Seeing Sacramento & Beyond » Great Outdoors

Yolo County Fair: Fun, Folks & Fine Bounty

melanie noel light — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 23:30:52 +0000

What’s So Great About CA Produce?

melanie noel light — Tue, 24 May 2011 17:39:54 +0000

Juicy!

Where do I begin?

Season Debuts:
Earlicots – The first apricots to arrive, tart
Aprium – Rich in flavor
Poppy Cot – Apricots with a blush
White and Yellow Peaches and Nectarines – Try the yellow Queen Crest and the white Snow Angel
Golden Rainiers Cherris – Have the pinkest glow
Blueberries from the Delta – Antioxidant-rich

Fresh Vegetables – Onions, garlic, broccoli, summer squash, pickling cucumbers, bok choy, swiss chard
Root vegetables – Beets, carrots, and radishes

Insider Tip: Fresh green – yes, green! – garbanzo beans can soon be found at the farmers’ markets in their fuzzy pillowlike pods, and some farmers pull the entire bushy plant from the roots. This means fresh garbanzos are here for a limited time. Not only are they rich in minerals and folate, but just one ounce provides 5 grams of both protein and fiber.

Many vegetables are able to grow year round in California because of its varied climates. However, some crops are phased out in order to make room for new ones. Different types of lettuce and greens are replanted often, so let the growers know which ones you like best.

For recipes, market locations, dates and times, and more visit www.ca-grown.com!

Sip, Stroll & Rock ‘n Roll

melanie noel light — Fri, 13 May 2011 15:55:50 +0000

Whether you’re just visiting Sacramento or are a long-time resident, acting like a tourist has its benefits. For one, you learn more, meet interesting people and experience new things. (Wait, that’s three, isn’t it?). Two, you can return to that fresh, innocent state of curiosity and openness. And three, you’ll find you have a lot more options when looking for things to do on, say, a lovely Friday night.

It really seems that every time I refresh my inbox or turn a literal corner, there’s something new in the area to experience. Most recently, we have the Rock & Roll History Tour and Pub Crawl on Friday nights. Running in conjunction with the Friday Night Concerts in the Park, the tour starts at the corner of 9th and J streets at 6pm. Guests learn about Sacramento’s Rock & Roll history and Downtown’s historical connection to The Beach Boys, Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead, Nirvana and more. Cocktail stops include The Torch Club, Tequila Museo Mayahuel, Cosmo Café and Marilyn’s on K, ending at Cesar Chavez Plaza just in time for the headlining act. Tickets are $10 and the tour lasts approximately two hours.

Brought to you by Downtown Sacramento Partnership, more details can be found at http://sacrockandrolltour.eventbrite.com/.

May Madness: So Much to See & Do in Sac & Beyond!

melanie noel light — Mon, 02 May 2011 16:12:24 +0000

If April showers bring May flowers, then what do May flowers bring?
FUN, of course~

OUTDOOR CONCERTS
Announcing the kick-off the 20th season of Friday Night Concerts in the Park.
May 6th and every Friday night, 5-9PM, through August 12.
Cesar Chavez Park, Downtown
www.SacFridayConcerts.com

ART & WINE AFFAIR
20 area wineries, artists, vendors, live entertainment.
Saturday & Sunday, May 7 & 8, 11-4PM
El Dorado Hills
916-802-6924, www.eldoradohillsartaffaire.com

PIXAR COLLECTION
Disney Fine Art by Collectors Editions presents the Pixar Collection worldwide debut — One Day Only!
Sunday, May 15, 11AM to 4PM
California State Railroad Museum, Old Sacramento State Historic Park
916-445-6645, www.csrmf.org

NATURE TOURS
Delta Eco-Tours – Take a short or long nature and cultural history tour of California’s best and most breathtaking locations along the Sacramento Delta.
Saturday, May 21, 2-hour History & Riparian Cruise
Saturday, May 28, 4-1/2 hour Tule Wilderness Adventure
Delta Ecotours/Hartland Nursery
13737 Grand Island Road (P.O. Box 439), Walnut Grove, CA 95690
(916) 775-4545, www.DeltaEcoTours.com

HISTORY TOURS
Gold Rush Legacy Tours and Old Sacramento Architectural Tours begin in May and go all summer long.
Saturdays & Sundays at 11AM
916-808-7059, www.historicoldsac.org

And for more ongoing, engaging and special events check out www.Sacramento365.com!

