The Whole Earth Festival was held for the 43rd time on the UC Davis campus over the weekend of May 10-12, 2013. Vendors, artists, performers, cooks, and the general public were part of an inspiring and fun event that highlighted the experience of the wholeness of the earth. From the Whole Earth Festival website . “Whole Earth Festival was born when an art class taught by Jose Arguelles had an “Art Happening” on the University of California, Davis campus in 1969. The students used art to involve visitors in the ultimate goal of learning about activism, wellness, and the environment. Whole Earth Festival aims to ignite passion, propel creativity, and leave visitors with inspiration. Foll

The heat has arrived, school is almost out, and soon, kids will be posing the classic question, “What are we doing this summer?” Answer: Local summer theatre camp. Imagine a spotlight on a stage, the closed curtain buzzing with the excitement of another opening of another show. The music starts, the curtain opens, the show begins and the on walks a familiar face. It's none other than your kid, projecting with newly acquired skill and bursting with all the talent you knew he or she had. This vision comes to fruition at the hands of the dedicated, professional acting coaches of the many various Sacramento summer theatre youth programs. Here is a compiled list to help you and your child fi

Last week I published a photo essay on the start of the demolition of the existing remnants of the McKinley Park Children's Playground. (click here) . After a week of delays due to rain and soggy ground phase 2 of this demolition began Thursday morning. Here are the photos of the complete preparation process of the site in anticipation of the rebuild to begin in June.   Barry Metcalf, of American Technologies, Inc. oversees the beginning of the demolition. American Technologies Inc. and its partners have donated the resources needed to complete the demolition phase of the project.     One of the two Bobcat front loaders is readied.   The first cut into the wooden structures.  

The Sacramento Zoo sponsored a full day of discover planet earth activities on Saturday, April 6, 2013. From learning how to protect the environment to appreciating the diversity of animals on the planet, all aspects of celebrating planet earth were offered at the zoo. Numerous presenters and exhibitors showed off commercial, government, and research products and projects that enhanced the way we understand and interact with the earth. I was able to photograph many of these displays, along with the people and children that were willing and enthusiastic participants.   Exhibitors display earth oriented products and services.       Touching and learning about tortoise and turtles.

Efforts to rebuild the fire-damaged McKinley Park playground hit a milestone when its destruction and demolition began bright and early Thursday morning. Most of the playground, which fell victim to arson last year, was auctioned off Wednesday evening. American Technologies Inc. was on site Thursday morning to disassemble the structure so that auctioned items could be removed. The demoliton of the standing supports will be Thursday, Aprill 11 – weather permiting. The new playground was put together by Play By Design in collaboration with local youth and residents. Check out some shots of the American Technologies, Inc. team carefully dismantling the playground.        Steve Swind

Food Trucks 4 Fido is making its way around the Sacramento region with the goal of increasing dog adoptions from area animal shelters. Last Thursday the event was at the California Auto Museum in support of the Front street animal shelter. Sponsors, the California Auto Museum, Purina, and SactoMoFo, brought together adoptive dogs and prospective pet owners. The Front street animal shelter, gourmet food trucks, live Music by the Bathtub Gins, prospective pet owners, and dog lovers  enjoyed a convivial time eating, petting and generally having fun. The shelter's goal was to find owners for 30 dogs.  As a dog owner and lover, I was able to catch the event in these photos.   Food trucks for

A Directors Week This is an interesting week with a slew of new releases, all of which are from directors with track records that include better or more interesting work than we’re getting now. Given the number of films this week, I’ll keep the reviews and commentary relatively short.   Olympus Has Fallen Directed by Antoine Fuqua Antione Fuqua is building a steady record of crime and action films, probably still most notably “Training Day” with Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke. In “Olympus Has Fallen,” he gives us what is essentially “Die Hard: The White House” only with Bruce Willis being played by Gerard Butler. That said, it’s a far more enjoyable film and also closer to the origi

The 17th annual Sacramento St. Patrick's Day parade was held Saturday March 16, 2013 in Old Town Sacramento. Several thousand people watched as hundreds of marchers, floats, horses, clowns, and vehicles wound their way through the streets of Old Town. It truly was a sea of green with many parade watchers following the lead of the leprechaun and dressed in Irish spirit. Here are photos of the festivities, some of the marchers, floats, and parade watchers.                        Even the volunteers from Old Sacramento Living History got into the spirit.     City Council member Kevin McCarty added his greetings to the festivities.   Look Mom......   a clown!

There is a new generation of young Sacramento actors and actresses being trained by Sacramento native Liorah Singerman, artistic director of the Young Actors Stage Theater group.  The Mainstage show, "Annie Jr." opens this Friday night March 1st and stars the talented Jillie Kate Randle in the title role.  Mrs. Singerman grew up on the Sacramento stage performing with companies including Sacramento Theater Company and Davis Musical Theater Company.  She then went on to hone her theater skills in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and spent 10 years performing in New York.  In 2009, Liorah moved back to her home town and founded the Young Actors Stage Theater group, bringing live

  In partnership with Target, the Sojourner Truth Multicultural Art Museum, and the Sacramento Observer, the Crocker Art Museum sponsored the Black History Month Family Festival on President's Day 2013. Several thousand were in attendance to take part in activities which included Dance, Art, Music, and History.   Come along with them as I photographed the performances and activities as the people enjoyed the festival.       The youngest of the Dance Group UMOJA at 5 years of age shows her stuff.     UMOJA drummers treated the audience to original African music while the dancers showed off traditional works from around the African continent.         Enjoy this audience par

