Sacramento Events

Survival tips and scenes from Raley's Grape Escape

2012-06-05T05:22:27Z

It was a scorching Sacramento summer day this past Saturday but that didn’t stop more than 2,000 hungry and thirsty locals from packing into Cesar Chavez Park for the 10th annual Raley’s Grape Escape.

With only three hours to sample bites and pours from 60 restaurants and 40 wineries while a live Chef’s Challenge takes place in the center of it all, careful planning is needed to maximize your (and your mouth's) time.

If you’re like me, you’re already looking forward to next year’s event.

With three years under my belt, here are some tips I’ve gathered to turn you into an efficient Grape Escaper:

1. Get your tickets early

The early bird not only gets the worm, it gets the cheapest tickets to Grape Escape, too! At $10 cheaper than the door price, purchasing tickets at a Raley’s or Bel Air location is the way to go. Don’t forget to keep your eyes peeled for daily deal sites. This year, savvy buyers scored a sold-out LivingSocial deal and picked up two tickets for the price of one.

2. Map your course

After being handed your wine glass and plate, don’t forget to grab a map. As the plaza fills up, it’s nearly impossible to visit every table, so you’ll (sadly) be forced to pick and choose. Scan the list and circle your favorites, along with a few you’ve never heard of but have been meaning to give a try.

Since most people head to the right or left upon entering, lines grow quickly on either side. Be sneaky and head straight on through, starting at 9th Street before the crowds catch up.

3. Don’t be fooled by “concrete row”!

Don’t let the barren aesthetics fool you. Not only is it more time-efficient to start on 9th Street, some of the event’s best “gems” can be found on this concrete strip.

This year’s highlights (and largest portions) included sweet potato tater tots dished out by Krush Burger's food truck, a pulled pork sandwich line served by Ludy’s Main Street BBQ and Ruhstaller pouring their suds to wash it all down.

4. Don’t neglect the “little guys”

Sure, it’s safe and delicious to sample the (frequently) tried and true like Chipotle’s juicy carnitas tacos or the guaranteed-to-please line of Barefoot wines and Geikekkan Sake.

However, with limited time and stomach space, take the opportunity to step outside your comfort zone and explore the up-and-coming local restaurants and wineries you don’t know much about.

Take, for instance, Moniz Family Wines. Without a physical tasting room, proprietor Rod Moniz relies on events like Grape Escape to get the word out about his wines. This is the case for many wineries dotting the often-neglected El Dorado and Amador wine regions, like Ironstone Vineyards (which doubles as an outdoor amphitheater), Madroña Vineyards and Jodar Vineyards and Winery.

5. Use the lines to your advantage

After the first hour of the event, lines start to snake a bit our of control. This year the lines seemed to be longer than usual, especially at booths serving generous portions. Can you say full beers from Pyramid? Yum.

Most people fill up their glass or plate and nosh while standing and planning out their next stop. Instead of wasting valuable sipping time, make your plan of attack while in line, fill up and quickly hop to the next line while you savor the bounty you’ve collected. It makes the waiting much more tolerable.

6. Don’t forget the suds!

While the emphasis is on wine, it seems like each year more breweries are added to the lineup. Beer junkies got their fix with local favorites River City Brewing Company and Pyramid Alehouse. Even big brewhouses like Sierra Nevada and Shock Top (pouring a seasonal raspberry brew) got in on the action.

7. Pace yourself

Even the most experienced wino can get a bit tipsy on a hot day, and mixing whites, reds and and ambers can make anyone queasy. Event organizers purposely place food vendors throughout the wineries, so put this strategic planning to use.

Don’t forget to make a pit stop at the Dasani table, which generously donates free water bottles throughout the event every year.

Likewise, don’t let your stomach get carried away. It would be a shame to miss out on Thai Basil’s fried rice or Michaelangelo’s marinara meatballs because your eyes were bigger than your stomach early on.

8. Bring empty pockets (or at least a recyclable shopping bag)

No food and wine show would be complete without the swag. Since your hands will be busy pouring wine and shoving food into your mouth, you’ll need a place to store the booths' giveaways.

Bring your own foldable grocery bag or pick one up along the way. You’ll be glad you did as you collect the latest edition of Sacramento Magazine, various alcohol-opening devices and, most importantly, business cards from your favorite samplings.

By hour three and winery 20, things tend to get a bit foggy, and saving a souvenir will clear things up a bit weeks later when you’re trying to recall which winery had that delicious sauvignon blanc or petit syrah you'd like to purchase.

9. Bring a full wallet

While your best bet is to catch a ride or use your legs so you don’t have to deal with parking at all, sometimes bringing your own ride is the only option. Parking is tricky since most on-street parking around the plaza is metered and limited to only one or two hours. The cheapest option is to find a garage that charges a flat rate (around $5 is a steal). Keep in mind that most of these garages take cash only and you have to pay to enter.

If you aren’t lucky enough to find a designated driver, you’ll want to bring cash for a cab. While most companies accept plastic nowadays, cabs may be backed up when the event ends and you might be subject to slim pickings. In a clever marketing tactic, Yellow Cab (an event sponsor) made sure that this year’s event-goers knew exactly who to call by plastering their phone number on the sampling plates.

10. Don’t forget your fruits and veggies!

One of the best-kept secrets is knowing how to score free produce from the Raley’s display, the epicenter of the event. Each year as the event winds down, staff deconstruct the beautiful fruit displays and Grape Escapers walk away armed with pineapples, melons and canteloupes. Aren’t you glad you brought that grocery bag now?

While you’re waiting, you can be sure that Raley’s will be pouring something delicious. This year’s featured drink was their refreshing “Speedy Sangria” (blood orange soda, fruity red wine and citrus slices with ice).

While most of the event’s treats are (thankfully) of the carb variety, greens got their 15 minutes this year, too. Midtown eatery Red Rabbit Kitchen & Bar served up a custom creation of arugula salad, cherries in port wine, red onions, Point Reyes blue cheese and aged balasamic vinaigrette, and the Institute of Technology served up plates of thinly sliced cucumbers glazed in vinaigrette.

Eating healthy can be delicious too!

11. Weatherproof yourself

June weather in Sactown can be unpredictable. Last year’s event went on despite a storm, and this year's was held in the middle of a heatwave. Be sure to dress appropriately since the event is held completely outdoors.

Vendors pour and serve under tents, but you will spend most of the event in direct sunlight. Sunscreen is a must and sunglasses and a hat are always a good idea.

While many female attendees choose to don their best summer dresses, don’t forget that winds can cause embarassing Marilyn Monro-esque complications (especially when your hands are full).

Also keep in mind that chairs are far and few between. The majority of the event will be spent on your feet unless you're lucky enough to steal a makeshift “seat” on the edge of a flower planter somewhere. Dress your feet accordingly and wear flats or sturdy wedges.

12. Don't forget to keep it classy

Sacramento has a budding community of sophisticated foodies and winos, and Grape Escape is a gathering place for many of them. There are many photographers circulating throughout the event, snapping candid shots for print and online publications.

While attendees are encouraged to consume large amounts of “adult beverages,” don’t forget to keep it classy! When you see the many Grape Escape photo albums splashed across social media sites, you’ll be glad you did.

To see a complete list of participating wineries and restaurants, visit the Grape Escape website.

To stay in the loop on next year's event, "like" Raley's Grape Escape on Facebook.

Photo credit: Tia Gemmell, Riverview Media Photography

See more photos at www.phototia.com

Lady Antebellum owns the night at Power Balance Pavilion

2012-03-31T02:59:33Z

Sacramento dusted off its cowboy boots and daisy dukes again last night for Lady Antebellum’s “Own the Night” tour.

It was a country trifecta at Power Balance with country scene newbies Thompson Square and seasoned star Darius Rucker opening for the award-winning country pop trio.

Clad in his signature t-shirt and baseball hat (later tossed to a lucky fan), the Hootie and the Blowfish lead vocalist riled up the crowd with a mix of his current solo sensations and throwback jams from his Hootie days.

Rucker took fans back in time with Hootie Classics “I Only Wanna Be With You” and “Hold My Hand" and even further with a nod to Hank Williams Jr., covering his drinking (and smoking) anthem “Family Tradition.”

Fans sang along to the feel-good “Alright” and current radio hit “It Won’t Be Like This for Long” along with break up ballads “Come Back Song” and “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It.”

Although the lyrics claim that “Girls out in California...just don’t understand,” hearts melted when Rucker crooned about chivalry in “Southern State of Mind” and crazy girls in “The Craziest Thing.”

Sending the crowd into a frenzy, Rucker exited with a cover of Prince’s infamous “Purple Rain.”

It was hard to believe that the main act hadn’t even yet taken the stage when yet another highlight of the night took place during intermission.

Before the band’s arrival onstage, the audience participated in the “Lady Antebellum Dance Party.”

Cameras captured multiple “dance-offs” taking place throughout the audience. The more-than-deserving winner was upgraded to the “the inner circle” just in time for Lady A.

While it was hard to top the excitement of the dance party, Lady A didn’t disappoint.

Keeping the energy high, the trio entered with “We Owned the Night,” a single from the tour’s namesake album, “Own the Night,” and invited the audience to help sing their pop-heavy “Star’s Tonight.”

To set the ambience for the soulful “Dancin’ Away with My Heart,” lead female vocalist Hillary Scott asked the crowd to light up their cellphones. Within seconds, the audience had the Pavilion glittering.

Enamored with their fans, Scott invited two eager young sisters on stage to help her sing “American Honey.” The frantic pre-teens were able to stop their tears long enough to serenade Scott with every lyric.

Continuing the fan love, Scott made her way down into the crowd to collect a bouquet from a young fan during “Our Kind of Love” and thanked the show-goers for making their dream of headlining a sold-out arena tour come true.

While Scott stole the audience’s hearts, there was enough love to go around for the whole band.

Shouts of “I love you” interrupted “Hello World,” sang by male lead Charles Kelley with Dave Haywood on (a pink) piano.

The evening culminated with a show-stopping, star-studded jam sesh.

Thompson Square, Rucker and Lady Antebellum reconvened onstage and funked it up with a cover of the Doobie Brothers “Black Water” and Aerosmith’s “Sweet Emotion.”

Lady Antebellum took back the reigns with a finale of fan favorites, including the band’s very first single, “I Run To You,” and lead single “Just a Kiss.”

The crowd couldn’t get enough of Lady A and, after a quick wardrobe change, they (thankfully) reappeared with an encore of 2011’s hit single “Need You Now.”

Lady Antebellum and Darius Rucker owned the night.

After a short hiatus, the troupe heads to Molini, Ill. on April 5. See tour information here.

Photo credit: Steven Chea, Steven Chea Photography

Blake Shelton and Justin Moore bring honky-tonk to Sacramento

2012-03-19T04:51:22Z

Country crooners Blake Shelton and opening act Justin Moore charmed Sacramento during Shelton’s “Well Lit & Amplified Tour” Thursday night at Power Balance Pavilion.

Referencing the sea of cowboy hats and daisy dukes, Moore riled up the female fans in the audience by noticing, “there are more country girls here than anywhere in the world!”

Red Solo cup in hand, he called Sacramento “the best keep secret ever” and went on to perform a 10-song set chock full of cheeky lyrics.

The raucous audience raised their beers in appreciation of Moore’s saucy hits like, “If You Don’t Like My Twang,” “Bait a Hook” and “I Could Kick Your Ass,” which he dedicated to all the “rednecks” in California.

Moore next slowed it down with a few love ballads, “My Kind of Woman,” “If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away” and the particularly sappy, “‘Til My Last Day,” his hit single written in dedication to his wife.

As his performance came to a close, he jokingly thanked the audience for buying tickets they couldn’t afford, especially the fans sitting in the “cheap seats.”

With the energy high and the audience in the throes of a romance with country music, Moore gave over the stage to the star of the night.

Shelton opened his 15-song set by injecting some honky-tonk into Kenny Loggins’ classic, “Footloose.”

With a country twang that made hearts flutter, he revved up the audience for a lively performance.

“I know you all have to go to work tomorrow morning but I don’t give a crap! Let’s have a good time tonight!” before going on to sing, “It’s All About Tonight.”

Shelton crooned about living, loving and (naturally) drinking. He sang current radio hits including "Drink On It," “God Gave Me You” and “Honey Bee,” and got the crowd stomping their cowboy boots with upbeat hits like “Hillybilly Bone” and “Some Beach.”

Fans were treated to a surprise duet with Shelton and season one runner-up from “The Voice,” Dia Frampton. A Sacramento native, Frampton took the stage donning a Kings jersey, to Shelton’s dismay.

“That’s cheatin’!” Shelton playfully whined, “I had to wear this stupid vest.”

Using Frampton's appearance as an opportunity for a little bit of self-promotion, Shelton called the NBC hit show the “coolest thing” he’s ever done.

In a nod to his co-star, Shelton injected a bit of pop into the Pavilion with Cee Lo’s “Forget You.” Interrupting his own song halfway through, he asked himself out loud what he was thinking singing a pop song at a country show.

Switching gears back to his own genre, Shelton belted out a few tunes from wife Miranda Lambert. Chaos ensued when Lambert took the stage, surprising the excited crowd.

With the thrill of Lambert still in the air, Shelton wound down the night with classics from early on in his career like, “Nobody But Me,” and his first debut single, “Austin.”

Shelton made hearts pitter patter yet again when he put a couple on the Jumbotron and encouraged a man to sing the lyrics to “Who Are You When I’m Not Looking” to his date. The man obliged, much to the delight of his girlfriend (and the audience).

During another strategically planned PR move, Shelton put his own Twitter page up on the big screen, performing a live tweet to “his people” in Nashville, who Shelton said give him trouble for drinking, raising hell or tweeting.

The later-deleted tweet kicked off the sassy, “Kick Your Ass.”

As the show came to a close and Shelton exited the stage, the crowd was left wanting much more.

Giving into the crowd’s pleads of “Blake! Blake! Blake!” Shelton returned to the spotlight with Moore by his side. The two performed a bonus duet of “Whiskey Ain’t Working Anymore."

As the show came to a close, fans left completely enamored with Shelton's country boy charm; Men want to be him and women want to be his "Honey Bee."

Following a St. Patrick’s Day performance in Las Vegas, and a quick stop in Reno, Moore and Shelton are heading back across the country to the Bismarck Civic Center in North Dakota on Tuesday.

Photo credit: Steven Chea, Steven Chea photography

Brewfest 2011: A very hoppy night at Raley Field

2011-05-17T03:53:30Z

Raley Field transformed into a beer connoisseur's paradise Friday night at the fifth annual Raley Field Brewfest.

Breweries from around the region partnered with the Northern California Brewers’ Guild to introduce their summer seasonals and rekindle the love for their year-round fan favorites.

“I was pleased with both old favorites and new options. It was a great time,” said Sacramento resident Heather Deas.

For $30 in advance and $35 at the door, beer enthusiasts were handed a mini-pint glass upon entry and given ten tickets good for one 5 oz. tasting. For $50, “VIP” guests were allowed to enter an hour early and given eight additional tasting tickets. For those left wanting more, additional tickets could be purchased.

“We’re excited that we [had] so many breweries participating,” said Raley Field Communications Manager Rebecca Brutlag. “We [had] over 40 this year, last year was over 30.”

Each brewery or restaurant, spread out along the concourse, gave ticket holders two options (and a very tough decision to make) on which brew or cider they wanted to sample.

Live music by bands 50 Stories and Private Criminals, along with the Sacramento skyline backdrop, was just the icing on the cake to a pretty much perfect evening in Sacramento.

As the night wore on, attendees’ smiles grew steadily larger along with their enthusiasm for the festival.

“I was already ready for a lot of beer, but when I got here, there was even more than I expected!” said Kevin Burrill with a large smile plastered on his face.

