Let's mix some hot licks and cool blues with haute cuisine and fine wines. Then add a golf tournament and spread out the party over four days.
That's the scenario for the 26th annual B.R. Cohn Charity Events Fall Music Festival, Charity Auction Dinner and Celebrity Golf Classic. It'll be happening Oct. 5-8 in Glen Ellen in the Sonoma Valley. Tickets will go on sale Friday.
Here's a brief rundown:
Grass Valley's Don Dickey, a legend in California sports car racing, will talk about the early days of his sport during a special seminar this weekend at the former Infineon Raceway in Sonoma.
Set for 10 a.m. Saturday in the track's Drivers' Lounge, the free seminar is open to fans attending the Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival.
Dickey will be part of a panel discussing "Moments in Time: A Celebration of the History of Motorsports," the theme for the race weekend. Also on the panel will be grand marshal Bill Pollack, winner of the main event at the 1952 Golden Gate Park Road Races in San Francisco. Other participants include pioneer drivers Mick Marston, Dick Guldstrand and Peter Giddings.
During the 1950s, Dickey made his reputation at West Coast races and hill climbs, including events at Golden Gate Park, Pebble Beach, Reno, Laguna Seca, Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, Arcata, Cobb Mountain and Sacramento. He competed in an Allard J2X, Jaguar XK120, Porsche Speedster and Porsche Carrera GT.
During the two-day festival, 15 groups of historic cars will compete on Sonoma's 12-turn, 2.52-mile road course. The paddock will be open to spectators, so fans can admire the cars close up.
In addition to the racing, patrons can take taste food and wine from Sonoma and Napa counties at the track's Wine County Pavilion.
Tickets are $40 per day or a weekend pass for $60. Youth, ages 13 to 20, will be admitted for $20 per day or $30 for the weekend. Children age 12 and under admitted free.
For more details on the racing, click on www.sonomahistoric.com. For tickets, call (800) 870-7223 or visit www.infineonraceway.com/historics.
In the realm of choral ensembles there are few that have the musical stature of the San Francisco-based Chanticleer. In the three decades that it has been performing, this all male ensemble has left a stream of excellent music-making in its wake.
Fortunately, that group has always stayed faithful to its plan on including Sacramento into its Bay Area touring paradigm, and the 2012-13 season is no exception.
This year the group celebrates its 35th anniversary season. In Sacramento, that season begins at St. Francis of Assisi church on Sept. 23, with The Siren's Call.
Photograph: Garry Moore
If you're an angler, you're likely having feelings of some sort - maybe envy? - from looking at the photograph at left.
That's longtime sportsman Tom Waters of Tahoe City with a 13-pound, 15-ounce mackinaw trout he pulled out of Lake Tahoe. The catch made him the grand prize winner in last year's Jake's On the Lake Charity Fishing Derby.
If you think you can fish, here's a chance to prove it and possibly win some cash (and braggin' rights) and help a good cause at the same time. The 19th annual derby is this Sunday, with competitive fishing starting an hour before sunrise and ending promptly at noon.
Prizes are substantial: $1,000 to the angler with the biggest mackinaw trout (known as the "great white shark" of Lake Tahoe); $500 for the biggest brown trout; and $250 for the largest rainbow trout. The weigh-in always attracts a crowd on the lawn and deck at Jake's, a lakefront restaurant on the North Shore well-known for its deck dining.
The $50 derby entry fee includes a T-shirt, buffet brunch and raffle. If you're not a contestant, the brunch is $18 for adults, $12 for ages 12 and younger. The derby benefits community charities through the Tahoe City Rotary Club Foundation.
For registration, rules and regulations, tickets and more information: (530) 583-0188 or www.jakestahoe.com. Or show up in person by 5 p.m. Saturday in Tahoe City, at either Jake's (in the Boatworks Mall, 780 N. Lake Tahoe Blvd.) or Pete 'n' Peter's tavern (395 N. Lake Blvd.).
Boat inspection and boat ramp information is at www.tahoeboatinspections.com. The Lake Forest boat launch ramp in Tahoe City (at the Coast Guard Station) will open at 4 a.m. Sunday.