New Years Eve day brought a myriad of cultures together at the Crocker Museum in celebration of the upcoming new year. Chinese Lion Dancing, a traditional Handbell choir, Indian Dancing, and Brazilian martial arts showcased how other cultures celebrate the upcoming New Year. Enjoy these photos of the various cultures and the noon New Year's Eve day ball drop. Golden Turtle Lion Dance Association welcomed the crowds outside the Crocker museum. Inside, the Chinese Lion Dancing demonstration enthralled young and old alike. Father Time was present to herald in the New Year. Kids of all ages participated in crafts, making traditional Native American drums.   Non Stop Bhangra got eve

Local city officials oversaw the lighting of the Christmas Tree in Old Sacramento prior to the opening of the Raley's Theatre of Lights for the holiday season 2012. Local celebrity Mark S. Allen kicked things off.     Mayor Kevin Johnson counted down to the lighting of the Christmas tree.   A beautiful evergreen adorned with a changing light pattern was spectacular to see.   The Raley's Theatre of Lights began with the page describing how Old Sacramento would have been in the mid-1800s during the Christmas season. Now time for the main event, "'Twas the night before Christmas," narrated by Mark Twain.           It actually snowed on the buildings and in the streets of

This Front Street shop in Old Town Sacramento is a toy lovers’ (of any age) paradise. Each year 12 toys are picked to showcase the best in creativity, activity, and education. I visited the shop where Connie explained each toy and demonstrated them to me. Here are photos of each of the toys. They can be found to either side of the Christmas tree near the front door. Like Connie said, they are pretty ugly, but remain popular for those that like that sort of thing.   KEVA uses good ole wood. These put-it together kits can make things small to large.   Check out this tall tower built out of KEVA.   Just like Hot potato only it flashes on and off and plays music... When the music st

On Wednesday, October 31, THE STUDIO Martial Arts & Fitness will host a fun yet educational Halloween “Kick or Treat” event for kids and their parents. This free event will be held from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at THE STUDIO Martial Arts & Fitness, 4130 Douglas Blvd., Suite 405, in Granite Bay. At the event, martial arts instructors will provide safety tips and instruction to both children and adults. Safety presentations will begin at 4:00, 5:00, and 6:00 p.m. While supplies last, parents will also receive a free Child Identification Kit so they may record their child’s medical, personal, and physical information, along with a photograph, strands of hair for a DNA sample, and fingerprints (an

The annual Davis Jazz and Beat festival is a free intimate festival filled with poetry readings and painting improvisation set to the rhythm of live jazz. Hosted by the Cultural Action Committee, this is a unique opportunity for attendees to experience exclusive performances, a thorough collection of Beat art, and later meet firsthand with the world-renowned poets, jazz musicians, and painters of the Beat Generation. Money raised will benefit the Davis High School music programs. The Sixth Annual Davis Jazz & Beat Festival will be held Oct. 19 from 7 to 10 p.m. and Oct. 20 from noon until after midnight. The first day of the festival will be at the John Natsoulas Gallery on 521 First Stre

Quick Quack Car Wash is giving back to the community in a special way by offering free car washes to help raise money for pediatric patients at Sutter Children’s Center, Sacramento. On Wednesday, Sept, 26 from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m., Quick Quack Car Wash will give away a free Basic Car Wash ($5.99 value) for any donation made to the Donut Dash – a nonprofit which raises money for the Child Life Program at Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento. This one-day special event is available at all seven of Quick Quack’s Sacramento area locations. Donations made will be used to support children and their families cope with their medical experience by providing normal childhood activities, promoting developmen

Take a stroll around Fremont Park this Labor Day weekend at the Chalk It Up! art festival, and you’ll find you don’t have to be a kid to appreciate the beauty – and fun – of drawing on the sidewalk with chalk. This year marks the 22nd anniversary of the popular event featuring over 200 sidewalk paintings by local artists who use soft chalk pastel mixed with water. The festival runs through Labor Day weekend, Sept. 1-3, at Fremont Park, 16th and Q street, is free to all ages, and offers three days of music, food, art and entertainment. Want to join the fun and let your own creative juices flow? Sidewalk space is also available for anyone who wants to add their own artistic touch to the c

Does garlic ward off werewolves? Or is it holy water? Can you spot a vampire if he doesn’t make a reflection in a mirror? Or is it if he can’t enter a house uninvited? For answers to these questions and more, join the Van Helsing Foundation on August 11th when Generation Next Media presents its family-friendly show, How to Defend Against a Creature of the Night. This hour-long participational presentation features three members of the “Van Helsing Foundation”—Rupert Van Helsing, Phaedra Frankenstein, and Jeffrey Jekyll—who travel around the world educating the public on how to spot and defend against a host of fearsome supernatural creatures. The Van Helsing Foundation members are descend

Summer is a traditionally a time of fun for children – yet can also be a time for accidents. To help families approach summer in "safe style," South Sacramento nonprofit groups and businesses are teaming up to present the second annual free Kids’ Safety and Health Fair Saturday, June 23, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Bethany Presbyterian Church, 5625-24th Street, Sacramento (off Fruitridge Road between Freeport Boulevard and Highway 99). In addition to a free BBQ hotdog lunch, there will be face-painting, karaoke, a magician, music and a children's bounce-house. Among the participating groups are the California Highway Patrol, Sacramento Public Library, Sacramento City Fire Department, Sacra

Just in time for summer!  In addition to its fascinating Gold Rush past, the Sacramento area is rich with an amazing array of state-of-the-art museums and historic sites that offer visitors the chance to explore California’s fine art, history, science, and wildlife treasures all year long.   And while all the 29 participating local museums offer a wealth of experiences just waiting to be explored, a few museums offer specially-designed activities and programs perfect for inspiring and engaging children during the more leisurely summer months.  Outlined below is a sampling of available summer programs and activities coordinated by local museums: Four-Day Aerospace Summer Camp at the Aero