Among the various breweries were crowd favorites Lagunitas Brewing Company, pouring “Hairy Eyeball,” a strong brown, as well as their well-loved IPA; Hoppy Brewing Company doling out their Amber Ale and “Liquid Sunshine,” a hoppy blonde ale; and Brew it Up, serving their house favorites, “Big Valley Red Ale” and “Ladder #2 Lager.”

Other notables were High Water Brewing’s “Retribution IPA,” with a whopping 9.5 percent alcohol by volume (ABV), and Lost Coast Brewery’s ever-so-refreshing “Great White” and “Tangerine Wheat.”

While final attendance numbers haven’t been counted yet, Brutlag says this year's ticket sales definitely exceeded last year’s (around 3,000) and deemed the event “highly successful.”

With a brew to fit every level of beer enthusiast, good music and an all-around jovial mood in the air, one thing is sure: the majority of the crowd left looking extremely hoppy.

To see a calendar of upcoming events at Raley Field, visit their website.

What are you waiting for? Go, See, Do!

2011-01-28T22:46:33Z

It is an understatement to say that there is an overwhelming amount of concerts, art showings, theatre performances and other exciting events taking place in Sacramento every day.

In fact, it’s pretty mind-boggling that anyone can keep track of all of them when planning how and where to spend that rare commodity known as “free time.” That’s where we come in to make your life a little easier.

We are very proud to introduce to our users “Go.See.Do.”, your personal guide to upcoming local events.

Every week, we handpick a few events that we believe are worthy of your valuable time and deliver them straight to your inbox.

Film festivals, fashion shows, poetry readings, food and cocktail weeks, you name it! You will find all of this (and much more) in “Go.See.Do.”

The newsletter is sent out every Thursday morning and features events taking place through the following week. Each event title and photo is clickable and will take you to websites, articles and social media sites where you can check out complete information.

Sneak a peak at last week’s “Go.See.Do” here.

To sign up to receive “Go.See.Do.”, all you have to do is register as a user on our site. Click “sign up” at the top of the home page, fill out some basic information and you’re done! If you have any questions about the sign-up process, feel free to e-mail us at support@sacramentopress.com.

Also, if you have an event that you would like considered for inclusion, please submit the following to goseedo@sacramentopress.com:

- Name of the event
- Date of the event
- Where the event is held (name and address)
- A photo to accompany the listing (that you have permission to use)
- Event website
- When available, links to a Facebook or Twitter account, either for the event or for the venue
- Any additional information you feel is important

When choosing events, we will showcase both big acts that readers might be surprised to see coming through Sacramento and small, but great, events that haven’t received a lot of exposure.

In addition to the e-mail you’re sending from, please be sure to include any additional contact information. Every event will be considered equally.

What are you waiting for? Go.See.Do.

Bottoms up! Wine Tasting 101

2010-11-15T04:08:25Z

Can I really taste oak and butter in my wine? What is really the point of swirling my wine glass around? Who cares if a glass of wine has legs?

Those questions, among many others, are what I set out to get answered when enrolling in Wine Tasting 101 taught by wine expert G.M. “Pooch” Pucilowski. Taught aboard the Delta King, the three-part course aims to make wine drinkers more comfortable and confident when choosing and discussing wine.

It’s probably important to disclose that two weeks ago the extent of my wine knowledge didn’t go much further than knowing that one too many glasses of red seems to inevitably give me a headache, and that nothing melts a stressful day of work away like a glass of cold chardonnay.

This is why, going into class, I was nervous that my low wine IQ would be ousted instantly and I would be scoffed at. But that all melted away within minutes of the first class.

Pucilowski has around 30 years of experience in the wine world and is deemed an official “Certified Wine Expert” by the Society of Wine Educators. He has served as chief judge for the wine competition at the California State Fair and has judged other notable shows like the International Wine Competition at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and the Lodi Wine Awards. He is also the wine editor for Sacramento Magazine.

Most people, including myself, envision “winos” with their noses in the air while they swirl their wine, then submerging their noses in their glasses while claiming to pick up hints of tobacco or pear in their pour. Pucilowski, with his approachable and laid-back demeanor, puts that myth to rest and makes students feel comfortable asking any question they might have.

The courses are spread out over two weeks. There are two two-hour classes, “Tasting Like a Professional” and “Fives Types of Wine Flavor and Identification.” The third “class” is an optional wine-pairing dinner, held on a Thursday evening for this particular class series. While I could not attend the dinner, I snuck a peek at the menu. With menu items such as California goat cheese croquette with Serrano ham and arugula, pinot noir-braised duck, and pumpkin crème brulée, it’s clear that I missed out.

Just like a real college course, we were not only given something that resembled a syllabus, but school began with the quintessential icebreaker exercise where everyone talks a little bit about themselves.

There was a wide-range of professions, ages and reasons why students wanted to bulk up their wine expertise. Among the students were a 20-something who will eventually become a sommelier at his family’s bed and breakfast, a middle-aged woman who investigates food stamp fraud for the U.S. Department of Food & Agriculture and the owner of a chrome-plating shop who hopes to own a wine shop some day.

The setting was picturesque. The dining room’s doors stayed open, allowing the river breeze to blow in. If there’s a better place to learn about wine, I can’t think of one. Platters of cheeses, crackers and fruits welcomed us before being seated at tables covered in white linens and wine glasses.

We each were given a paper cup to spit our wine out after each taste. The idea of a spit cup has always been ridiculous to me. Who in their right mind would spit out a great mouthful of wine? But Pucilowski encouraged us to use the cups in order to take away more from the class.

“Every single ounce of alcohol in your system will diminish your ability to judge wine,” he said.

So I (hesitantly) resisted the urge to swallow in effort to get the most out of class.

While the first class’ purpose was to learn how to sip like a judge, Pucilowski explained that the difference between wine judges and consumers is what we’re looking for when tasting. Judges look for stylistic characteristics such as how a type of wine is supposed to look, smell and taste.

Consumers, on the other hand, are looking for a wine that tastes good to us. We sampled eight wines during each class and analyzed each by color, smell and taste as a group. A common reminder Pucilowski gave us throughout class was that there is no wrong answer to what you’re seeing, smelling or tasting.

“What you like is what you like. What you smell is what you smell,” he said.

Things I learned about analyzing color:

* Remember that everyone has their own spectrum and we all see colors differently.
* The best way to analyze a wine’s color is with a white background. A piece of paper or your white shirt will work.
* Look at the wine with light coming over your shoulder.
* Browning is caused by oxidation and, generally, a darker/browner wine means a wine is older.
* Factors that affect clarity and color include how the glass was washed or stored. For example, being stored in cardboard boxes can lead to bits of cardboard in the bottom and make a glass murky.
* The color of a wine comes from the grape’s skin. This is where “blanc de blanc” (white wine from white grapes) and “blanc de noir” (white wine from red grapes) come from.

Things I learned about analyzing smell:

* Don’t be embarrassed by what you’re smelling. When smelling the same glass of wine, students called out everything from egg to apple to vomit (yes, vomit).
* According to Pucilowski, scientists say we have the ability to smell 13,000 smells.
* The hardest problem we have is trying to describe what we’re smelling since no two people smell things the same way. To explain this difficulty, Pucilowski described trying to describe another person how a strawberry smells.
* Another common problem is “sensory fatigue.” Your brain has had enough. This is what happens when you can’t smell your perfume at the end of the day and others still can. To combat this, Pucilowski advised us to smell our skin or clothes in between sniffs.

Things I learned when analyzing taste:

* There is no right or wrong when it comes tasting. Just like smells, everyone has different tastes.
* Each taste bud in our mouths has the capacity to taste six tastes. They are sweetness, acidity (“sourness”), bitterness, saltiness, and “umami” (the Japanese word for “savory sensation”).
* According to Pucilowski, it is a wine faux pas to describe a wine as “sour.” Fellow wine drinkers might think you’re off the farm if you do.
* Always taste wine twice. The acidity will shock your taste buds the first time, but the second time is better.
* It’s best to taste in this order: white to red, dry to sweet and young to old.

As the first class ended, we were given the best homework I can ever remember being assigned in the history of my education: drink a bottle of wine. I gladly accepted and almost asked for extra credit.

The confidence gained from just one class was clear when class two opened with a sharing of our homework assignment. The students were clearly excited to incorporate their new vocab picked up from the week prior.

Once again we were given eight wines to sample, and this time champagne, or “sparkling wine,” was added to the mix. Perhaps the best part of the class was that we were given permission to not just taste but drink the delicious nectar that was poured into our glasses.

We learned lots of interesting tidbits including all about the different processes of grape fermentation and why drunk birds (yes, you read that correctly) can be seen flying near vineyards. While juice is busy fermenting inside the blume (the grape’s skin), some birds just can’t resist getting their beaks on it and will peck right through. Who can really blame them though?

To cap off the final evening, Pucilowski taught us all about the different types of bottles and their origins. For example, the “Bordeaux” bottle usually contains Bordeaux varieties from that region in France. This includes merlot, cabernet and cabernet sauvignon, among others. He explained that winemakers aren’t required to bottle wine according to the type, but it is a tradition and so winemakers generally stick to it.

As icing on the cake, we were privy to an exclusive Q&A session with Pucilowski. The only question he wouldn’t answer? His favorite wine.

He put it best when he explained that, when choosing wine, “it depends on who’s buying!”

If I could sum up Wine Tasting 101 in one sentence, it would be the recurring theme of the classes: Everyone is different and all that matters is what tastes good to me.

Dates for 2011 have not been locked in yet, but the next series of classes will begin January 2011. When he’s not traveling the country judging wine, Pucilowski also does house calls for private parties, company retreats and bus tours to local wine regions.

For reservation information and pricing for Wine School 101 visit the Delta King website or University of Wine.

Bottoms up!

A random smattering of myth-busters, tips and facts I gathered from Wine Tasting 101:

* Legs (the tear drops of wine that run down the insides of a glass) don’t tell the quality of wine, as many believe. This just means there is alcohol in the wine.
* If you don’t have a decanter available, you can naturally aerate the wine by pouring a little out, replacing the cork and shaking it all around.
* White wines generally have a higher alcohol content.
* Don’t rinse the glass in between pours when tasting. The residual water will change the taste more than the previous wine will.
* Wines aren’t made to age. A good rule of thumb is a maximum five years for red wines or three years for white from the vintage date on the bottle.
* In order to be “vintage,” at least 95 percent of a wine’s grapes has to be picked during that year.
* Judges will actually look for smells of cat urine to determine a good sauvignon blanc.
* Wine that is too cold can mask the tastes, so wine judges prefer warm wines, both red and white.
* Don’t use cooking wine! By law it has 6 percent residual salt in it so it can be sold in stores without a liquor license.
* When serving champagne, some restaurants or bars will actually scratch the bottom of a champagne flute on purpose. This causes more bubbles to rise from the bottom.
* Champagne bottles hold as much pressure as a car tire (90 lbs. per square in

Photos courtesy of Delta King and University of Wine

Grape Escape satisfies wine and food enthusiasts

2010-06-07T22:06:03Z

Cesar Chevez Park was a foodie and wino's paradise on Saturday night at the 8th Annual Raley's Grape Escape.

Upon entrance, attendees were handed platters and wine glasses that vendors kept filled. For three hours, guests circled the plaza enjoying samples from Sacramento's up-and-coming restaurants along with more than 100 wineries from surrounding counties such as Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, and Nevada among others.

"This was my third straight year I have gone to the Grape Escape and once again it was a great time with a broad variety of wineries and restaurants," said Melissa McNabb.

Local restaurants such as Grange Restaurant & Bar, Mulvaney's Building & Loan, Brew it Up, Zocalo, Lucca, and P.F. Changs (among many others) served samplings of their most popular menu items in both liquid and solid form. Many restaurants took the event as an opportunity to reel in future business and passed out coupons for future visits. Grange even passed out a $20 gift cards to those who waited in a lengthy line to sample their sausage and pulled-pork sandwiches.

Aside from Grange, some of the most popular samplings included sliders from the recently-opened Cafeteria 15L, barbecued corn and asparagus from Raley's, lettuce wraps from P.F. Changs, and a garlic-rich pasta from Paesano's.

In support of the event, in the weeks before Grape Escape various Raley's and Bel-Air stores hosted in-store tastings featuring pours from wineries at Grape Escape. Some of these included Barefoot Bubbly, Michael David, Toasted Head and Ironstone.

"The goal of [Grape Escape] is to educate the locals on all the culinary treasures that we have here in the Sacramento region," said Mike Testa, Vice President of Communications at the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau. "Too often, many people automatically think Napa and Sonoma when they think wine tasting and we want them to know that award-winning wines are here in their own backyard. We saw that education in action this weekend."

The main attraction and most excitement came from the "Chef's Challenge" on the main stage, presented by the Institute of Technology. The battle of the local chefs showcased the talents of Ame Harrington of L Wine Lounge & Urban Kitchen, Noah Zonca of The Kitchen Restaurant, Adam Pechal of Tuli Bistro, and Darrell Madeira of Crush 29. TV personality and "Good Day Sacramento" host Mark S. Allen kept the competition lively.

All chefs, with the help of an assistant, were given 25 minutes to prepare and serve a dish with a pre-selected basket of ingredients, including Sturgeon, English peas, strawberries, Horseradish root, and Manchego cheese. Teams competed in two rounds and the winner advanced to the final round. It came down to Harrington and Zonca and after the judges weighed on their final dishes, Zonca was crowned winning chef.

Judges for the event included Rick Kushman, The Sacramento Bee "Good Life" columnist; Patty Mastracco, Food Editor for Raley's "Something Extra" magazine; and Don Dickinson, Culinary Division Director at the Institute of Technology's Culinary Arts Division.

"I especially enjoyed the chef competition and the opportunity it gives local chefs to showcase their talents," said Ali Zamanian, who had worked at past Grape Escapes as a vendor but was able to enjoy the event for the first time as a guest.

Other entertainment throughout the event included live music and art by local artists on display throughout the plaza.

When 7 p.m. came and it was time for Grape Escape-goers to leave, many left with satisfied palates, filled with our region's culinary offerings.

For a full listing of participating restaurants and wineries, visit the Grape Escape website.

All photos by Ron Nabity of Nabity Photos

Day at the Museum empowers, inspires

2010-03-06T05:27:03Z

Close to 10,000 people gathered at the California Museum on Thursday for the first "Day at the Museum" to get a little bit of pampering and a lot of empowerment.

The star-studded event was part of first lady Maria Shriver's annual The Women's Conference in honor of Women's History Month. The day included exhibits, presentations, speeches and tours of the museum.

"Today is the most successful day [at the museum] in all of California's history," Shriver told the audience.

The day began early with a meet-and-greet session in the museum's lobby with Shriver, California Secretary of State Debra Bowen, Speaker Emeritus Karen Bass, and other female legislators, mayors and district attorneys.

This was followed by a panel of past Minerva Award winners. The Minerva is awarded annually to a California woman who is making a difference and is what Shriver calls "an architect of change."

Women Escaping a Violent Environment (WEAVE) co-founder Jennie Hernandez, Parents of Watts founder "Sweet" Alice Harris, and homeless advocate Betty Chinn were just some of the recipients on hand to greet the audience and help Shriver showcase the museum's Minerva Award Exhibit.

Women were treated to free massages at the "Relaxation Station," makeup applications at the "Hello Gorgeous" booth, drum performances and edible garden demonstrations in the museum's courtyard.

On the upper level, "California's Remarkable Women" told the stories of the state's many accomplished females, including food advocate Alice Waters, Mary See of See's Candy, XTreme Winter Games gold-medal record-holder Tara Dakides, and the first U.S. female astronaut to enter space, Sally Ride, who spoke later in the day.