To honor the 22 World War II veterans living at Pioneer House, a senior living community in downtown Sacramento, administrators there have scheduled a flag-raising ceremony on Memorial Day.
Assemblyman Roger Dickinson is scheduled to speak at the ceremony, which will also feature Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8358 and Boy Scout Troop 259.
The event begins at 11:30 a.m. May 28 at Pioneer House, 415 P St. in Sacramento. For more information, call (916) 442-4906.
Business will be blooming this evening at Sacramento's newest public rose garden.
From 5:30 to 7 p.m., the Natomas Rose Garden will host members of the Natomas Chamber of Commerce at a business mixer. Besides an opportunity for networking, the setting will try to sell itself with hundreds of roses in full bloom.
Located at 2921 Truxel Road, the garden is adjacent to the South Natomas Library and Community Center and was designed to host outdoor events, such as weddings, parties and community get-togethers.
Staffed by all volunteers, the Natomas Rose Garden debuted in May 2008 with sections dedicated to veterans and historical roses. The garden features more than 500 bushes.
For rental information, call (916) 808-1571 or click on www.natomasrosegarden.org.
I remember the first time I heard Glen Campbell.
It was my parents spinning vinyl of a recording of Campbell singing "Wichita Lineman."
I felt goose pimples all over my body. I was a little more than a toddler, but even back then I knew I was listening to something special.
Here's a great opportunity for fans of Livestrong and those who want to make a difference in the many ongoing efforts related to cancer.
Anyone with a bike and some basic fitness can enjoy this event, which begins in Davis on June 24. There's still time to get your bikes tuned and get in some good training miles. You'll be able to choose the distance and difficulty that suits you.
Here's the press release we received from Livestrong, including information about how to register:
Davis High School senior and flutist Margaux Filet will appear on the next broadcast of the national NPR show "From The Top."
Filet will perform Cantabille by George Enesco on the show which was taped at the Crane Auditorium at SUNY Potsdam in upstate New York.
The show airs on NPR June 3rd at 3:00 p.m. on Capital Public Radio, KXPR, 88.9 FM.
See a mid-century modern gem during a special home tour, hosted by Sacramento Modern.
On June 2, the Roush residence - one of Sacramento's most original and unusual homes - will be open to the public. Built in 1954 in Arden Oaks, the house was designed by Terry Waters, who studied and worked with Frank Lloyd Wright, John Launter and Walter S. White.
Robert Roush, the home's original owner, founded Roush Bakery Products, best known for its Hillbilly bread.
Tickets for the home tour are $45 and must be ordered in advance. Deadline is May 31. To keep the tour from overwhelming the home, tickets will be assigned in time blocks from 1 to 5 p.m. To order, click on http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/244435
Half the proceeds will go towards an upcoming California Museum exhibit showcasing the work of Sacramento native Ray Eames, among the most influential modernists.
Led by local architects and designers, the SacMod home tour includes appetizers and beverages, music, a commemorative booklet, vintage displays and photographs of the home. A restored 1956 Nash Ambassador Custom will be parked in the carport.
For more on SacMod and the home tour, visit http://sacmcmhometour.blogspot.com/.
A highlight of the Chamber Music Society of Sacramento's season happens June 3 when the country's top hornist - Philip Myers - performs with the chamber group for its final concert of the season.
Myers (pictured, right) is currently principal horn with the New York Philharmonic.
In Sacramento he will join the chamber group in a performance that includes Berkeley's Trio for Horn, Violin & Piano, Wettham's Trio for Horn, Violin & Piano and the West Coast premiere of Vaughan Williams' not-oft performed Quintet for Horn, Clarinet, by Vaughan Williams.
The Sacramento County Fair often gets overshadowed by that other Cal Expo fair, the one for the whole state. But the county fair, running Thursday-May 28, offers plenty of enticements beyond livestock and carnival rides.
Thursday afternoon and evening, local bands Hot Tar Roofers, The Generals, Walking Spanish and Dog Party will play on the community stage as part of the fair's Community Night.
