The Good Life ~ Sacramento
Exploring a City with a Small-Town Feel and World of PotentialArchive for Recreation and Leisure
Spells of the Season
Don’t Fear the Fun
As the mornings turn crisp and the night sky fills with wisps of smoke and moisture, you might find yourself craving the coziness that can only be found in darkness and the subtle titillations of fall’s enchantments. This Weekend, why not begin the immersion with a pinch of this and dose of that?
Go See a Play
‘The K of D: An Urban legend’ at B Street Theatre runs through October and straight into November. http://www.bstreettheatre.org/
Hit a Round for Charity
10th Annual Fairways to Fairytales takes place in Folsom this Friday, benefitting Fairytale Town. http://www.fairytaletown.org/events/fairways-to-fairytales-golf-tournament/
Celebrate the European Way
Sacramento Turn Verein’s 45th Annual Oktoberfest will melt away the stress.
http://www.sacramentoturnverein.com
Spook Yourself Silly
Old Sacramento Ghost Tours will enchant, entrance or chill to the loveley bones. http://www.historicoldsac.org/programs/programs-ghost.asp
Visit the Big Screen
Sacramento Horror Film Festival promises to get the adenaline pumping. http://www.sachorrorfilmfest.com/index.php?profile=shff
Sacramento International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival will expand your worldview. http://www.siglff.org/wordpress/index.php
Get Seriously Creative (or Creatively Serious)
Dia de los Muertos creative classes and colorful celebrations are cropping up all over the city. http://sacramento.downtowngrid.com/events/index.php
For more events, information and autumn enchantments visit http://www.sacramento365.com/search/results
SacTown Puts the Fun in Fit
Sacramento in Shape Magazine
Being in shape – or active, flexible and strong – is good for the body, and possibly even better for the mind and soul. Being healthy and physically capable is a privilege that not all get. And so if you are lucky enough to have a choice, why not see it as such – a choice you can control for the better, rather than a burden hovering overhead yet feeling out of reach?!
Devoting to any activity requires both a desire and perspective that have staying power. So why not look at your health and wellbeing as a fun habit that crosses and benefits all areas of your life? Because it does! And it is what you make it. So make it a part of your daily practice, and carry it with you wherever you go.
“Fit for Living,” an article just published in Shape Magazine, June 2012, has ranked Sacramento as the 6th fittest city in the U.S.. Fitness Magazine, American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the Wellpoint Foundation partnered up to rate such fittest cities, considering factors as the number of nutritious eateries, farmers’ markets and places to bike, hike, walk, swim, be active and recreate. So whether you live in the Sacramento area, frequent it for business or are just stopping in for some playtime, you might want to keep it in mind and keep some tennies close at hand.
For recipes and ways to eat healthier visit: http://www.California-Grown.com
For Sacramento area sports and recreation visit: http://discovergold.chambermaster.com/list/QL/sports-40.htm
To bring the “play” back into your day visit: http://www.FairytaleTown.org
For more information on this study visit: http://www.AmericanFitnessIndex.org
Sacramento Gems Captivate
Before you go on this photographic journey, here are some tidbits of information about our newest photos:
Spare the Air Day, also known as Scooter’s Clean Air Fun Fest, is a relatively new family-oriented festival occurring each June in Midtown Sacramento’s very “green” Fremont Park.
The Sacramento River is long and lush, and provides immense opportunities for boating, fishing, biking, kayaking, strolling, wildlife watching, dining, etc.
Swabbies on the River is accessible by both car and boat, and hosts lots of bands and mini music festivals throughout the summer.
Old Ironsides is another great venue for live local music, cold drinks and that dark dive bar ambiance you might find yourself craving on a hot summer night.
Summer concerts are cropping up all over Sacramento, but kudos to the longest running summer concert series, Friday Night Concert in the Park.
And if you didn’t get to “see” Venus transiting the sun the other night, take a look at the beautiful sunset it inspired…
Next time, Something Big and Something Small~
Circus Dreams, Wizards & Drag Queens, Oh My!
The holidays at the Westfield Downtown Shopping Center
Cirque Dreams Holidaze
At noon on November 16 a trio of acrobats from Broadway Sacramento’s upcoming production of Cirque Dreams Holidaze will entertain lunchtime crowds for free with their acrobatic skills. The acrobats from Uzbekistan will showcase their hand balancing feats as a preview to their show coming to the Community Center Theater December 29-January 3.
Drag Queens on Ice
Outword Magazine will host a charity LGBT night, Drag Queens On Ice, at the ice rink on November 17 from 7 to 9 p.m. This all ages event will benefit the Sacramento Gay and Lesbian Center, NorCal AIDS Cycle, and CGNIE, and will be hosted by local drag queens Felicity Diamonds and Rusty Nails. 100 percent of the money raised during the 2-hour event will benefit your choice of the aforementioned organizations. Tickets are $5 per person in advance and includes admission and skate rental.