Several women from "The California Heritage Quilt Project" did their handiwork throughout the day while answering questions about the the California Sesquicentennial Quilt, on display behind them. Created in 1996 for California's 150th birthday, the quilt was a collaboration between more than 200 women throughout the state. Other demonstrations Thursday included creating edible gardens, California Indian basketmaking and the origami Peace Crane Project.

After a cooking demonstration with chef Biba Caggiano, Iron Chef's Cat Cora spoke during "Only in California: A Celebration of California Creativity," along with other women who are using creative channels to blaze trails for women.

Cora spoke about meeting another Californian, Julia Child, as an aspiring chef and being inspired by her graciousness. Cora said it reminds her to take the time to shake hands and visit with her fans. She said she founded Chefs for Humanity after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami to give back by providing quality food during disasters.

Cora reflected on her education in France and being a woman in a male-dominated industry. "I needed to prove to myself I could go and work in the toughest male kitchens in the world," she said of her apprenticeships in France. She advised women to take chances and not to be discouraged by obstacles that come along. "A door might close, but then a door will open."

Ayelet Waldman, author of "Bad Mother," also took the stage and discussed the often-comical trials and tribulations of being a mother and the unreasonable expectations to do it all. She commented on society's famous "bad mothers" such as Britney Spears, whose biggest fault was being selfish. She theorized that many mothers are ganged up on and deemed "bad mothers," to make others feel better about their maternal skills. "By defining to us who we aren't, they allow us to stomach the mothers we are," Waldman explained.

A more serious topic, body image, was examined through the images of photographer Lauren Greenfield. She showed disturbing photos of young women in a treatment facility for eating disorders and spoke about her experience while creating her documentary, "Thin."

Women weren't the only audience for the daylong celebration of women. During a courtyard ceremony called "Honoring Our Women in Military," Shriver thanked the men in the audience for showing up, saying, "I'm a big believer [men and women] must work together to raise the kinds of boys & and girls we want to change the world."

After a performance by an all-female color guard, Shriver welcomed Brig. Gen. Mary J. Knight to the stage. She paid tribute to the men and women serving the country, with a specific focus on the females in service. Knight is the nation's first African-American female general.

Shortly after, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Shriver's husband, took the stage to extend his appreciation to our servicewomen. He commended Shriver for her tireless efforts in providing resources for women throughout the state. Referring to the day's packed schedule, he joked, "This shows you how exhausting it is being with a woman like this!"

The audience cheered when he confessed "In my house, every day is women's day!"

The final and much-awaited event was "I Did It My Way," featuring a discussion between environmental activist Erin Brockovich, journalist Lisa Ling, astronaut Ride, and actress and singer Rita Moreno, with Shriver as a moderator.

Brockavich said at the end of the day it doesn't matter what others think. "It's our perception of how we see ourselves and that's all that really matters." Brockavich continued, "I followed my heart and my gut and it never let me down."

Growing up in the 1950s and 60s, Ride talked about enjoying science and sports at a time when that was not common for young girls. She said she was lucky that her parents supported her passions and encouraged her to follow her dreams.

Although Moreno noted "what's interesting is that everything we wanted, we thought was unattainable," for an hour the women discussed how they went about attaining exactly what they set out for. To view the entire discussion, visit The California Channel .

During National Women's History Month, the California Museum will have free admission every Saturday throughout March. A different female artist will be featured each weekend showcasing jewelry, mixed media, painting and an indie craft fair.

For a list of the day's events, visit The California Museum's website.

Photo credit: Kati Garner

Capital Air Show honors and excites

2009-09-15T03:17:52Z

As part of Air Force Week, the California Capital Air Show invaded Mather Airport over the weekend for two days of power and patriotism.

"It is an exclusive honor to be selected to host Air Force Week and we are one of the only civilian airshows in the country to do so with our partners Travis Air Force Base and Beale," said Abby Lacheur, the "air-tern" (intern) to California Capital Air Show executive director.

When the air show first began five years ago, it consisted of only static displays of aircraft. Throughout the past few years, organizers added actual air demonstrations and it has since grown to the massive event it is today.

The audience of around 100,000 people per day was treated to demonstrations by two jet teams, the United States Air Force Thunderbirds and The Patriots. Attendees were also treated to aerobatic performer Gene "Mr. Airshow" Soucy, wing-walker stuntwoman Teresa Stokes, and demos by the prestigious and rarely seen F-22 Raptor.

The Raptor, known for its precise maneuvering skills and war-fighting abilities, is a component of the Global Strike Task Force and gave the audience an eyeful of sharp turns and unbelievable rolls that made the 43,340-pound jet look almost weightless.

While the majority of jets performing throughout the weekend were part of service flight teams, the Jelly Belly plane and the GEICO Extra 300, were navigated by civilian pilots.

The highly anticipated Patriots, three of whom used to be Thunderbirds, flew their team of four L-39 jets midway through the show. In true American spirit, the jets had colored red, white and blue smoke billowing from them. On Saturday, the flight team took a prospective addition to their crew up in the air to test his flying skills.

One of the main highlights of this year's show and a more somber moment in the midst of the performances was the "Heritage" tribute flight by the F-22 Raptor, P-51 Mustang and F-86. Performed in honor of the Air Force's 50th birthday in 1997, the flight was dedicated in appreciation of the soldiers, airmen, sailors and Marines serving our country as well as the many veterans who were in the audience throughout the weekend.

"On top of the airshow being a fun event for the family, it is also a chance for us to show appreciation to the military and armed forces that ensure freedom that we sometimes take for granted," Lacheur said.

Continuing the theme of patriotism, the Thunderbirds dedicated their performance to the nation's deployed airmen.

The final team to perform, The Thunderbirds gave a jaw-dropping performance with impressive maneuvers like the "Delta Formation," where six jets rolled simultaneously through the air with their wings mere feet from each other.

The elite Thunderbirds team is world reknowned for their precision, reflected both on the ground and in the air. Every minute detail is performed in sync with one another, from removing the chock blocks from the planes' wheels to navigating the planes through the skies. Pilot of Thunderbird 8, Major Tony Mulhare, narrated the carefully choreographed flight demos as the crowd watched in awe as the jets stole the show.

In addition to the show in the sky, attendees were invited to tour the interiors of Air Force C-17A, Coast Guard C-130 and U-2 Dragon Lady Spyplane. Flight simulators were set up so that people could realistically feel what it's like to navigate the skies in a jet, and pilots were on hand at each display to visit with their fans and sign autographs.

Lacheur said this year's show was bigger and better than any of the previous years' shows. "The most exciting thing is having eight decades of aviation on a single runway for people to touch and feel..." she said.

Air Show is big business by Suzanne Hurt

Capital Air Show gearing up for you by Ed Fogle

To see the complete album of the Capital Air Show photos, click here. Check back for more.

Photos taken by Maverick Photographers: Kirk Davies, Fred Jennings, George Murray, Dottie Cashero, Ed Fogle

Sirens sizzle at anniversary cabaret show

2009-07-28T04:08:00Z

Sacramento’s Sizzling Sirens heated up Shady Lady Saloon Sunday night.

For their one-year anniversary show, the six-person burlesque troupe took the stage for an hour and a half of flirtatious numbers and plenty of naughtiness.

Attendees, who were encouraged to dress in '20s-themed attire, were decked out in suspenders, fedoras, sequined flapper dresses, pearls and pin curl. The bar's authentic saloon decor was more than fitting for
a Cabaret show.

The celebration started at 9 p.m., and a sexy jazz performance by The Harley White Jr. Orchestra set the sultry mood for the evening, further set by the Saloon's dim lighting. The spotlight went to the corner stage, where the sirens took turns tantalizing the audience.

As soon as the girls began writhing and wiggling their bodies to tunes of jazz and blues hits, the bar quickly filled to maximum capacity, with many of the male clientele positioning themselves feet away from the stage.

The dancers took turns putting on both solo and duet performances, using props like chairs and feather boas while they tantalized the audience.

Their scanty clothing became props as well, as the girls used their corsets, pearls, elbow-high gloves, garters and lingerie decorated with lace and bows as yet another way to tease the audience while they peeled away layers of clothing and accessories.

In between the ten sets, emcee duo The Freebadge Serenaders, a jazz duo, entertained the audience with wisecracks pertaining to the evening and revved the crowd up for the next striptease. Not much revving up was needed however, as the audience gladly whistled and hollered appreciatively with every unbuttoning of a corset and removal of a fishnet stocking.

The siren team for the evening was made up of Lorelai Love, Ava Aurore, Alex Digitalis, Shauni Fatale, Jay Siren (instructor of the group) and Lucinda Buttons.

Love serenaded the audience with velvety blues hits from previous decades like “W.O.M.A.N.” by Etta James and “Love me Like a Man” by Bonnie Rait.

A halftime show performance by the Serenaders included what they called “the least sexiest instruments alive: the banjo and the washboard.”

Raffle tickets, sold for $5, gave audience members the chance to win gift certificates to Shady Lady, Isabella Corsetry, Muse Salon and dance lessons at The Firehouse 5.

The cabaret-themed party continued until around 2 a.m. while guests listened to jazz, sipped on handmade cocktails from the bar and checked out the sexy Sirens while they mingled.

In the past year the Sirens have graced the stages of many Sacramento venues, including Press Club, Badlands, Parlare and The Park Ultra Lounge for the annual Hair Wars competition. Next up for the girls is the “We wash. You watch.” fundraiser car wash Aug. 8 at Suzie Burger. They will give an eyeful while they give scrub-downs to bikes, cars and mopeds.

The Sizzling Sirens host burlesque fusion dance classes at Midtown’s The Firehouse 5 every Sunday and also offer private and group lessons. For more information, visit The Sizzling Siren's website.

All images taken by Anthony Bento

Surf's up for California Auto Museum exhibit

2009-07-01T06:06:27Z

The California Auto Museum (formerly the Towe Auto Museum) couldn't have chosen a better time to unveil their Carved Elegance: Woodies, Wheels, and Waves auto exhibit.

With summer well underway, it's the perfect time to check out the exhibit which features a collection of wooden automobiles, also called "Woodies," reminiscent of California summer days spent surfing and lounging on the beach.

Today Woodies are prized pieces in car collections and are famous for the exquisite craftsmanship on the wooden panels of the cars. The cars were the ideal mode of transportation for surfers who could tow their boards on top of the them.

The surf culture-themed exhibit opens Thursday, July 2 and the museum has an entire celebration planned surrounding the unveiling of the Woodies. Different variations of the wooden cars from the 1930s to the 1960s will fill the museum's special exhibit.

To complement the retro-surf theme, vintage surfboards and classic arts will be put up for the duration of the showing. The museum will also be playing popular surf movies like Endless Summer and Big Wednesday.

In addition to the cars, surf rock band The Retronauts will be performing at 6 p.m., and the Model P Popcorn Wagon will be serving freshly popped kernels. Woody's Bar and Grill will be providing food samples, and ice cream will also be available at the museum's ice cream parlor, Vic's, a 1950s-style shop.

Thursday's reception will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Regular hours from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. will continue throughout the rest of the exhibit which will be on display until September 19.

Entrance into the exhibit is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors and $4 for students with an ID. Children under five are free. The auto museum boasts 72,000 square feet of automobiles throughout the decade and those who attend the exhibit can visit the museum's other displays also.

The California Auto Museum is located at 2200 Front St.

For more information about the reception and background on the history of Woodies, visit calautomuseum.org.

Image from beachcalifornia.com

Lambda Players host auditions for longest-running play in Sac

2009-06-25T05:02:26Z

The longest-running play in Sacramento theater history is back after a three-year hiatus and is seeking talented singers to fill six roles in the comedic musical revue.

Auditions for "Six Women with Brain Death, or Expiring Minds Want to Know" were held Monday and Tuesday night at the Lambda Players Studio Theatre, and hopefuls were asked to bring 32 bars of uptempo comedic song with sheet music and one comedic monologue one to two minutes long.

A call went out to experienced actors in their 30s to 50s with backgrounds in the music industry and a strong sense of humor. Callback dates have yet to be determined but will be within the next few weeks, as rehearsals begin in July.

The musical comedy, which opens Aug.14 and will run until Oct. 4, is series of humorous songs and sketches that poke fun at life and pop culture. The play had a previous stretch from 1996 until 2006, and the Lambda Players are determined to keep the play and Schultz's theater spirit alive in Sacramento.

Press-on nails, tabloids, self-help books and Barbie and Ken are just some of the seemingly lighthearted and humorous topics brought up throughout the scenes. Behind the comedy, however, is the analysis of mixed messages and expectations that women get from the media and culture.

The upcoming two-month run of the play will be a tribute to the previous director, choreographer, actor and owner of The Studio Theatre, Jackie Schultz, who suffers from chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome.

Schultz has suffered a public battle with the disease for the past 12 years, and her health has declined considerably over the past year. Her condition forced her to sell her 92-seat theater in 2005 and will no longer allow her to direct.

Kitty Czarnecki, one of the major Sacramento theater players, will be taking over Schultz's position. Previously co-producer and owner of Sacramento's Garbeau's Dinner Theatre, Czarnecki will have a busy month in July when she is also teaching a children's theater camp in El Dorado Hills.

The Lambda Players is a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization that began in 1989 to fill the void of local gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender theater. Their goal is to provide a safe place for actors and actresses of all sexual orientations to act, educate and entertain.

The players moved into the Lambda theater in 2007 and plan on keeping "Six Women" alive by making the theater its permanent home.

The Lambda Players Studio Theatre is located at 1028 R St.

All-natural bodybuilders go muscle to muscle

2009-06-22T04:32:10Z

Folsom Middle School's auditorium glistened with rhinestones, spray-on tans and hard bodies Saturday evening.

More than 20 men and women entered the eighth annual All-Natural National Gym Association (NGA) Mr./Ms. California Fitness Extravaganza to determine who will go on to compete in NGA's pro national competitions.

Johnny "The Motivator" Carrero, owner of Sacramento's Fitness in Mind, hosted the annual event where local and national athletes competed in 10 different divisions for what he calls "pro status." Winners of Saturday's competitions received a Pro Card, which enables them to compete for any NGA competitions.

Emceed by April Cabrera, who is a fitness industry professional, the competition opened with Carrero singing the national anthem and inviting his wife onstage, who he calls the "Real Ms. California" to receive a bouqet of roses. Carrero said that besides fitness, his children are his life.

Following his touching opening, competitors flexed their toned bodies in a series of posedowns and routines with music for close to two hours while the panel of nine judges looked on and decided the hopefuls' fates.

Each competitor was given a polygraph test the day before the competition to ensure that he or she has been clean from drugs for at least seven years. If the polygraph showed otherwise, the competitor would need to take a urine test at his or her own expense.

Carrero, an advocate for natural fitness and a former steroid user himself, has dedicated his life to helping athletes get in shape without using substances or drugs to enhance or speed up results. He has been in the industry for more than 20 years and began hosting all-natural bodybuilding competitions in 1993.

In a speech to the audience, Carrero told the audience that while each competitor was tested before the event there is no way to guarantee that all of the bodybuilders are 100 percent drug-free from the substances banned by the NGA.

"Even if they win today's competitions, they are losers," Carrero said in a message to anyone that might have tried to fool the polygraph test.

All competitors were given either medals, roses or trophies in the closing awards ceremony where pro-qualifiers Ms. California (April Witt) and Mr. California (Jeff Alberts) were announced along with the other division winners (see list).

After the competition, the competitors and their friends and families headed over to Folsom's Hacienda Del Rio, one of the event's sponsors, for the official Fitness Extravaganza after party.