There also will be a classic car show and food trucks including Drewski's and Wicked 'Wich.
That's more entertainment than you can shake a stick at, or lead a pig with, and all for just $5 for adults. Children 12 and younger are free.
Parking, however, is $10 at Cal Expo. So pile into a van, band style, or find another way to get to Cal Expo, 1600 Exposition Blvd., Sacramento.
For information, see the county fair's website.
The onset of summer weather means it's art auction season at the Crocker Art Museum
The auction season kicks off May 24 with "Big Names, Small Art," a silent auction event where the public will be able to bid on smaller format works (12 x 12 in. or less) by noted regional artists.
Bids will start at $25.
Celebrate spring in Sonoma and a quarter century of garden building June 2 at Quarryhill Botanical Garden.
Located in Glen Ellen, the famous Asian-themed garden marks its silver anniversary with a "Spring Celebration" luncheon.
Warren Roberts, superintendent emeritus of the UC Davis' arboretum, will serve as keynote speaker, sharing his favorite adventures as a plantsman.
Overlooking vineyards and built on the site of old rock quarries in the Mayacamas foothills, Quarryhill is home to one of the largest American collections of wild-sourced Asian plants, including hundreds of oaks, maples, magnolias, dogwoods, lilies and roses.
From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the celebration includes bento box lunch, silent auction and plant sale. Visitors also will get a chance to take docent-led tours of the 20-acre garden in full bloom.
Tickets for the celebration are $45 for Quarryhill members, $55 for non-members. Reservations are required.
Also in honor of its 25 years, Quarryhill offers free admission on the 25th of each month, including free self-guided tours. May's free admission day is Friday.
Quarryhill Botanical Garden is located at 12841 Sonoma Highway, Glen Ellen. For tickets and other details, call (707) 996-3166 or visit www.quarryhillbg.org.
The Camerata California is teaming up with the Camellia Symphony for "A Day of Rememberance" a Memorial Day-themed concert offering two West Coast premieres.
Under the baton of Les Lehr, the Camellia and Camerata musicians will perform the West Coast premieres of Lee Hoiby's "Last Letter Home" and Lewis Songer's "Elegy".
Also to be performed is Haydn's Third Mass and Jonathan Wilcock's "A Great and Glorious Victory".
The California Historical Society has released a free e-book for iPads on San Francisco's Golden State Bridge, which celebrates its 75th anniversay this weekend.
The multi-media book, titled "A Wild Flight of the Imagination: The Story of the Golden Gate Bridge," features morethan 350 historical photographs, artwork, memorabilia and stories.
You can download the document from the California Historical Society's website or get it free as an app from the iTunes store.
Greg Bomhoff, the Granite Bay ultramarathoner who in the past has completed the Badwater Ultra in Death Valley to raise funds for his children's school, will embark on a 24-hour run on Thursday to benefit the Loomis School District.
This will be the second time Bomhoff has run for 24 hours at Franklin School. He ran 128.75 miles in a 24-hour period in 2010. This time, there will be considerably more hoopla. Bomhoff will run to all seven Loomis schools, where there will be assemblies featuring him, during his jaunt. Gordon Medd, the Loomis school superintendent, will accompany Bomhoff to the seven schools. There also will be a 24-hour relay in tandem with his attempt, as well as two communtiy fun runs.
Most activities, including the 6 a.m. Thursday start, will occur at Franklin Elementary in Loomis at 7050 Franklin School Road (off Laird Road).
For more information about the charity run, or to sign up for a 5K, click here.
Bee Staff
Nationally syndicated cartoonist Leigh Rubin is bringing his cartoon menagerie to The Sacramento Bee on Wednesday, May 23, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
Rubin, the creator of Rubes (left), is always entertaining - if you like a twisted take on the world, that is. His comic panel, which runs Monday-Saturday, has been a staple of The Bee's comic pages since 2004.
At the event, Rubin will share his humor, talk about drawing a daily cartoon panel and take questions from the audience. He also will sign books, T-shirts and copies of his comics from that day's paper. He also will have his latest books, magnets and other funny stuff available for purchase.