Harry Potter 7 Horcrux Hunt
Muggles beware. Wizards and witches will take over the ice rink on November 18 for Harry Potter Night at the rink. Costumed characters receive free skate rentals between 4 to 8 pm. To celerate the midnight premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows-Part I, the ice rink has teamed up with the Esquire IMAX Theatre for the Harry Potter 7 Horcrux Hunt. The Horcrux Hunt begins at 8 p.m. at the ice rink. Witches and wizards will be guided by a series of riddles leading them to the seven Horcruxes hidden throughout Downtown. Teams will have until 11 p.m. to complete their quest and meet at the Esquire IMAX Theatre. Teams will use smartphones instead of wands to post their photos on Twitter using QR codes as they complete each task.
The rink will be open daily November 5 through January 17. Regular admission to the ice rink is $8 for a two-hour session and $2 for skate rental. The Ice Rink offers parking validations for the Westfield Downtown Plaza garages located at 5th & J streets and 4th & L streets.
For more event and contact information:
Lisa Martinez or Kelsey Perry
916.442.8575
http://www.downtownsac.org/icerink
Twitter @DowntownIceRink.
Rock On, RiverCats
Fun, Friendly, Accessible Raley Field
The size and feel of West Sacramento’s Raley Field make it accessible, approachable, maneuverable and comfortable… all the while being good old-fashioned fun, and occassionally even downright electric.
Something about Raley Field’s ambiance is so fitting for Sacramento; it’s a perfect way to spend a warm summer evening while overlooking the city lights and yet still feeling the small town charm.
Although I haven’t mentioned it yet, I’m talking specifically about RiverCats games – Sacramento’s high ranking minor league baseball team. But there are also other ways to enjoy Raley Field all summer long… With concerts like the Scorpions and Steve Miller Band, Raley Field again provides a comfortable, intimate setting, perfect for rocking out or soaking up the scene(ery).
400 Ballpark Drive
West Sacramento, CA 95691
(916) 371-4487
http://www.rivercats.com
State Fair: Same Big Fun, Different Dates
Slide into Summer Fun
After decades of a late August/early September run, The CA State Fair has decided to explode into Sacramento’s summer a little earlier in the year. So please make note, ‘cuz you don’t want to miss something spectacular all because you made a fair assumption about the “When” of it all only to find all that big fun just passed you by.
July 14 through August 1 is the fair’s new run date, and personally this year I can’t wait to:
See how much fried food and beer I can handle in one evening, see how many carnie friends I can make in one day, see how many of my favorite adolescent high-velocity rides I can handle in one hour, see how many gold medal wines I can try before my tastebuds become toast, see how much money I can win by betting on the horse with the prettiest name, see how many dimes I can throw at the greased dishes before I finally win an ashtray, see how many County exhibits I can visit before I get the travel bug, see how many things I can buy and fit into my backpack, see how many farm animals I can fall in love with and want to take home with me… and finally, see if I can remember where I parked my car.
There are some traditions just worthy of paying annual respects. Just remember to pay them a little earlier this year!
“Roughing It” River-Style
The Sacramento and American Rivers run through the Sacramento Valley and converge near Old Sacramento at Discovery Park. Needless to say, river recreation – ranging from boating, jetskiing and fishing to riverfront dining, drinking and sightseeing – is a locals’ favorite. But there’s also biking, running and nature viewing on the beloved American River Parkway, which gets a near 5-star overall rating on Yelp.com. There’s nightlife and live music at various locations along the rivers, from the delta towns of Nicolaus and Clarksburg to the lake-bejeweled city of Folsom. There are beaches, boat docks, riverfront parks and plenty of visitor experiences (complete with river-view hotels) as well, lining certain swatches of land along the lush riverfronts. But if you ask any one local, you’re likely to get a variety of responses, suggestions and impressions of how the rivers help characterize our fair city.
For instance, Swabbies is a rustic restaurant and bar that serves up ultra-fried foods, refreshments for the whole family and live music every weekend. Just a few minutes northwest of the airport off I-5, it’s a bit of a local local’s secret, if you know what I mean. But it’s earthy and welcoming enough for just about anyone. You can putter up and dock there by boat or jetski, roll up on the hog, or pull up in the family station wagon. While it’s a bit of an old school ‘party place’, it’s one place you’re also likely to see a bachelorette party peacefully perched right next to a family birthday celebration.
The only thing I think it’s missing: An old weather-beaten Pirate ship half buried in the sand, along with the ghost of its captain dangling from the upper deck, his “Aaarrrrs” sometimes audible when the Delta breezes gently tousle your hair.
http://www.Swabbies.com
916.920.8088
Scotts, Celts, Kilts, Cold Beer!