For information about next year's competition, visit fitnessinmind.com

Winners from each division

Teens: Bryan Fowler
Men's Masters (40 and up): Dave Blumgold
Women's Masters Figure (40 and up): Mary Loeffler
Men's Novice: Vincenzo Coriloni
Women's Open: Kelly Carlson
Men's Open/Middle: Jeff Alberts
Men's Open/Light heavy: Dave Blumgold
Men's Overall/Mr. California: Jeff Alberts
Women's Figure Open (short class): Linh Nguyen
Women's Figure Open (tall class):April Witt
Women's Overall/Ms. California: April Witt
Ms Physique: Brendin Barbour

All photos taken by Paula Aguirre

Sac Convention Center gets inked

2009-06-21T03:58:48Z

Guns and needles took over the Sacramento Convention Center Friday.

Tattoo guns and needles, that is. The first day of the eighth annual Forever Tattoo’s All American Tattoo Festival kicked off the weekend with the best of the best in the ink industry, tattoo contests and circus-style side performer George the Giant.

Sponsored by Tatt life, Tattoo Energy and Budweiser, the festival gave ink fans the chance to peruse and purchase the work of more than 80 tattoo artists from not only the United States but as far as Sweden (Living All Tattoo), Greece (Nico Tattoo) and Italy (Cherry Tattoo).

“I usually go to the festivals in San Francisco, but this is the first year I’ve gone to one [in Sacramento]," festival-goer Zachary Bacon said. "They have a lot of great artists and I’m really impressed."

Some festival-goers had blank flesh canvases and others had mere inches of available space to tattoo. A few artists offered “festival” specials, knocking anywhere from $20 to $40 off their prices, and some charged several hundred dollars to customers, who more than willing to pay for their expertise.

Newly tattooed festival-goers have the opportunity to enter their pieces into contests, which will continue throughout the weekend. Friday’s contests included best sleeve and leg tattoos, and the recipients of the coffin-themed plaques (and bragging rights) were Samantha Schue and Matthew Kleinhauas (pictured).

The evening’s main attraction, besides fresh ink, was George the Giant, a stunt performer who starred in the movie Big Fish and was on “America’s Got Talent.” George stunned his captive audience by swallowing a sword, hammering a nail through his nose and inviting an audience member to walk on his face, which was resting sideways on a pile of broken glass.

In the center of all the action, an art showing that will remain through Sunday lined the aisle leading up to the stage. The tattoo-themed paintings were created by various local artists whowill be inking throughout the festival, including Sacramento’s American Graffiti and Folsom City Ink.

Tattoos weren’t the only things being hawked, however. Livermore’s Charlotte’s Web sold tattoo-inspired clothing and Belzel Books set up a tattoo book nook. Tattoo aftercare companies took the opportunity to boasts their products as well, with companies like Tattoo Genie and Tattoo Goo claiming faster and better healing.

Hells Angels Sacramento, whose many members are tattoo collectors, set up shop to sell their gear and promote their organization. Passion Parties representatives handed out free samples of their intimate party favors, and Nos energy drink supplied boosts to the crowd.

Tattoo fans of all ages roamed the convention center until the doors closed at 11 p.m., many preparing to return the next day and get inked.

The All American Tattoo Festival will continue through Sunday, June 21 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 at the box office, located in front of the Sacramento Convention Center.

For Saturday and Sunday's schedule, click here

All photos taken by Jonathan Mendick

Christmas rolls into Old Sac on Disney train

2009-06-19T04:10:56Z

Despite the sweltering temperatures, it will be Christmas in June this weekend in Old Sacramento.

On a 40-city interactive train tour,"Disney's A Christmas Carol" train will be pulling into Old Sacramento Friday through Sunday as a promotion for the upcoming "Disney's A Christmas Carol," which is scheduled to open in November and stars Jim Carrey.

Carolers, Christmas decorations and fake snow will transform the train tracks near the California State Railroad Museum into a winter wonderland for families and children of all ages.

Those who hop aboard the train will be treated to several different exhibit cars highlighting the making of the movie and featuring props and costumes from the film. A sneak preview of the film will be shown in the "3D Tent," and visitors will have the chance to pay a virtual visit to the Charles Dickens Museum in London and see actual artifacts from the museum.

Children can morph their own faces to look like characters from the movie and have the chance to win prizes from Disney and Hewlett Packard, which is providing the technology for the train.

The tour, which began on Memorial Day Weekend in Los Angeles, will come to an end in November at New York's Grand Central Terminal when the film will be shown in Digital 3D and IMAX 3D across the United States.

Visiting the train is free to the public, and for those who wish to visit the museum afterward, the admission box in front will be offering coupons good for two-for-one admissions.

The California State Railroad Museum is located at 111 I St. in Old Sacramento.

The Railroad Museum will have extended hours through the weekend. Hours are 10 a.m. through 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. through 5 p.m. Sunday.

To follow the train's tour, click here

All-natural bodybuilders to compete for "pro status"

2009-06-19T03:12:05Z

Saturday, June 20, men and women will flex their sculpted bods and bulging muscles to compete for what Johnny "The Motivator" Carrero calls "pro-status."

This isn't your average bodybuilding competition, however. Carrero, an advocate for drug-free fitness, is holding his annual "all-natural" bodybuilding competition at Folsom Middle School, which hosts the competition every year.

"I promote drug-free bodybuilding and show youth and athletes that they can still look fantastic naturally without using steroids or other drugs," Carrero said.

Carerro, who's been in the fitness industry since 1993, is a personal trainer and knows firsthand how dangerous drugs like steroids can be. He began using steroids when he was 19 and after learning about their side effects, he got clean and dedicated his life to fitness free of pills or substances.

He has not only promoted natural bodybuilding shows for the last 25 years, he also has his own personal training company, Sacramento's Fitness in Mind, and is devoted to helping athletes get off and stay off drugs.

"Back in the day, steroids were not illegal in sports. Once it got on the black market, people started making money from them and that was when they found out all of the side effects," Carrero said. He said that steroid use is a serious problem and can be potentially deadly, but that many people are just looking for an "edge" that drugs might give them instead of long-term consequences.

The more than 20 local and national athletes competing in Saturday's competition must be drug free for at least seven years and as a way of ensuring that they are clean, competitors are given polygraph tests the day before the competition. If it appears that he or she is lying, the competitor is subject to a urine test at his or her own expense.

Touted as the most competitive drug-free competition in Northern California, Saturday's competition will be broken up into different categories including the Natural Gym Association (NGA) Natural Mr./ Ms. California bodybuilding event, the NGA Natural Ms. California Figure Championship and NGA Natural Ms. Physique California Championship. Qualifiers will be given a Pro Card, which will enable them to go on to compete in the NGA's professional competitions held nationwide.

Prejudging rounds will include a series of posing. Final rounds will include posing routines with music, pose-downs by class, symmetry and muscularity comparisons within classes and presentations of class and overall awards.

All proceeds from ticket sales will go to local educational programs that teach youth about the harmful effects of anabolic steroids.

Folsom Middle School is located at 500 Blue Ravine Rd. in Folsom. Prejudging will begin at 10 a.m. and tickets cost $10. The final rounds will start
at 6 p.m. and tickets cost $25.

For more information about Johnny "The Motivator" Carrero or Fitness in Mind, click here.

Here is a list of the N.G.A. banned substances:

-Anabolic steroids

-Testosterone

-Growth hormones

-Prescription diuretics

-Prescription psychomotor stimulants (i.e. amphetamines)

-Muscle implants

-Chemicals/drugs for purpose of changing polygraph results

-Clenbuterol (drug used to treat breathing disorders)

-Any FDA/IOC banned substance

-Any illegal/illicit bodybuilding drug or substance

Images are of competitors and winners from past competitions

Safetyville USA celebrates birthday at Healthy and Safety Expo

2009-06-15T02:38:50Z

There was reason Saturday for double celebration at Sacramento's Safetyville USA.

It was not only the 12th annual Family Safety and Health Expo, it also marked Safetyville's 25th year of teaching safety and life skills to more than 200,000 children to date. The free event hosted around 3,000 children and their families for a fun-filled day of learning and celebrating.

In the middle of the expo, birthday festivities took the main stage and were led by Liz McClatchy, President and CEO of Safetyville Center Incorporated (SCI) and Terry Polvado, Vice President of SCI. Children sang "Happy Birthday" to Safetyville and were introduced to the new and yet-to-be-named mascot of Safetyville, a dog donning a blue helmet and red vest.

Children were invited to help name the mascot by dropping off their ideas in a box at Safetyville's table.

SCI Board Chairman Ralph Sugimot led a cake-cutting ceremony, and happy kids lined up for cake and ice cream after taking part in a conga-line dance around the stage.

"It was such a great event for everyone. My daughter [three-years-old] and I both had a great time, and we both learned a lot," said Tabatha Barkley, who attended the event with her family.

Other birthday festivities throughout the day included a dance performance by Granite Bay Dance Connection, a "Red and Black Attack" by Kovar's Karate Satori Academy and a magic performance by magician Trevor Wyatt.

More than 84 community safety and health organizations set up booths around the faux-town, which is a 1/3-scale replica of an actual city with mock streetlights, intersections, fast food stops and businesses.

While there was plenty of fun to be had at the Expo, there were also many resources for families in Sacramento and surrounding areas. Information on health care, child care, crisis centers and immunizations were just some of the booths on hand to teach families how to get help if needed.

Insurance companies State Farm, AAA and Allstate provided information on insurance. Shriners and Kaiser hospitals taught about preventative health measures, and groups like Bikers Against Child Abuse made an appearance on behalf of issues like child abuse.

Parked in front of the town were traveling organizations like D.A.R.T., an all-volunteer dive recovery teateam and Mothers Against Drunk Driving, with a smashed-up car from a fatal drunken driving accident.

Inside, the Sacramento Area Sewer District, another event sponsor, taught how to properly dispose of fats, oils and grease, and Safetyville's own Safety Center taught about its driving simulation programs for teen drivers.

Government organizations like Sacramento Police Department, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department and the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District set up booths in front of their respective Safetyville buildings and handed out rulers, stickers and pens to children, along with lessons from firefighters and police officers on preventative safety and how to be a law-abiding citizen. Kids could see a California Highway Patrol motorcycle up close and sit behind the wheel of an actual fire truck.

Home Depot, one of event's main sponsors, set up an assembly line where children of all ages were given flower pots and learned how to pot plants. Children were given Home Depot aprons with their names written on them, and by the end of the day, Safetyville was a sea of orange aprons.

Kids were encouraged to get stamps from the different booths they visited around the town and fill up Safetyville "passports." Full passports were eligible for raffle entries for three separate raffles held throughout the day. Passes to the Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento Zoo, a child's bike and helmet, boat rental from the Sac State Aquatics Center and a go cart from Rocket Motorsports were just some of the more than 15 prizes given away.

Kids leaving the Expo were weighed down with heavy bags filled with pencils, toothbrushes, pedometers, packages of Band-Aids and coupons to pick up their free child I.D. kits along with smiles and lessons learned.

Halfpipes and skate decks on board at art reception

2009-06-15T02:04:12Z

Art enthusiasts and skateboarders came together Saturday at downtown's A Bitchin' Space Gallery for a night of skating, dance music spun by DJ Chris Martinez and, of course, art.

The show, "Boards and Graphics," ran from Friday through Sunday and hosted its reception last night as part of the Second Saturday Art Walk.

Curator of the show, gallery owner and skateboarder Gale Hart invited more than 30 artists from around California to participate in hand-painting skate decks, most of them created by Sacramento-based Legend skateboards.

"It's really interesting to see the different styles and techniques via the skateboard as a canvas," said Mike Edwards, who attended Saturday's reception.

The artists were left to their own discretion and could choose their own themes. Artist Ron Peetz painted male and female genitalia on his decks, while Ianna Frisby embellished her colorful peacock-themed board with sparkling rhinestones. Other themes ran the gamut from steak to hop scotch to heartbreak.

"Skateboard culture is open to many different styles, and some have transcended into pure art that is NOT usable. I found this the opportunity to do other things on a board," said Frisby, an artist from Sacramento.

Frisby also helped artist Eddie Stein build a spiral display of Stein's board collection from the 1950s and 1960s in an installation with more than 25 retro boards from companies like Santa Cruz and Banzai.

John Soldano, another artist and skateboard collector, gave an exclusive glimpse into his private collection, with decks from the 1980s up to the present. The majority of Soldano's boards were neon memories of the past couple decades, with glowing snakes and skeletons. His collection also featured several current boards designed by the clothing company Obey.

Hart took part in designing art for the exhibit as well, displaying three boards that she chopped up, reassembled and painted.

After checking out the decks, anyone who signed a waiver was invited to hop on the "Gnarly Nook," a halfpipe set up just steps away from the art, for $1 for every ten minutes on the ramp. The halfpipe itself is a work of art, painted by several of A Bitchin' Space's own artists.

Scion sponsored the evening, taking the opportunity to park its newest models in the front and back of the gallery, where company reps talked up vehicle specs and handed out Scion chapstick, light-up drink stirrers and CDs.

Sacramento-based Legend skateboards designed several boards specifically for sale at the event, including a "Natural Ice"-themed board and "Sacto Blue Ribbon," a local take on Pabst Blue Ribbon beer.

Hart said she has no idea what's up next for the gallery and its talented team of artists, but judging from the off-the-wall themes in the past like the first and second "Annual Circus Show" and this weekend's excitement, it's worth staying tuned.

For information about the gallery and artists who participated in "Graphics and Boards," visit abitchinspace.com.

All photos taken by Paula Aguirre

Artists get on deck for skate-themed art show

2009-06-12T21:51:10Z

Gale Hart, owner of the art gallery A Bitchin’ Space, is also a skateboarder and artist.

So it makes perfect sense that this Saturday, as part of Downtown’s Second Saturday Art Walk, Hart will be curator of “Boards and Graphics” at her gallery, a showing featuring all things skateboarding.

The show, sponsored by Scion, will feature hand-painted skate decks by more than 30 artists from Sacramento, Los Angeles and the Bay Area.

Most of the decks featured in the show were made by Sacramento’s own Legend Skateboards and the artists were personally invited to participate in the show by Hart .

"[Gale] asked me to participate in this show and my knee-jerk reaction was, 'I'm not a painter' ... I was never immersed in the skateboard culture but watched from afar with admiration and fascination. I am interested in style and aesthetics ... so I was bent on making a pretty piece; hence the peacock," said Ianna Frisby, one of the participating artists.

In addition to the painted decks, skate decks from throughout history will be showcased from artists’ personal collections.

“The retro show [a part of the exhibit] represents every decade of skateboarding from a 1950s and 60s installation piece of retro boards by Eddie Stein and Frisby to John Soldano’s personal collection of designed skateboard decks from the 1980s to the present,” Hart said.

If all of that’s still not enough excitement in one gallery, Hart has planned for live skaters to skate the “Gnarley Nook,” a skate ramp that will be set up at the gallery.

In the background of all the action, DJ Chris Martinez will be on hand to spin tunes while attendees get an eyeful of graphics and murals on skateboards from past and present.

The show opens Friday, June 12 through Sunday, June 14.

Show hours:

June 12- 12-7 p.m.
June 13 (Second Saturday Reception)- 6-10 p.m.
June 14- 12 to 4 p.m.

A Bitchin’ Space is located at 2114 19th St.

For a list of participating artists visit www.abitchinspace.com/GraphicBoardhtml.html

The decks featured in the images are from the following artists :

Jared Tharp- Untitled

Dave Wong- Untitled

Patricia Gillespie- "Layered Cake"

Kim Scott- "Fresh"

Foodies and wine enthusiasts unite at Raley's 7th annual Grape Escape

2009-06-08T01:52:06Z

Foodies and wine enthusiasts united Saturday at Cesar Chavez Park for Raley's and Seventh Annual Grape Escape, presented by Raley's and Bel Air for an evening of drinking and munching.