To sign up, go to BeeBuzzPoints. Seating is limited so make sure to print and bring your tickets the night of the event.
Parking is free and located on the corner of 21st and Q streets. The entrance is on Q Street.
Take the family to the farm in the city Sunday during Soil Born Farms' annual "A Day on the Farm."
With something for every member of the family, this kid-friendly event features cooking classes, workshops, nature walks, local arts and crafts, children's activities, music, food, native plant sale, farm stand and more.
Among the workshop topics are raising chickens and beekeeping.
Soil Born Farms' American River Ranch is located at 2140 Chase Drive, Rancho Cordova. The fun starts at 10 a.m. and runs through 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5.
For more details, click on www.soilborn.org or call (916) 363-9685.
Hikers in Northern California certainly know the dangers of rattlesnakes.
But what about their dogs?
The Hangtown Kennel Club in Placerville will hold a rattlesnake awareness clinic for canines on June 23-24. The clinic will teach dogs how to recognize the sound and smell of rattlesnakes to avoid unsavory encounters and potentially fatal bites.
Cost for the clinic is $70, and preregistration is required.
For more information, click here.
Interested in having a more sustainable backyard, but don't know where to start? Here's your chance to get free expert advice.
Saturday is Ask a Green Gardener Day, a local event that invites area residents to learn how to have a water-efficient, pesticide-free yard - and a beautiful flower-filled garden, too. Experts also will have advice for organic vegetable gardening for both beginners and longtime gardeners.
Seven local nurseries will take part:
- Big Oak Nursery, 10071 Grant Line Road, Elk Grove. Hours: 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
- Bushnell Gardens Nursery, 5420 Douglas Blvd., Granite Bay. Hours: 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
- Fair Oaks Boulevard Nursery, 4681 Fair Oaks Blvd., Sacramento. Hours: 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
- Front Yard Nursery, 5801 Mother Lode Drive, Placerville. Hours: 10 a.m.-noon.
- The Flower Farm, 4150 Auburn Folsom Road, Loomis. Hours: 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
- Green Acres Nursery & Supply, 901 Galleria Blvd., Roseville; 8501 Jackson Road, Sacramento; and 205 Serpa Way, Folsom. Hours: 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
- UC Davis Arboretum teaching nursery, 920 Garrod Drive, Davis. Hours: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
In addition, the UC Davis Arboretum will be hosting its season-end clearance sale at the nursery with sizzling deals on summer bloomers during those same hours.
For more information on Ask a Green Gardener Day or other water-saving tips, click on www.BeWaterSmart.info.
As part of AARP's national initiative on the future of Medicare and Social Security, AARP is bringing the debate to Sacramento, in a free community event called "You've Earned a Say."
The 90-minute conversation, hosted by California AARP president David Pacheco, begins at 6:30 p.m. on May 24 at the Dante Club, 2330 Fair Oaks Blvd. in Sacramento. Doors open at 6 p.m., and food will be available.
More than 210,000 Social Security recipients and 190,000 residents who depend on Medicare live in Sacramento County. AARP surveys indicate that almost all Americans think that Social Security and Medicare are vital to their health and financial wellbeing during their retirement years.
The Sacramento event is open to people 50 and older. To RSVP, call (866) 448-3614 and ask for "You've Earned a Say" events in California.
With the travel season looming many Californians will be headed to the Sierras.
And they will be deeply interested in a new resource available in that pursuit.
It's called the Sierra Nevada Geotourism MapGuide. The guide - which can be accessed online at www.SierraNevadaGeoTourism.org is a partnership between National Geographic, the Sierra Business Council and the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, along with hundreds of local residents.
Registration is now open for the annual summer bicycle jaunt, the Rex Ride, along the American River Parkway on Sunday, June 10.
The ride, sponsored by Rex Cycles, a bicyclemaker in Sacramento, supports the American River Parkway Foundation. It's a 60-mile noncompetitive ride that begins at William Pond Recreation Area, goes to Discovery Park, then all the way to Beal's Point in Folsom, before heading back to William Pond. There will beaid stations at William Pond, Discovery Park and Beal's Point.