Festival-Goers and Historical Characters Mingling
Since I live there, it’s probably okay for me to admit that Woodland is not especially well known for its fancy variety of world-renowned festivals… But having just attended the 134th Annual Sacramento Valley Scottish Games & Festival at the Yolo County Fairgrounds, I think this one’s worth writing home about.
Modeled after the traditional gatherings of Scots in their homeland, the weekend-long festival features Olympic-style heavy athletics and Highland dancing, pipe bands and Celtic rock groups, sheep dog trials, historical re-enactments and more.
Just like any festival, there’s plenty of good food and fun, cold beer and faire frills, shows and vendors (although I would have personally appreciated more of those). But unlike many festivals, this one’s got an eye-full of colorful kilts walking around, as well as those manly Scottish games playing out on the open field. This April, there was plenty of sunshine and luckily also plenty of shade beneath ye olde olive trees. And if there’s one thing about Woodland, everything’s pretty easy here: easy to access, easy entry… easy escape.
What began as a simple “Scottish Picnic Competition” in a park is now what allows the club to “benefit” the public through education, scholarships and charity. McKinley Park in East Sacramento was the site of the first Sacramento Scottish Games & Gathering on June 16, 1877. The festival moved to the 55-acre Yolo County Fairgrounds in 1997 due to it having more elbow room, ample parking and helpful fairground staff.
The event is hosted by the Caledonian Club of Sacramento, a nonprofit organization established in 1876. Club membership is open to any one of Scottish birth or descent, their kin, and to any person interested in the rich and historic traditions of Scotland. They host other annual events, including the Sacramento Tartan Ball in November.
Keep the Sacramento Scottish Games in mind next year; it’s a magical day for anyone interested in Scottish and Celtic arts, culture and history – or anyone just a fan of festivals, period. It takes place the last full weekend of every April.
http://www.saccallie.org, (916) 557-0764.
Golfing for Charity: Hole in One
Did you hear about the charity events?
Do you like golf and charity? The great outdoors and little critters? Here are two options to fulfill all of the above just in time for spring and right around the bend:
You can help the SSPCA aim for the well being of our furry friends with the first annual PAWS, PALS, & PUTTS Golf Tournament on April 26th at the Del Paso Country Club. Specifically, the benefits proceed the Sacramento SPCA Senior Services, which help facilitate ongoing relationships between seniors and pets. Helping both people and animals… now that’s my cup of tea! For more information, call (916) 383-7387, ext. 9102 or visit http://www.sspca.org.
Or join the Yolo Basin Foundation in rooting for our feathered friends at the PUTTS for DUCKS Golf Tournament, Friday, May 14th at Wildhorse Golf Course in Davis. Proceeds from the golf tournament will fund Discover the Flyway, the hands-on wetlands education program that serves 4,000 students annually. It’s another win-win. Just call (530) 758-1018 or click on http://www.YoloBasin.org.
Cool Surprise Awaits in Midtown
Midtown Ice Rink
It’s a beautiful sunny day and a new year full of potential. Forget the finger-pointing ‘shoulds’ of your resolutions… why not combine something that’s fun and good for you?! The Midtown Ice Rink is still open, after all (through Jan. 18), and what better way to liven up after the holidays than with a little brisk, lingering cheer!
You can grab a warm drink at Peet’s next door, a warm slice at Luigi’s next to that, or stop in afterward for a glass of bubbly at Lounge on 20. While the theme is still Christmas-based, the glittering lights and pop music add a little sparkle to an otherwise dull January. Just bring your mittens and some cash, because they don’t take American Express.
Midtown Ice Rink
20th between K & J Streets
$8/adults, $5/kids, $2/skate rental
http://www.exploremidtown.org
There is something special about Sacramento; the rich land upon which it was built, the rivers that flow through, the bounty around it and the people who make the Sacramento area their home.
Life is good in California’s Capital City for many reasons, including climate and geography, community and amenities, nature and wildlife, and so much more. It’s hard to imagine a warmer feeling than a sunshine-drenched morning here, an easier feeling than a refreshing post-rain spring day, or a more engaging experience than a night on the town with friends or family.
There’s truly something here for everyone and every mood, for Sacramento is a shifting entity itself, with four distinct but relatively mild seasons, diverse neighborhoods and people, a ripening food and restaurant scene, year-round events and outdoor fun, and daytime and night-time adventures. Its magic is a blend of history and tradition, vision and reinvention. And there’s so much pleasure to be had here – with family and friends, food and wine, adventures and experiences – that they’re likely to create the kind of fond memories that might seem so familiar… but aren’t quite like any other.