For $40 in advance and $50 at the door, ticket-holders took part in a three-hour taste marathon, sampling cabs, chards and merlots from more than 50 top wineries from six counties in Northern California and gourmet appetizers from Sacramento’s favorite eateries.

Award-winning wineries like San Joaquin’s Van Ruiten winery (voted Wall Street Journal’s Best Zin) and Calaveras County’s Twisted Oak winery (Gold Medal winner from the Riverside International Wine Competition) set up shop along with brewery favorites Hoppy Brewing Company and Pyramid Alehouse.

“Wonderful wines, coupled with great bites, made for a fun social outing. The weather was perfect, the vendors all very fun and upbeat, and the crowd was amazingly large. I look forward to next year's event,” said Lori Moody, who attended the Grape Escape.

Tried and true eateries served up menu samplings like Zocalo’s shredded pork and salsa, Mikuni’s popular Fair Oaks Roll and Ruth’s Chris new cold crab and asparagus summer menu offering.

Up-and-coming businesses like Pearl on the River and recently opened de Vere's Irish Pub and Mix Downtown used the event as an opportunity to plant their name in the brains of potential customers.

“We’re thrilled with the attendance and even more thrilled with the weather,” said Sheri Graciano, volunteer coordinator for the event, in reference to the clear skies and cool temperatures that made for perfect weather for the outdoor event.

While somewhat long lines formed at popular booths like Chipotle, P.F. Changs and Barefoot Wine Cellars, the park wasn’t overwhelmingly crowded and the well-organized event kept glasses filled and plates full in an orderly fashion.

Graciano explained that one of the reasons for the smooth flow of foot traffic was Raley’s V.I.P. entrance offered to its wine club members this year, which allowed a large portion of the crowd to enter an hour early.

Despite the numerous food and wine offerings, the majority of the excitement took place during the Chef’s Challenge, presented by the Institute of Technology and emceed by Mark S Allen.

Each chef was given a basket of fresh ingredients and a half hour to whip up a gourmet dish. The first round was a face-off between Grange’s Michael Tuohy and L Wine Lounge’s Ame Harrington. The second round featured Mason’s John Gurnee and Mikuni & Taro’s Taro himself.

The action culminated in a final championship round, where Harrington took first place and second place went to Taro.

Next to the stage, the Institute set up a buffet line with creations by their own skilled students with concoctions like bacon-wrapped almond rolls, pork bruschetta and blue cheese wraps.

A full range of culture was featured at the event with art for sale and on display from Patris, owner of Patris Art Center, and artists from the Capitol Art Center at S12. Makeshift music stages were set up as well featuring up-and-coming local music artists like jazz singers Jackie Bryant and Marcelle.

As 7 o' clock rolled around, the food was devoured and the wineries' bottles were emptied within the three-hour span. However, no one was left empty-handed.

Not only did each ticket-holder receive a complimentary Raley’s wine glass and many coupons for discounts on wine, but many also took home cans of garlic-seasoned olives from Lindsay Snackers, pineapples and watermelons from Raley’s disassembled display, wine openers and back issues of Sacramento Magazine, which also sponsored the event.

A great time was had by all, judging from the smiles underneath their wine mustaches.

For a complete list of wineries, restaurants and artists that participated in the Grape Escape, visit raleysgrapescape.com.

All images taken by Jonathan Mendick

Update: VIBE Youth Lounge gains funding and support

2009-06-05T01:06:11Z

On Wednesday night, members of the VIBE foundation's Youth Leadership Board met at their 3,000 square-foot future lounge site, a building donated to them by the Sacramento Housing Redevelopment Agency, to discuss their recent accomplishments and funding plans.

The youth lounge, which is scheduled to open in August, aims to provide a safe and fun environment conducive to the success of its youth members. In addition to after-school tutoring, the lounge will offer a game area and career center with a network of resources to help teens find jobs, internships and apprenticeships.

VIBE is an all-volunteer organization, and the entirety of its fundraising efforts have been conducted by the VIBE Youth Leadership Board, composed of around 15 teens. Christina Giffin has been serving as the adult project lead and as an adviser to the youth that has been overseeing the project and lending a hand or guidance wherever needed.

For the past two years, Giffin and the youth board have been collaborating on research, creating a business plan and meeting with people who will play a role in the creation of the lounge.

"During this time, Vibe has remained low-profile because we wanted a strong and compelling final product to showcase to the community," Giffin said.

At Wednesday's meeting, Chair David Schenirer reminded the Youth Leadership Board that their project is "revolutionary" and is unique to the entire nation in that the model was dreamt up and is being executed by youth.

"I think the thing that impresses me the most about VIBE is the attitude of the youth involved. Their dedication to an idea and their goal sets an example for youth everywhere," said Ben Wangerg, a Youth Aide for the Sacramento County Office of Education who is coordinating the Regional Opportunity Program project with VIBE.

As a way to cut costs once the lounge is open, around 75 teen employees per year will be paid with school credit through ROP credits instead of actual paychecks.

While it is undoubtedly a hard time in the economy to secure funding for any type of project, the lounge has still gained momentum and has begun to catch the eye of community members, including Sacramento City Councilman Steve Cohn, who is helping to get the word out about the lounge.

Scheduled for a soft opening in August, the VIBE Youth Leadership Board is working diligently to hammer out the final details in the coming months.

The teens' dedication to the lounge is paying off. The foundation was recently granted a $10,000 check from Wells Fargo that will be given to them by month's end, a huge accomplishment for the teens who have been left to their own devices to secure funding.

They will be continuing fundraising efforts in the coming months through their capital campaign, with a goal of raising $500,000 by December of this year.

On Monday, June 15, the VIBE foundation will be holding a meeting and delivering a presentation to potential backers. Invitations to the meeting have been sent to various organizations, philanthropists and people who may be able to contribute to the lounge's financial needs.

To shave costs, a network of adults has been contacted to volunteer time and services, including community members like Peter Castles of the Hoyt Company, who will be assisting with marketing and public relations. Other adult volunteers will include contractors, web designers and artists for their planned July participation in Downtown's Second Saturday Art Walk.

The tentative business hours for the lounge are 4-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 4-10 p.m. Friday and 5-10 p.m. Saturday. These hours allow teens to be home before the city's mandated 10 p.m. curfew on weekdays and time to get to the center after school gets out.

The VIBE Urban Lounge will be located at 1725 K St. For more information, visit thevibefoundation.org or e-mail Christina Giffin at christina@thevibefoundation.org

The graphics above are architectural renderings of the proposed lounge, created by designers Stantec and Mas Mojica

The group photo is of the VIBE Youth Leadership Board.

Fun, food and the four-legged make Midfest a success

2009-06-01T05:49:41Z

Despite resident complaints from previous festivals, last-minute scrambling for permits, and tow-away zones on almost every residential street surrounding, Midfest 2009 turned out to be a success.

The free two-day festival, held at Midtown’s Marshall Park, was a collision of art, food and entertainment and offered entertainment for all ages.

“[Midfest] was held in a great location and wasn’t too crowded. I really like that it went on the whole weekend and there were so many different types of entertainment for everyone,” said Nikki Carlson, a stylist from Land Park’s Artisan Salon who attended Midfest.

The festival was sponsored by the Midtown Business Association, who manned many of the booths, as well as Red Bull, Budweiser and De Vere’s Irish Pub, who had a VIP tent set up for the second day of festivities.

Saturday kicked off with the Paragary’s Bloc Concert Series and break-dancing performances, inspiring many to kick off their shoes and dance in the grass while they watched the performers and enjoyed the music.

Right in the middle of the action were graffiti artists like Neal “Lopan” Bergman, who was recruited by Red Bull, grooving to the music and spray-painting giant wooden canvases.

The four-legged got in on the excitement, too. Splash Dogs, a national traveling organization, set up a giant pool for dogs to compete and see which pooch could cover the most distance after jumping in after toys.

Many of the competing dogs continued to partake in the fun afterward, lounging on the grass while their owners ate, drank and mingled.

Popular Midtown eateries set up booths selling inexpensive sampler-like snacks such as $2 sliders from Ink Eats and Drinks and $4 tacos from Paragary’s Centro Cocina.

To wash down the great food, a sectioned-off Hefeweizen beer garden offered a plethora of beer and a makeshift wine bar hosted by Sterling Vineyards offered wine while Red Bull reps handing out energy drinks circulated the park grounds.

All proceeds from the garden will be put toward the Marshall Park Beautification Fund, with plans to create a fountain in the park that will serve as a sound barrier between park events and residential areas.

Just as the garden filled up, the Bloc Outdoor Concert Series heated up with cover bands Cuesta Drive, Utz and the Shuttlecocks covering songs from various decades while the break dancers continued to impress the crowd with their moves.

The show continued on through the night and although the alcohol was flowing, the Members in Black security teams kept their muscles and force securely in tact. Concert-goers were on their best behavior Saturday night.

Sunday kept the party going with more live music, food and an urban art competition to raise money for the T & M organization for the arts.

The Sacred City Roller Derby Girls were ready to be dunked to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and local band favorites like Sammie nominees ZuhG performed on the main stage.

Based on the success of the weekend’s events, may there be many more festivals to come.

All photos taken by Chris Demere, for more photos visit http://gallery.soundesigns.com/midfest2009

Space 07 Salon named Hair Games Style Champion

2009-06-01T03:21:56Z

Clouds of hairspray were being shot every which way, cameras were flashing and frantic girls and boys were scrambling around a tightly-packed room to line up for preliminary judging.

This was the scene in the backroom of Barcode Nightclub at the finale round of the Hair Games 2009 charity fundraiser last night.

The chosen recipient of funds for this year is Auburn-based Village Care International (VCI), an organization focused on empowering African widows and around 30,000 orphans that have become victims of the AIDS/HIV pandemic.

Beginning on April 25 and continuing for four consecutive Saturdays, 12 top salons from around the Sacramento region have been competing in four separate semi-final rounds, leading up to last night’s grand finale.

Repeating the Marie Antoinette doll theme that deemed them winners in the first semi-final, downtown Sacramento’s Space 07 was crowned “style champion” with their high energy mixture of break-dancing and ballet-style dance moves.

Contributing to their talented team and impressive choreography was Kevin Brewer, a member of the dance group Jabbawockeez, made famous by reality show “America’s Best Dance Crew.”

It was a close call, with only a few points between each of the salons competing in the finale round, which included Rio Linda’s Hair Gone Wild, Auburn’s Visions Salon, Sacramento’s Bellara Salon and Spa, and winners Space 07.

Hair Gone Wild rocked the stage with a Total Knock Out theme, staging a “girl fight” between several female “fighters.” Black light effects, neon hair extensions and scantily-clad male refs came together for a wild performance.

Visions Salon used skin to their advantage as well, with shirtless boys acting as lifeguards and sun-bathing girls shimmying around with a mermaid, sharks and “kelp”-covered dancers for their “Visions of Summer” theme.

Bellara salon went all out with an angels and demons-themed performance in a flurry of pleather, fishnets and halos and horns sculpted out of hair.

The salon competition, started in 2007, was the brainchild of Patty Nehrer, beauty supply chain Maly’s Salon Product Distributor, and Jo Ann Baumert, the owner of Granite Bay’s Bella Toscana.

They decided it was a fun way not only to unite the salon industry but to have a good time despite dark economic times.

For each semi-final round, salons were given free rein to choose a theme and five minutes of stage time to put their best hair-styling and performance efforts on display for the crowd. The same rules applied for last night’s show.

Judges mainly focused on technical aspects of the performers’ hair but the salons were also scored on their theme’s creativity and overall performance, including lights and music.

The competition has been sponsored by hairstyling empire CHI/Farouk, who provided hair color, shampoo and tools for the competition.

Each salon paid an initial entry of $500, which went directly to VCI, along with 100 percent of ticket sales sold at participating salons.

All participating stylists from Space 07 will receive airfare and hotel accommodation to the CHI/Farouk Academy in Houston (the company’s headquarters).

For contact information on how to participate in next year’s competition, visithairgames2009.com.

Images taken by Anthony Bento

For more photos by Anthony from Hair Games 2009 Finale visit http://www.hatlesslincoln.com/photography/v/bento/hairgames/

Panel discusses Broadway's appeal and future

2009-05-28T23:53:32Z

“What brings you to Broadway?”

Greg Taylor, president of Sacramento’s Urban Design Alliance (UDA), posed this question to city planners, residents, professors and employees that attended a dialogue about Downtown’s popular Broadway held at the American Institute of Architects on Wednesday evening.

Taylor answered his own question by saying that Broadway has “great urban character, great bones and great food.”

Many agreed that food is Broadway’s main attraction, with popular eateries like Tower Café and Pancake Circus dotting the strip.

One woman said that Broadway is a place she feels safe to spend time after hours. Others chimed in that they enjoy perusing specialty shops like R5 Records and the Avid Reader.

Perhaps most popular was the echoed sentiment that Broadway has everything one might need and is sort of a one-stop shop with Target, Walgreens, restaurants and gas stations lining the street.

The dialogue, facilitated by Midtowngrid.com founder Brian Fischer, was a question and answer session by a team of three panelists and a room full of interested and concerned residents and stakeholders of Broadway and surrounding areas.

Attendees were welcomed to the discussion with catering by Broadway’s Bali restaurant and a display of design work created by students from UC Davis and Cosumnes River College featuring plans and highlights of the Broadway corridor.

To begin the one hour question and answer session, three panelists were given 5 minutes each to discuss different aspects of Broadway.

Tina Suarez-Murias, environmental planner, explained Broadway’s status as a sociotone and to help the audience understand the concept first described, ecotone, which forms when two different types of landscapes converge to form an “edge effect.”

In ecology, the effect occurs when elements such as soil, plants and animals are different between the two parts, which creates for a wider range of plants, animal and shelter within the effect.

A sociotone is essentially when humans develop around the sociological edge effect and Suarez-Murias explained that Broadway is a perfect example of this phenomenon, still serving and attracting neighbors from either side of the “edge” because of its wide range of diversity.

Robin Datel, an urban geographer, focused on Broadway’s rich history from the donation of land in the Sacramento City Cemetery in 1849 up through 1990 when the State of California leased the Bishop Manogue High School building to become part of the DMV complex. Datel described Broadway as a sort of “service” to its residents, not only as a shopping street but as an “urban and suburban arterial.”

David de la Pena, who is both a member of the UDA and an architect and designer, focused more on the future of Broadway.

“It’s our responsibility to acknowledge what’s there and then enhance it,” Pena said. He continued on to discuss areas that can be improved, such as accessibility and traffic issues.

After a question and answer session from the audience, Teresa Rosa of the Broadway Partnership assured everyone that change will happen organically and stressed the importance of Broadway and its diversity.

“There are many Broadways. There is a Broadway-Monday-through-Friday. There is a Broadway-at-night and Broadway-on-Sunday-morning...It’s not pretentious and each of us can relate to it,” said Rosa.

The Urban Design Alliance holds planning meetings on the first Tuesday of each month. For more information about upcoming events visit uda-sacramento.org.

Below are highlights from the question and answer session with the panelists

Tina Suarez-Murias

“[We need to] look at physical barriers and one little step at a time tear them down”
-In response to an audience member in a wheelchair who noted difficulty accessing the street

“We can’t design for just one slice of community, have to design for it all”
-Responding to a concern about Broadway losing it’s small-town feel and low-priced restaurants

“It’s unique that we are making use of area under a freeway”
-Commenting on development opportunities

Robin Datel

“More signs, self-guided tours, organized walking tours, naming districts”
-Discussing ways to bring more attention to Broadway

“Because the freeway is so high, there’s a lot of back and forth and opportunity with that”
-Commenting on development opportunitiesDavid de la Pena

“More energy needs to be put into the designing process”
-In response to the current involvement with development

All photos by David Watts Barton

Sacramento to honor the bicyclist Thursday

2009-05-19T22:21:23Z

On Wednesday, May 14, Hot Italian gave out free slices of pizza. On Sunday, May 17, Chipotle gave out free burritos during a four-hour period. And through the end of the month, Lucca Restaurant and Bar is giving out dessert with a purchase of any entree and Morgan's Bar & Grill will be selling Pabst Blue Ribbon for only a buck and pitchers for $5.