Freeport Festa: You are Cordially Invited

melanie noel light — Tue, 25 May 2010 17:27:25 +0000

Mary, Monica & Justina Invite you to Festa

Craving a particularly easy and fun-loving event? Do as the Portuguese do (and some not-so-Portuguese) and attend the annual Freeport Festa this holiday weekend. Food, drinks, dancing and general frolicking beneath large shade-providing old river trees makes for an inviting and pleasant spring-day escape. And with a 75-degree-day expected, there’s no excuse not to dip your toe into a new experience. Since the Festa is open to everyone, ‘the more the merrier!’

Festa Dinner
Saturday, May 29
Tri-Tip, Beans, Bread, Salad, Dessert
$15 per person
Music

Festa
Sunday, May 30
Parade starts at 10am
Mass at 11:30am
Auction at 1:30 (Donations are welcome)

Freeport-Clarksburg
Portuguese Hall
54113 South River Road
[North of Clarksburg in Yolo County - 2 ½ miles north of Freeport Bridge]

For more information, contact Monica Souza at (916) 925-8661.

Scotts, Celts, Kilts, Cold Beer!

melanie noel light — Tue, 04 May 2010 19:57:09 +0000

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.

www.saccallie.org, (916) 557-0764.

The Secret Life of Birds

melanie noel light — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:41:27 +0000

Yolo Basin Trails - Davis, Yolo County, CA

California Duck Days, a wetlands festival in the heart of the Pacific Flyway, will be held on February 19th and 20th. A FREE gala reception and Wildlife Art Show will launch the festivities on Friday evening February 19th at the Davis Arts Center, from 5:30 to 7:30pm.

On Saturday February 20th the festival will feature one full day of field trips, workshops and other activities at the Yolo Wildlife Area Headquarters facility in South Davis. Field Trips include rice farming first-hand, central valley raptors and birding by bicycle. Workshops include duck calling, decoy painting and bat class.

•Workshops and onsite activities only: $20
•Workshops/onsite plus 1 field trip: $23
•Workshops/onsite plus 2 field trips: $25
[Children 16 and under are free when accompanied by an adult]

www.yolobasin.org

Cool Surprise Awaits in Midtown

melanie noel light — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 23:04:19 +0000

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
www.exploremidtown.org

Oh, Mighty Marsh Land

melanie noel light — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:08:36 +0000

Yolo Basin Foundation

The irony may be that hunters are allowed on the land; land which was designated to protect animals. The irony may be that traps are set to protect the little creatures. The irony may be that the land was restored by man to be what it once was before man altered it. The irony may be that Beavers clog the waterways, and people return the next day to unclog them, repeating this behavior like the movie ‘Groundhog Day’.

The irony may seem glaring out here in the Yolo Basin… And yet, it’s just the tip of the iceberg. What at first seems ironic or contradictory may only be partial truths simply submerged.

What’s really going on at the Yolo Basin Foundation, between Sacramento, Davis, Woodland and Winters is really not irony, but exquisite cooperation amongst seemingly-opposite agendas.

When people learn to work together – and bust through the barriers that had seemed indestructible – miracles of compassion and understanding happen. The brilliance and dedication behind the preservation of these wetlands should be inspiration for us all. Believe in a better world until you are living in that better world, and then keep believing, because others will begin to follow.

The Yolo Basin may not look like a miraculous feat to the untrained eye, but looks – as well as our pre-conceived notions – can be deceiving. Just ask the millions of birds that fly overhead each year and stop in for food, shelter and rest. Ask the volunteers who dedicate their days. Ask Bill Clinton. Or just stop into the Yolo Basin Wildlife Refuge for a visit yourself. One conversation with an impassioned tour guide and you’ll begin to see the light.

This is the way to ensure a better future for our children.