And, of course, riders do not have to complete all 60 miles to enjoy the post-ride barbecue at the starting point.
Cost is $75, which includes a T-shirt, and registration concludes June 1. To register to get more informatiion, click here.
Comic-book style geekiness reaches an apex this summer with the releases of "The Avengers," "The Amazing Spider-Man" and "The Dark Knight Rises." .
But if those movies are too mainstream for you, there's Sac Con, happening June 3 at the Scottish Rite Center, at 6151 H St., across from Sacramento State.
The one-day comics convention will feature a 4:30 panel discussion on what it means to be a geek, specificially a Sacramento geek.
The panel discussion will kick off a summer of geeky inquiry and celebration by the Sac Geeks website and Meetup group.
The panel talk will help introduce a Sac Geeks project that puts images of geek-friendly local businesses and celebrities on a deck of 54 collectible playing cards.
"One of the queens will be Kiki from Warp 11," Sac Geeks' Stephanie Rector said.
For you non-geeks, Warp 11 is Sacramento's own saucy, Star Trek-themed rock band.
Ever wonder what the origin of American "classical" music is?
Sure, major influences came from Europe. But a lot came from elsewhere - and that music is the focus of the VITA Academy's upcoming concert May 26.
Much of its identity begins when Antonin Dvorak was brought to America in the 1890's to head the National Conservatory in New York. It was there that he trained a generation of composers to develop a truly "American" voice in classical composition.
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"How to Train Your Dragon," from 2010, is one of the best animated movies in recent years. Now DreamWorks, the studio behind that movie, has transformed the story of a boy and his dragon into an arena show.
The elaborate show, featuring animatronic creatures a la "Walking With Dinosaurs," will reach Sacramento's Power Balance Pavilion Jan. 2-6, 2013. Tickets are not yet on sale, but the clip above, from a recent "Today" show, offers a nice preview.
Further information on the arena show is available at the production's website.
The notion of spending a bucolic day on a 200-acre walnut farm an hour's drive from Sacramento brings to mind the "unofficial anthem" of the Woodstock Music Festival of 1969. Sure, there's a connection.
"Goin' Up the Country" by Canned Heat became an international hit after Woodstock, with lyrics that include, "I'm gonna leave this city, got to get away.../Well, I'm going where the water tastes like wine.../ I'm goin' to some place where I've never been before."
Which sounds a lot like going to Back to the Farm - yes, in the country - where you'll find live entertainment, smokin' barbecue, a farmers market, pie-eating contest, games of horseshoes and a good ol' fashioned milk bottle toss. Plus: tractor and farm equipment exhibits and demonstrations.
You'll take Highway 99 north toward Yuba City, then scenic Highway 20 west to Meridian, finding Farmlan Road when you arrive.
The good times will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 2. Admission will be $5 "per wheel," so you'll pay $20 if you arrive by car, $10 if by motorcycle. Information: (916) 355-4056, www.benalishrine.org. Back to the Farm will benefit Ben Ali Shriners.
Motocross racing and medicine intersect Thursday when elite riders from the Hangtown Motocross Classic host about 70 young patients from UC Davis Children's Hospital for a special behind-the-scenes look at their sport.
"This is something the series has talked about for some time," said Hangtown spokesman David Plag. "About three or four of our young riders actually have been patients at that hospital, so they're very committed to trying to give back."
Located on Stockton Boulevard in Sacramento, UC Davis Children's Hospital will have extra staff on hand this weekend to handle any emergencies for young riders participating in Hangtown, Plag said.
As many as 150 cyclists will gather tomorrow at 7 a.m. at Folsom Lake to embark on a four-day ride to raise money and awareness.
The annual NorCal AIDS Cycle will cover 330 miles through the Sierra foothills and Central Valley. Each participant has raised at least $1,500 for AIDS education and research. Among the participants will be Sacramento City Councilman Jay Schenirer, who will present a proclamation from the city before tomorrow's start.
For more information on the fund-raising effort and the route of the course, click here.