But wait...there's a catch. All of these offers are only valid if you arrive at the eatery or bar via bicycle.

As part of Bike Month, local businesses have come together to encourage riding on two wheels instead of driving on four. The month is about to end but cyclists still have a chance to don their helmets and partake in the festivities; on Thursday, May 21 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., BikeFest will be held on the West Steps of the State Capitol in a huge celebration of Bike to Work Day.

"Biking to work, school or just around town helps you save money and time, stay fit, and improve our air quality. Even better, bicycling is a fun way to travel, and a lot easier for many different types of trips," said Erik Johnson, the Public Information Coordinator for the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACC).

SACC, along with Sacramento's transportation associations such as the Sacramento County Department of Transportation, Caltrans and Regional Transit along with many others have come together to organize and sponsor not only BikeFest but an entire month of honoring bicyclists.

On the morning of BikeFest, the Department of Regional Parks will be waiving parking fees along four entrances to American River Parkway. There will be energizer stations set up along the parkway with free coffee, juice and bagels for cyclists on their way to work from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.

The capitol's BikeFest will have over 40 exhibitor tables manned by bike shops, bike groups and public transit providers. There will be complimentary safe valet bicycle parking so that people are free to walk around as well as free bike safety checks. Any biker registered withmayisbikemonth.com who brings their printout of miles will receive a fruit freeze and raffle entry for a bike.

The six-county Sacramento region has set a month-long goal of its residents logging one million miles during May and as of Tuesday, May 19, close to 600,000 miles have been logged by 6,455 individuals with the numbers increasing every hour.

As part of a challenge posed to groups and organizations in the region, close to 900 businesses, over 80 schools and 250 bike clubs/teams have registered and set goals for the month.

In the large employer category (500 or more employees) Caltrans is leading with over 26,000 miles logged. The medium-sized employers (101-499 employees) are only a few miles apart with Department of Fish and Game leading over Sacramento's U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District is leading the small employer category (one to 100 employees).

Those that have reached their goals will be announced at the end of May along with recognition of outstanding Commuters, Advocates, Employers and Students that will receive awards at both local and regional levels.

To track the progress of businesses and schools participating in the challenge and a list of organizations that will be at BikeFest visit mayisbikemonth.com.

"Children of Light" modernizes Greek classic

2009-05-17T22:58:34Z

On Friday night, the stage came to life with "Children of Light," a Greek drama about Elektra (Brittaleigha Baskerville), the daughter of King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra (Janis Stevens, who also directed).

The play is writer Rick Foster's somewhat modernized take on Elektra's story of love, power and murder and he has injected just enough modern wit and sarcasm so that the audience can connect with the play, which is set in ancient Greece.

The story of Elektra and her family has been told by the Greeks for centuries and it is Euripides' version that most interested Foster. He explores her loyalty to her father as she plots the murder of her mother (the Queen), who murdered Elektra's father. She grapples with her conflicting inner-self and hopes for the safe return of her brother, Orestes (Jammy Bulaya). After finding him, and after going back and forth with three poor girls from the village (Sara Sells, Lauren Nardozzi, and Acacia Fisher), the siblings plot out revenge and a plan to take away the Queen's illegitimate power.

Four murders, sexual affairs and a borderline incestuous brother-sister relationship make for an intense 95 minutes but Foster includes just enough humor to lighten up the heavy play while leaving the drama intact.

Examples of this humor are found in lines such as a ditch digger (Eric Baldwin) calling the god Apollo "that guy that likes the rich people" and describing Queen Clytemnestra "getting kinky."

The cast ranges in experience, from the theatrically-seasoned to faces fresh to the stage. Baldwin (ditch digger/ Pylades) has had roles in numerous plays in both North America and Europe. Baskerville (Elektra) is currently majoring in theater arts at American River College. The play is the first performance for Sells (Irene) and Bulaya (Orestes).

"Children of Light" is the ninth of Foster's plays to be produced at California Stage and his work has been shown across the country, from Carmel to New York City. Director Stevens has directed several shows for California Stage and has received numerous awards for her one-woman show, Vivien.

The play will be shown until June 14 at the California Stage, located at 1723 25th Street. For showtimes and upcoming plays, visit calstage.org.

Fifth annual Japanese film festival tells story of war heroes

2009-05-17T22:48:21Z

Despite a smaller turnout than last year, the fifth annual Japanese Movies at the Crest Film Festival had a great turnout this weekend at the two-day event.

The festivities were kicked off with a showing of Love and Honor on Friday evening. The winner of three Japanese Academy Awards in 2007, the film pleased the audience with a drama about two samurais that go head-to-head.

Saturday's lineup opened with a black-and-white docu-drama filmed in 1951, Go for Broke!, which stars actual Nisei (second generation Japanese-American) soldiers from World War II.

At intermission, Nisei war veteran James Iso took the stage to give commentary about both the movie and his own experiences during the war.

"Our numbers are diminishing monthly, yearly--but our memories stay strong," said Iso.

The impressive film shows the rarely-told story of the Japanese-American soldiers that made up the 442nd Regimental Combat unit. While they initially had skepticism from their American counterparts, the Nisei became the true heroes of a five-day battle in France after saving the lives of 211 men of the Texas National Guard. The Congressional Medal of Honor was given to 21 of the men from the unit and they received the most Purple Hearts in U.S. military history.

Iso said that the film, which included difficult-to-swallow scenes where the Japanese soldiers were called racist names by the American soldiers, was very reflective of what he himself had gone through. Iso also stressed that the soldiers of the infantry should continue to be commended and remembered always for their heroism.

"We've had among our Nisei outstanding heroes and we don't want to forget our fallen soldiers," Iso continued.

As the audience spilled into the foyer after the film, many could be heard discussing stories told within their own families, and it was an echoed sentiment that many Japanese-American war veterans did not discuss this battle often.

"Mr. Iso has the valid concern that the full story of the Nisei's tremendous contribution in WWII will be lost. So many of his friends and colleagues are no longer alive," said Barbara Kado, a member of the Japanese United Methodist Church (SJUMC) and a main coordinator for the event.

The Japanese Movies at the Crest has an overall goal of cultural outreach, and funds raised from ticket sales will go toward the SJUMC's adult literacy program and the South Sacramento Interfaith Partnership Food Closet.

"It’s a great way for everyone to experience Japanese culture--new and old generations," said Miguel Cruz, who attended the second day of the festival.

Go for Broke! was followed by three other feature films throughout the day, including a PBS World War II documentary, Most Honorable Son; an award-winning anime, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time; and English-subtitled 2007 Cannes Film Festival award-winner A Stranger of Mine.

Contributing to the event's success was the financial support received from various community organizations, including Ravel Rasmussen Properties, Folsom's Gekkeikan Sake, Inc., Capital Public Radio, and East Lawn Cemetaries. Individual donations were also made by various community members and businesses.

Local businesses from around the area donated favors that were handed out to ticket holders including pens from Tops Pen Co. and SpareTheAir.com, recyclable shopping bags from Oto's market, dog tags from CalVet and items from Kotobuki Trading.

For more information about upcoming events put on the SJUMC, visit sacjumc.com.

Beatnik Studios to host "boobie" fundraiser

2009-05-15T19:21:19Z

Photography, music and great food and drinks from popular local joints will collide on Saturday, May 16 at Beatnik Studios during their “Boobie Bash” breast cancer fundraiser.

“I belong to a networking group, and the president introduced me to Katie [Erickson], who was looking for a venue to do this event,” said Wes Davis, co-owner of Beatnik Studios, a photography studio in downtown Sacramento.

Erickson is a participant in the upcoming Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, which will take place in San Francisco on July 11 and 12. The walk has a goal of each walker raising $1,800 for the “Avon Breast Cancer Crusade,” and Erickson is on her own personal crusade to raise even more than that.

With 100 tickets already sold, Erickson is close to her goal, and with Davis helping her out with promotions around the city and online, she hopes that a lot more will also show up on Saturday.

The money raised will go towards different aspects of breast cancer awareness, including education, finding a cure and wigs for chemotherapy patients who’ve lost their hair.

There are two bands lined up to perform for the evening. Makosa, an afro-jazz band, and ZuhG, who have been nominated for the Sacramento Area Music Awards (a.k.a. the “Sammies“) and have a combo funk-rock-jazz sound.

Davis and Erickson have also been working together to recruit help from local vendors and musical artists to stock the bar and put on a show for guests. Sacramento brew favorites Pyramid Brewing, Hoppy’s and Rubicon will be selling beer at a no-host bar, and Sofia’s Italian restaurant will be catering complimentary appetizers.

Donated prizes from the raffle include ski lift tickets to Diamond Peak and Sugar Bowl, two tickets to the Cosmopolitan Cabaret, an Aveda salon and spa gift basket and gift cards to Hoppy’s and Jack’s Urban Eats along with others.

All sales from the bar will be donated and after the first $500, 100 percent of ticket sales will go towards Erickson’s fundraising effort. Also, all money generated from raffle tickets and a $1-per-spin prize wheel from Gold’s gym will be donated as well.

The bash begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 and will be sold at the door.

Beatnik Studios is located at 2421 17th St. For information about future events at Beatnik, visit beatnik-studios.com.

The Crest brings Japan to Sacramento

2009-05-13T22:57:46Z

This weekend a little piece of the huge Japanese culture will be brought to Sacramento during the 5th Annual Japanese Movies at the Crest film festival.

The two-day festival, first started in 2005, will screen one film on Friday, May 15 and four others on Saturday, May 16. The event is being sponsored by the Sacramento Japanese United Methodist Church (SJUMC) and will be featuring a variety of films, spanning not only the decades but the genres as well, from an award-winning anime film to a PBS World War II documentary.

"[The festival] started because Japanese film is an international influence in cinema and the best of current Japanese films are not screened in Sacramento, " said Barbara Kado, a member of SJUMC who is also helping to organize the festival. "That said, international film in general is not a major market in the Sacramento Valley."

The festival opens Friday evening at 8 p.m. with the 2006 film, Love & Honor (see image 1), a story by Japanese director Yoji Yamada about a young samurai who goes blind after eating poisonous fish and loses his honored position. His wife submits to her husband's superior to try and gain financial stability but instead begins a battle which leads to a sword duel between the two men. The subtitled film was awarded three Japanese Oscars in 2007.

To start the second day of the festival the Crest will first be showing MGM's Go for Broke!, a 1951 World War 2 docu-drama featuring actual Japanese-American soldiers from the 442nd Regimental Combat unit. The men were nicknamed the "Purple Heart Battalion" after suffering the most casualties and winning the most decorations in U.S. military history, being awarded 52 Distinguished Service Crosses, 19 Medals of Honor and 9,486 Purple Hearts.

The Crest theatre, which has hosted the festival for the past five years, was chosen as a venue because of the equipment and the projectionist as well as Crest manager Sid Heberger's cooperation with SJUMC and film distributors in both the U.S. and Japan on film availabilities and other important details.

In the festival's first year the audience count was 403 and since then the numbers of attendees more than doubled and over 1,000 showed up last year. The organizers are not sure how this year will turn out.

"Every year has been different--we never know what the response will be. This year may be a challenge. In general movie attendance has been down," said Kado.

The festival not only aims to entertain audiences but also hopes to serve a greater purpose as well. The JMATC has a mission of cultural outreach as well as raising supplemental funds for SJUMC through ticket sales. Proceeds will also go to community organizations and in the past the film festival has raised money for organizations such as The South Sacramento Interfaith Food Closet and the Adult Literacy Program.

The Crest Theatre is located at 1013 K St. To purchase tickets, call 1-800-225-2277 or visit tickets.com.

The festival schedule is as follows:

Friday, 8 p.m.: Love & Honor, Japanese with English subtitles

Saturday, 12:30 p.m.: Go for Broke!, World War 2 docu-drama

Saturday, 3:00 p.m.: Most Honorable Son, PBS documentary

Saturday, 5:00 p.m.: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, anime film, Japanese with English subtitles (see image 2)

Saturday, 8:15 p.m.: A Stranger of Mine (Unmei Janai Hito), Cannes Film Festival award-winning drama, Japanese with English subtitles (see image 3)

Image 1 courtesy of Funimation

Image 2 courtesy of Bandai

Image 3 courtesy of Pia Corporation

True Love coffeehouse shuts door, Jasmine Cafe opens them

2009-05-13T02:58:45Z

While strolling down K Street, some might have noticed a change to one of midtown’s favorite gathering spots. True Love coffeehouse has shut down and is now the Jasmine Café.

First opened in 2001 by music man Kevin Seconds and his wife Allyson, the former True Love coffeehouse opened up on J Street before moving to K Street in 2006, positioning itself with nearby bars and eateries such as Golden Bear and Rick’s Dessert Diner. The coffeehouse then moved upstairs to Sanad’s Mediterranean Deli and closed up shop along with the deli a few weeks ago.

There is much speculation about the reasons for the closure and the current owner believes it was mainly “paperwork” issues but others believe it was an ordinance imposed by the city that would not allow retail sales out of the upper units of buildings in the area. Instead of moving back downstairs to the coffeehouse’s former home, Seconds closed up shop and took off on a solo music tour.

True Love coffee lovers need not despair, though. Owner Mo Mahfouz plans on keeping the coffee drinks as well as the vegetarian selections the same for now. There will, however, be some minor kinks to the café’s live music scene but customers will be happy to know that Mahfouz has decided to keep that tradition alive.

Kevin Santos-Coy of KLSCstudio has been a major player in the Sacramento art scene for the past 15 years and may have perhaps single-handedly saved Jasmine’s live music scene.

On a visit to True Love, he met Mahfouz and shortly after proposed coordinating the café’s entertainment.

“I went over there…and saw some portable stages. I found out [Seconds] wasn’t around anymore and asked Mahfouz if I could borrow the stages. I’ve been building the relationship ever since,” said Santos-Coy.

While not exactly the same as Seconds’s mixture of the punk/indie/alternative rock genre, Santos-Coy is focused on offering a wide range for the audience’s listening pleasure. He has a different musical genre planned for each day of the week and is working on collaborating with the local music community, such as Brian Valentine from Valentine Records.

The café is permitted to host live music until 10 p.m. every night as long as they stay within city decibel requirements, which can't surpass 75 dBs at anytime according to the Sacramento County noise ordinance. As long as the neighbors are okay with the noise, they will continue to host music acts every night for the first couple of months to get the word out around town.

In addition to music, Santos-Coy will be working on Jasmine’s presence during the Second Saturday art walk. A part of Bridge to Arts and Alley Arts, he will be making sure that art lines the walls of Jasmine for the monthly art celebration.

Within the next month and a half owner Mahfouz has plans to expand the café’s previous menu, which has been known for featuring a wide range of noshing options from waffles to nachos and hummus. He is working on adding barbeque menu offerings as well as beer and wine. He is also working on setting up free wireless internet access, which was offered by True Love.

As part of the reggae-themed night, Jasmine will be hosting DoubleLion, a combo band made up of Xsample and Kinghopeton this Wednesday, May 13. Also taking the stage will be special guest Tony Moses, who was friends with and has jammed with the late Bob Marley. The show will begin at 7 p.m. on the front patio and donations of around $3-$5 are encouraged.

