of the Sacramento History Museum