The tentative music schedule is as follows:

Mondays: Funk/Jazz
Tuesdays: Spoken word
Wednesdays: Reggae/World
Thursdays: Rockabilly
Fridays: Fiesta Fridays, Latin
Saturdays: TBD
Sundays: Alternation between Folk and Soul

Jasmine Café is located at 2315 K St. For more information about upcoming events, call 916-441-6900.

The River City Saloon opens doors to public and brings patrons back into time

2009-05-11T06:13:02Z

Before opening to the general public, Old Sacramento's western-themed River City Saloon hosted two preview parties late last week for two nights of wild wild fun. The saloon officially opened its doors on Saturday, May 9.

On Thursday, the Saloon hosted an open house with 25-cent beer and free appetizers. The next night was an invite-only soiree for friends, family, and neighboring businesses. The cash registers were ringing and the bartenders got plenty of practice in preparation for business in coming days. The parties, held in the evening, were aimed mainly at the over 21 but patrons of all ages showed up to sample their bar and menu offerings.

While the first night of business was rather mild, owner Sean Derfield is looking forward to increased business as the word is spread around. The saloon will be hosting a grand opening celebration next Friday and Saturday, May 15 and 16 and a restaurant and bar industry party on Sunday.

It's easy to forget that 2009 lies just outside the entrance. Even the bar has historical significance, coming from a hotel in New York in the early 1900s. Before it was demolished, the Brunswick bar was rescued and brought from an Atlanta auction to its final destination in the saloon. Barrels line the wall as makeshift bar tables and billiard tables at the back are waiting to be played.

The staff play a major role in transporting patrons back into time as well, with waitresses decked out in cocktail dresses and feathers in their hair and waiters donning suspenders. The costume department has pulled out all of the stops for the employees on hand to pose for pictures with customers. The ladies are outfitted in bustles, petticoats and ringlets on top of their heads and the male characters sport top hats, trousers, and monocles.

After selling his half of Citrus Heights' popular bar Shakers Pub, owner Sean Derfield decided to invest in the saloon. The building, nestled in Old Sacramento's historic district, was previously home to Earl Gray Tea Manor before Derfield came across it and decided to turn it into the saloon. It neighbors a variety of tenants, such as Candy Land candy shop, Fulton's Bar and Grill and Cali 10 clothing shop. The saloon is also only a street away from the California Railroad Museum, making the bar and eatery a prime location.

The saloon's MySpace page boasts a "family friendly time during the day and a rocking good time for adults at night." To welcome tourists and families into the bar during the daytime, Derfield has plans to have staff dressed in period attire pass out wooden coins good for soft drinks once doors have been opened for a little bit longer.

He's already gotten to work on the "rocking" part for the nighttime scene as well. In addition to a piano to entertain the daytime set, the bar will host bands from many different musical genres at night. There are several live-music performances lined up for the next couple of months, including a Bob Marley tribute on May 16 and funk/reggae group "The Bad Fish Band" on May 22.

Not just a watering hole, the saloon’s menu offers an extensive spread of sandwiches and burgers to go with its beer, whiskey, and wine offerings. The saloon also has Sarsaparilla on draught for only a quarter, which is a drink similar to root beer, for those under 21. Baskets of peanuts are on the bar with hopes that shells will be discarded on the ground. While there are only a few lonesome piles of peanut shells on the ground so far, it is likely that the floor will be completely covered in the next few months.

The River City Saloon is located in Old Sacramento at 916 2nd St. For information on upcoming music performances, visit myspace.com/therivercitysaloon.

Wat Misaka's story brings some to tears but leaves audience inspired

2009-05-11T05:04:47Z

It was a packed house at the screening of "Transcending: The Wat Misaka Story" on Friday night with almost 200 people in attendance at the Sacramento Asian Sports Foundation in Elk Grove.

The audience was visibly moved during the documentary, which tells the story of Watura "Wat" Misaka, the first ever person of color to be drafted into the NBA in 1947. Many tears were wiped away as filmmakers Bruce and Christine Johnson showed Misaka's story of overcoming racial tension through the use of interviews, actual footage from his basketball games, and commentary from friends, family, and big sports names.

New York sportscaster Spencer Ross, Wat's brother Tastumi, and Paul Osaki, Exective Director of the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California. are just some of the many interviewed who make an appearance in the documentary.

Although grainy and in black and white, Misaka's lightning-fast footwork and dribbling stand out in clips from his star performances during games. Teammate Arnie Ferrin, from the University of Utah, attested to Wat's acceptance by other team members, saying "He didn't know he was any different and we didn't know he was any different either."

While it seemed obvious to the audience that Misaka was treated unfairly because of his race, Misaka's general attitude toward any racism during the interviews is one of dismissal. He chocks up the name-calling and jeers he encountered at while at away games to mostly athletic rivalry. However, one particularly emotional scene might suggest that deep down he feels otherwise.

Misaka was released from the New York Knicks in 1947 and some suspect his race played a role. When asked about this during an interview, he quickly says that he doesn't believe his race was involved. He then becomes overcome with emotion and silent, possibly not believing his own answer to the difficult question.

Despite the heart-wrenching story, there were also plenty of smiles to be seen and laughter echoed through the crowd during one scene that told of a time Misaka went "missing" before a big game. His teammates and coached searched high and low, forgoing their much-needed sleep, only to find him sound asleep in his room.

At the end of the documentary, the Johnsons took the stage with Misaka to answer any questions the audience had for them. Misaka was more than happy to talk and was humbled by everyone that showed up.

By the sounds of the applause roaring through the auditorium for Misaka it was clear that, although a few decades late, Misaka is finally getting the recognition he always deserved.

The documentary will continue to be screened in various cities throughout the year. For more information about the film, visit watmisaka.com.

City of Sacramento recognizes outstanding local youth

2009-05-08T03:15:23Z

In an effort to shed light on the often-unnoticed positive efforts of Sacramento's youth, the City of Sacramento and Fox 40 News have created a "Youth of the Month" program and will announce their first award early next week.

"Basically, it was seen that there’s always news value with youth and in the mainstream sometimes it's not always of positive images,” said Hindolo Brima, Public Information Officer for Sacramento Parks and Recreation and the Office of Youth Development, “But we all know there’s a lot of youth helping to make the city a better place and need to remind people that youth are contributing to the city."

The collaboration is a part of the Sacramento Office of Youth Development's overall goal to make Sacramento a more youth-friendly city. Anyone who believes a youth, who must be a resident of Sacramento and from 12 to 18 years old, should be recognized for their good deeds is encouraged to fill out an application at the office's website.

There are no limits to the good deeds that can be recognized, and youth can be nominated for academic achievements, reaching a milestone, volunteering, or any other contribution made to his or her community.

"This is really a chance to see how many wonderful things that our youth are doing for our city," said Brima.

Brima explained that the application process was designed to be simple. After being submitted online or through the mail, the applications are then given to a group of staff from the Office of Youth Development. From there, the nominations are passed on to the Youth Commission and are reviewed before being narrowed down to one.

The chosen nominee from each month will receive a plaque and $200 in addition to being featured on Fox 40 News. At the end of the year, all of the awarded nominees will be invited to a reception.

Currently in its first month, the program has already received numerous applications, and Brima said they are expecting to receive hundreds more next month as the program gains more recognition.

The chosen nominee will be announced at the next Sacramento City Council meeting, which will be held at 6 p.m.on Tuesday, May 12. Nominations are currently being accepted for June at www.cityofsacramento.org/youth-development/YouthoftheMonth.html.

"Transcending: The Wat Misaka Story" public screening to be held Friday

2009-05-07T00:51:41Z

Watura "Wat" Misaka's name might not register on even the greatest sport buff's radar, but he certainly holds a prestigious place in the history of the National Basketball Association as the first person of color to be drafted into the NBA. Husband and wife producer team Bruce and Christine Johnson are doing their part to shed some much-deserved spotlight on Misaka with their documentary, "Transcending: The Wat Misaka Story."

"Sports really do transcend...this is a great story of this person who triumphed and broke down barriers with such grace. I think it also teaches us to look at what problems still exist and how we can transcend them," said Christine.

Presented by the Sacramento Asian Sports Foundation (SASF), the documentary will be screened for the general public on Friday, May 8 at 7 p.m. Both Misaka and the Johnsons will be attending the screening. This is the third time the documentary has been shown in Sacramento but the first major screening of it in town.

"Transcending" tells Misaka's story of overcoming racial hostility through the use of clips of him on the court as well as interviews with his friends, family, and big names such as New York sportscaster Spencer Ross and Knicks historian Dennis D'Agostino.

The documentary, filmed in late 2008, has already been well-received in the film world. At the Honolulu International Film Festival the film won the "Gold Kahuna Award for Excellence in Filmmaking" and the Johnsons were invited to President Obama's alma mater to share the film with over 275 of America's future leaders. The film also received official selections for the Rhode Island International Film Festival and the Roving Eye Documentary Film Festival this year.

Born in Ogden, Utah and a star player for the University of Utah in the late 40s, Misaka was the first-round draft pick for the New York Knicks in 1947. A "Nisei" American, born to parents who emigrated from Japan, Misaka's draft defied the political climate after the end of World War 2. With many Japanese still in internment camps around the country, Misaka broke down racial barriers and became a crowd pleaser for the Knicks.

After seeing Misaka's picture in the head office of San Francisco's Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California, Bruce and Christine began asking questions and realized they had stumbled upon a great story. After Misaka agreed to speak with them, the idea for the documentary came about naturally.

Sorting through footage of Misaka on the court, Bruce found himself amazed by the 5'7" Misaka's ability to handle himself on the court with the other players, who were 6-feet or taller.

While he was a favorite of the audiences at Madison Square Garden, there were many racial insults directed toward him at away games. However, if you ask Misaka about any type of controversy surrounding his race, he will most likely either brush it off or say he didn't sense any.

"The way that Wat looks at it is if there were any racial taunts, he didn't pay attention. His ability to sort of look at life that way really speaks to his character and shows why he was as successful as he was," said Bruce.

Christine attributes this to a common ideal among the Japanese meaning acceptance with resignation or "it cannot be helped." She explained that a lot of Japanese-Americans were brought up this way and believes that Misaka is a picture of that.

His amazing athletic ability also adds to the mystery of his release from the Knicks in 1948 by president Ned Irish after only playing three games. Misaka was never given an explanation by coach Joe Lapchick and while Bruce can only speculate, he has some theories about Misaka being let go from the team.

"Here are the facts: when [Misaka] was released they paid him his whole season, which was unheard of unless written into the contract. The one game he started for the Knicks was the last game he played for them and was the only game he played out of town. The only time he ran into trouble was when he played out of town," said Bruce.

Bruce also points out that shortly after his release, the Harlem Globetrotters--one of the top basketball teams at the time--invited Misaka to join the team. While he declined and instead chose to return to the University of Utah, this attests to his athleticism and raises even more questions about the reasons for his dismissal.

"He never found out why and that's sort of the heartbreak of it, to not be given a reason and never really know. We try to leave that question open for the audience to speculate about," explained Christine.

To fund the documentary, the Johnsons were given two grants from the California Civil Liberties Public Education Program, and with any continued funding raised they will keep on spreading Misaka's story. They have shown the documentary at about 20 community festivals across the country and are trying to reach as many colleges and universities as possible.

"We love to talk to the audience afterwards and find that so many people are anxious to talk about how Wat turned the other cheek and about what his coping mechanisms were," said Christine.

While Misaka doesn't consider himself a role model, Christine is very proud of the way he's been welcomed while traveling to the screenings. "Seeing people in the audience respond to him as a role model [is heartwarming] and even more heart warming is to see him understand that he is a role model and his story is inspiring," said Christine.

The Johnson's efforts at giving Misaka long-due acclaim is slowly but surely paying off: in February at the NBA All-Star Weekend Misaka was welcomed into the NBA Legends of Basketball Association. They will continue to share his story at over 15 screenings planned for 2009 so far.

Ticket information can be found at watmisaka.com. The Sacramento Asian Sports Foundation is located at 9040 High Tech Court in Elk Grove. Doors open Friday at 6:30 p.m.

Hair Games charity fundraiser entertains with first two semifinal rounds

2009-05-04T03:31:35Z

The first two weekends of the Hair Games 2009 charity fundraiser have come to an end, and you can almost cut the tension with a pair of shears.

Barcode Nightclub held the first week's competition and drummed up excitement with a performance by students from Citrus Heights' Jerry Lee Beauty College, who decked out their models and dancers in unconventional wedding gowns and not-so-traditional wedding-day hairstyles. Following the brides' performance was a face-off between Salons Within and downtown Space 07 Salon.

In a flurry of insane hair and using an arsenal of hairspray and dye, Salons Within took the stage first with a Barbie doll-themed show. The audience was given a rendition of Cher's "Turn Back Time" as her "Barbies" from throughout the decades danced and paraded with both sophisticated and over the top 'dos (see pictures).

Using another doll theme, Space 07 chose to show its Marie Antoinette-esque bouffants with an upbeat hip-hop dance performance by human "dolls," complete with joints painted on their arms and legs. At the end of their high-energy display, one of the "dolls" held up a "To be Continued..." sign, and as it turned out, she couldn't have been more right. Space 07 was announced as the winner of the first week's semifinal round.

In the second week of the semifinal rounds, Rio Linda's Hair Gone Wild and Sacramento's Luxe salon delivered a tough competition Using glow-in-the dark hair extensions, neon feathers, body grease and ring girls, Hair Gone Wild's participants staged a mock fight with a "Total Knock Out" theme. The Luxe girls, with a "Sizzling Siren" theme, captivated the crowd with a burlesque performance complete with fishnets, sky-high stilettos and a whip. Although it was a close call, Hair Gone Wild was the night's champion.

Next Saturday Bellara, Head Games and Studio Q will battle, followed by Visions and another salon (to be determined) the following Saturday.

Space 07 and Hair Gone Wild will continue on to the grand finale on May 30 along with the other semifinalists in hopes of taking home the grand prize. CHI/Farouk, who is sponsoring the event, will be awarding all members of the winning salon airfare and a two-day stay at the CHI/Farouk Academy in Houston (the company's headquarters).

Judges for the event include organizers Patty Neher of Maly's and Jo Ann Baumert of Bella Toscano Salon as well as a representative for Perry Communications Group and Tim Kuster of hair empire CHI/Farouk.

All of the funds raised from ticket sales will go toward Village Care International (VCI), and Barcode owner Mason Wong has agreed to donate a percentage of cover charges generated from the event as well. VCI is a local charity that gives assistance to widows and orphans in Africa who are victims of the AIDS pandemic.

For more information, visit hairgames2009.com. Stay tuned for the finale recap in the coming weeks.

The Park Ultra Lounge's Designer Fashion Series heats up summer in style

2009-05-02T00:23:43Z

The Park Ultra Lounge is kicking off summer in high style. This year's "Designer Fashion Series" began on April 16 and will continue every Thursday night until June 11. Every week, local designers, boutiques, and salons will take the stage in a parade of couture, great hair and makeup and sass.

Held on The Park's outdoor patio area and makeshift runway area, the first three weeks of the Series have had a great turnout with barely any breathing room surrounding the runway as the models strutted their stuff.

Now in its third year, the past two years—when it was previously called "Spring Fashion Series"—have been directed mainly toward local boutiques before the addition of designers this year.

The series opened its first week with Royal Highness Havoc boutique and Taki Salon on the runway, and Kaskade in the DJ booth. The second week of the Series played host to Sacramento's Artifacts boutique.

Last night, designer Monte Cristo showed off his designs to club-goers. While rain cut the event shorter than normal, Cristo received a standing ovation and his extravagant dresses were well-received by the audience.

In her first big undertaking since graduating with a Public Relations degree from Sac State in December, Erin Cook has almost single-handedly organized the eight-week event under the management of Brian Bassett, the Park's Head of Marketing and Promotions.

"It's been really fun for me and I've had a blast doing it," said Cook.

While last night's star, Cristo, isn't yet a household name, he is definitely no stranger to the fashion scene. Cristo was in last year's local fashion event "Couturians: An Evening of Illustrious Fashion," along with several other local designers scheduled for the Series.

Cristo also appeared in a 2007 episode of MTV's "Sweet 16," when the birthday girl hired him to coordinate a fashion show for her party. He was a participant in 2005's Sacramento Fashion Week and is a member of Sacramento Apparel Coalition (SAC), who organized the event. SAC is a group of local designers who have come together to help make Sacramento a fashion hub and has involvement from several other designers featured in the "Fashion Series." To add to Cristo's fashion resume, he has also been the Visual Manager for Guess Inc. Retail for over eight years.

Mercedes Ben also took the stage and is the designer for Benzo Couture. Ben is perhaps best known for her bright and eye-catching designs from her "Socialite Collection," which have been carried in local boutiques such as Krazy Mary's and Sugar Shack.

Other seasoned designers from around town like Richard Hallmarq, who conceived the idea of SAC and has made appearances in San Francisco's Fashion Week, as well as Dee Aguilar will be showing off their collections and newest designs throughout the next two months.

While most of the designers will be showcasing their spring and summer collections, they have been given permission to go in any direction they wish. Sacramento salons such as Strands and Luxe will be showing off the most up-to-date hair and makeup styles and some of the designers have recruited their assistance to makeup the faces and style the hair of their models.

Cook said of the Fashion Series, it’s a "really good opportunity [for participants] and I think it's neat that local salons and businesses have decided to support local designers.”

After the Fashion Series commences, Cook will begin working on the Park's annual "Hair Wars" salon competition, which will commence June 25 and continue through late summer.

The remaining shows for the Designer Fashion Series are scheduled as follows:

May 7: Benzo Couture by Mercedes Ben/Luxe Salon and Spa
May 14: Shauna Miller Design
May 21: Serendipity Boutique/Honey Salon
May 28: Dee Aguilar/Suede Salon/Richard Hallmarq/Strands Salon/Guest DJ Knuckles
June 4: Agape, Jeremiah Hill
June 11: Lauren Oto, Paul Mitchell Academy, Lilu Styles by Liliya Nixon

Cover charge for The Park is $15 per show. The Park Ultra Lounge is located at 1116 15th Street on the corner of 15th and L Streets.

More information about upcoming events can be found at The Park's website at theparkdowntown.com.

Photos by Anthony Bento

Celebrating Cinco de Mayo 2009: Sacramento's party guide

2009-04-29T19:30:57Z

Commemorating the victory of the Mexican troops over the French army, Cinco de Mayo is the celebration of The Battle of Puebla in 1862. During the French-Mexican war, an outnumbered Mexican militia battled, and conquered, the French forces. Many often mistake the Mexican Holiday for the country's Independence Day, which actually takes place on September 16. While May 5 is an especially important day in Mexico, Sacramento undeniably knows how to celebrate the holiday. Check below for a guide to the city's Cinco de Mayo celebrations going on next week.

Zocalo Cinco de Mayo Block Party

A five-day partying binge, Zocalo will be hosting a different fiesta everyday. The schedule is as follows:
Friday, May 1: "Warm Up" party with mariachi band.
Saturday, May 2: Join "The Party" as Zocalo closes down the streets with an all-day party. Live music by Mariachi Mi Tierra, Paloma Negra, Mercy Me!, and Sociedad Cafe to name a few. There will also be performances of salsa dancers and balet folklorico by Imba. Enjoy $2 drink specials and $2 tacos throughout the festivities.
Sunday, May 3: Cure your hangover with "The Hangover" brunch with live music from cover band Solsa.
Monday, May 4: Continue the party with "The Recovery" Tequila Experience. Learn about the myths and culture of 100% Blue Agave Tequila and sample different tequilas along with free appetizers.
Tuesday, May 5: Celebrate all over again with the "The Do-Over" party. More live music by Solsa, Mexican food, and margaritas being poured all day.
Where: 1801 Capitol Avenue
When: All of Cinco de Mayo week, parties start at 12 p.m. and go until last call every night of the festivities
Cost: Per event, $10 cover if purchased in advance at Zocalo, Paesano, or Dragonfly, $15 at the door

Friday Night Concerts in the Park: Cinco de Mayo concert

Enjoy the kickoff for 2009's Concert in the Park series with a performance by Sol Peligro, Retrograde Revolution, and La Noche Oskura. Visit the beer and wine garden and use your wristband for discounts at local bars later in the evening.
Where: Cesar Chavez Plaza on the corner of 10th and J Streets
When: Friday, May 1
Cost: Free

Solsa Cinco de Mayo Fiesta at the Sterling Hotel

Entertainment provided by Sacramento's Latin and R&B cover band, Solsa. If you can't catch them at the hotel, they will also be performing at Zocalo's Block Party.
Where: 1300 H Street
When: Friday, May 1, 8:30 p.m.- 12 a.m.
Cost: $10 online, $12 at the door, purchase tickets at the band's website: solsaentertainment.com

Rancho Rocks! Cinco de Mayo Festival at Sacramento Marriott Rancho Cordova

Single in Sacramento is throwing their third annual Cinco de Mayo/anniversary celebration at the Marriott. There will be an outdoor nacho bar, drink specials, and DJ spinning.
Where:11211 Point East Drive, Rancho Cordova, 95742
When: Saturday, May 2 beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $15 cover at the door

Cinco de Mayo Breakfast and Car Show

To raise money for school programs, California Middle School will be holding a Cinco de Mayo pancake breakfast open to the public. After the breakfast there will be a classic car and motorcycle show as well as a rummage sale with donated items.
Where: California Middle School, 1600 Vallejo Way, 95818
When: Saturday, May 2, 7 a.m.- 12 p.m.

Performance and Community Mixer

To provide a safe and child-friendly Cinco de Mayo event for the community, Antioch Progress is hosting a special presentation of Tomas and the Library Lady, a play about a son of migrant workers who finds himself enraptured in the world of reading after befriending a librarian. The true story follows Tomas from his childhood wonder to his successful adulthood as Chancellor of UC Riverside. Play-goers can enjoy a health fair and community resource tables on-site at this free community event.
Where: Antioch Progress Church, 7650 Amhurst Street, Sacramento, 95832
When: Saturday, May 2, 1-4:30 p.m. (show at 2 p.m.)
Cost: Free

KSFM's Cinco de Mayo Concert in Discovery Park

Akon, Baby Bash, Paula DeAnda, HardNox, and Elijah King along with other performers will be giving a concert in the park in honor of Cinco de Mayo. Adults can visit the Xochimilco beer and margarita garden while the little ones play in bounce-houses and on slides in the Comcast Ninos Playground. The after-party, hosted by KSFM, will be held at Azukar nightclub at 1616 J Street.
Where: Discovery Park on Garden Highway, Sacramento, 95833
When: Sunday, May 3, 11 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Cost: $15.50, kids under 5 are free

Paragary Group Cinco Festival: Fiesta at The Bloc

After the success of downtown's New Year ball drop, streets downtown will be shut down once again for a Cinco de Mayo celebration. Live performances by The Cheeseballs and mariachi bands will be performing in the streets surrounding the 2700s of J Street. Businesses from the block including Aura, Blue Cue, Momo Lounge, Centro and GV Hurley will have a Mexican food court in Centro's parking lot and outdoor bars set up along the streets. Also, don't forget to ride the mechanical bulls!
Where: The 2700 block of J Street
When: Tuesday, May 5, outdoor party 12 p.m.- 12 a.m., the block restaurants and bars open until 2 a.m.
Cost: $15 pre-sale and $20 that day, can be purchased in advance at harlows.com or at Centro Cocina Mexicana at 2730 J Street.

Torch Club Cinco de Mayo Party

Performance by Latin and R&B cover band, Solsa. Drink specials will also be available at the bar.
Where: 15th and I Streets
When: Tuesday, May 5, 7-10:30 p.m.
Cost: $10 cover at the door or purchase in advance through the band's website at solsaentertainment.com

Folsom Hacienda's Cinco de Mayo Celebration

The margaritas will be flowing all night and hot tortilla chips will be in endless supply at Folsom's favorite Mexican restaurant. Entertainment for the evening is the band Tijuana Weekend, who will be performing until the party stops.
Where: Sutter Street in Old Folsom, 95630
When: Tuesday, May 5, 5-10 p.m.
Cost: $10 cover at the door

Breast Cancer Survivor Reception honors attendees with peace, love, and happiness

2009-04-25T01:57:59Z

It was a sea of tie dye and bell bottoms at Sacramento’s Susan G. Komen Survivor Reception Thursday night. The feeling of unity and empowerment filled the room as breast cancer survivors turned back time with a 60s- and 70s-themed party.

Over 100 men and women who registered for Sacramento‘s Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure showed up to the celebration thrown in their honor.

Attendees enjoyed appetizers from Magpie Catering and were treated to a performance of “Turn Back Time” by a Cher look-alike while they ate dinner.

The evening’s hosts were Patti Teale, the Committee Chair for the Komen Sacramento Race for the Cure who also serves as the Volunteer Director, and Ann Yoshimoto, also a Volunteer Director. KCRA’s Edie Lambert emceed and conducted the raffle.

Staying true to the theme, 60s and 70s music hits like Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” and The Chordette’s “Lollipop” filled the room. Volunteer photographers were on hand to capture the evening and take photos of anyone who wanted to pose with and stick their heads through the windows of the cardboard VW bus photo prop.

As a souvenir to remember the evening, guests were encouraged to take home cupcakes iced with peace signs and other decorations.

To date, 738 survivors are registered to participate in the Race, which will take place in Sacramento on May 9. That number is expected to double in the coming weeks.

For more information, visit Sacramento’s Susan G. Komen website at sackomen.org

Local salons will go hair to hair in Hair Games 2009 charity fundraiser

2009-04-23T20:15:25Z

In a fusion of music, lights and hair design, 12 of Sacramento's top salons will be putting their styling talents on display in a month-long competition to raise funds for Village Care International (VCI). Hair Games 2009 begins Saturday, April 25, at 11 p.m. with its first semi-final round and will continue the next three Saturdays. The semi-finalists' fates will then be decided in a final competition to determine the "style champion" on May 30.

The event is being coordinated by the owner of Granite Bay's Bella Toscana Salon, Jo Ann Baumert, and Maly's salon product distributor, Patty Neher. Salons from all around the Sacramento area will be participating in the Games, including Roseville's Head Games, Carmichael's Bellara, and Midtown's Studio Q among others. A full list of participating salons can be found at the event's website at hairgames2009.com.

Auburn-based Village Care International provides assistance to African villages, especially focusing on African widows and around 30,000 orphans who are victims of the AIDS/HIV pandemic. Their mission is to empower villages and communities to provide assistance to their vulnerable members by providing food, clothing, and education among other resources. All of the proceeds from outside ticket sales will given directly to the charity.

Each salon will be given five minutes on the runway to put their best styling talents on display through the use of models and dancers, who will be strutting down the stage for club-goers to ogle. Salons will choose a theme and costume and style the hair of their models accordingly. They have been given free reign to choose their models and can put on as elaborate of a display as they wish, even if that includes body paint or pyrotechnics.

"It's just something fun that will show off talent and unite our industry in these dark economic times," said Neher, explaining that not only is the money going towards a great cause but the event will shine a much-needed spotlight on the industry, which is struggling along like many others right now.

The idea for the "Project Runway meets American Idol" fundraiser was dreamt up in 2007 as a way to help out those in need before the holiday season. Proceeds were donated to 20-30 charities to help purchase gifts for children. After taking a year off, the event is back and even bigger than before. Neher and Baumert are expecting anywhere from 300-500 guests to attend, with hopes that the number of attendees will grow each weekend along with the excitement.

The event is being sponsored by hair care product company CHI and its manufacturing company, Farouk, who will be supplying the salons with shampoo, hair color and tools to use in the show. The company is also providing the grand prize to the salon that wins the competition; each stylist from the winning salon will receive a two-day stay and airfare to the CHI academy. Maly's has contributed as well, taking care of the printing of promotion materials.

Tickets are available for the general public to purchase at the salons participating in the competition. The five Maly's stores in the area will also be selling tickets to licensed professionals. Barcode owner Mason Wong has also agreed to donate a percentage of ticket sales at the door to VCI. However, Neher encourages purchasing tickets in advance at salon or store locations as 100 percent of those sales will be donated.

More information about Village Care International can be found at the organization's website at villagecare.com.

Breast Cancer Survivor Reception welcomes survivors before race

2009-04-23T00:45:49Z

In a celebration of life and the fight against breast cancer, survivors that will be participating in Sacramento's Susan G. Komen Foundation's Race for the Cure on May 9 have been extended invites to the Breast Cancer Survivor Reception. This year's event will be held Thursday, April 23 at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Sacramento and around 100 to 200 people are expected to attend.

The 60s and 70s-themed gala will take place from 6 until 8 p.m., and the evening's coordinators have a fun-filled night planned for attendees. Emceed by KCRA's news anchor Edie Lambert, guests will be dined and entertained by a DJ spinning music from the decades. A speaker from Zeta Tau Alpha (ZTA), a national Race for the Cure sponsor dedicated to survivors, is one speaker planned for the night.

To welcome the survivors to the reception, a group of local high school students will be staged outside dressed as protesters reminiscent of the eras chosen for the theme. However, instead of anti-war messages, their signs will display welcoming slogans.

"This is the first year we are working with a theme, last year we did a [Deal or No Deal] kind of thing but this year we decided to do something a little more fun and funky," said Patti Teale, the Committee Chair for the Komen Sacramento Race for the Cure who also serves as the Volunteer Director, along with Ann Yoshimoto for the Sacramento Komen affiliate. Teale hopes that people will dress up and embrace the theme.

In past years, survivors have been invited to a Survivor Brunch thrown the morning before the race. In 2006 the event had grown so large that the brunch was revamped and had to be changed to an evening reception held in the weeks prior to the Race.

Local vendors such as Harry and David, ProFlowers and Vaqueros restaurant have donated products and meals to be raffled off at the reception. The reception is relying on mostly volunteers, with all of the photographers and those staffing the event donating their time.

Each city that the walk hosts the Komen Race for the Cure in can choose how they wish to honor the survivors. There are over 125 Komen Affiliates across the globe, including three international affiliates in Italy, Puerto Rico and Germany. Last year Komen also hosted their first walk in Tanzania. Every Koman Affiliate supports local breast health and breast cancer services by putting 75 percent of net proceeds raised towards local grants for breast cancer screening, and education and support services for uninsured women. The other 25 percent of the remaining net income goes to support the national Komen Foundation for the Cure Research Grant.

There are 738 survivors registered to participate in the race so far, with that number most likely doubling in the final days leading up to the race. Thursday's reception is one of several spotlights that will be shone on survivors prior to and throughout the day of the race. On the day of the actual race, survivors are encouraged to stand out from the crowd by donning the pink baseball caps and t-shirts provided to them at registration, sponsored by ZTA. A Survivor Parade and award ceremony will also be held on Race Day to honor those that have fought, and won, their battles against breast cancer.

Anyone who has been touched by breast cancer in their lives is encouraged to participate in the 5K walk on May 9. More information about the reception, how to donate and registering for Komen Sacramento Race for the Cure can be found at the Susan G. Komen website at sackomen.org.

Editor's Note: The Sacramento Press editorial staff edited this article after it was published for several factual inaccuracies.