Whether they’re performing private events or in front of a thousand people in a packed theater, the Golden Follies are here to remind you that age is just a number. They’re a Bay Area-based dance troupe where the average performer’s age is in the mid-70s, but that hasn’t stopped them from entertaining thousands over the past 15 years. They do Vegas-style shows that feature flashy costumes, tap dance routines, Broadway songs, and plenty more.
“It’s really inspiring for the audiences. We try to use a variety of music and a variety of dance styles,” said Diane Stawicki, co-founder of Golden Follies. “We incorporate a lot of different ideas when we do it so it’s a variety.”
The Golden Follies were founded by Stawicki and Susan Bostwick, two veteran performers who have been on stage alongside the likes of Sammy Davis Jr., Dolly Parton, and Robert Goulet, to name a few. Stawicki and Bostwick are also dance instructors, and transitioned into the dance troupe circuit after realizing that a lot of their senior-citizen students had what it took to perform on the big stage. If you go to a show, expect to see a lot of color, music, and people having a good time, Stawicki said.
“You’re going to see this collection of men and women, yet you’re not going to believe it,” she said. “They’re viable, attractive and smart. They absolutely go against the idea that at 60 you’re just stuck in a rocking chair.”
Currently, the Golden Follies are made up of “three gentlemen and about 25 ladies,” Bostwick said, and many of their performers have stuck around for the long haul. They rehearse once a week in Dublin, and perform all over Northern California. Most recently, they just wrapped up a show at Antioch’s El Campanil Theatre in July, a beautiful venue that the Follies have appeared in several times over the years. Bostwick and Stawicki make sure to pick a diverse range of songs and dance routines for each of their shows. Sometimes, simply by doing a show, they attract new talent to their troupe.
“We get a lot of calls from people who have been to performances, or heard about us through word of mouth,” Stawicki said. “We always are very welcoming and we’re always looking for new talent to join our cast.”
Golden Follies’ shows are well-coordinated, and if you look at the amount of rehearsing they do, you’ll know why. Now that their Antioch show is behind them, they have currently started rehearsing their holiday themed show… which will be debuting 4-5 months from now, in December. It might take months to fine-tune each show, but the Follies performers are dedicated, Bostwick said.
“They are really committed,” Stawicki said. “We have a woman who drives down every week from Granite Bay, and members from Pacific, Antioch, Oakley, Bethel Island, Hayward, Castro Valley—they’re all over the place.”
As they get ready for their December shows, they’ll also be occupied with a series of local private events. Bostwick and Stawicki plan, choreograph, costume design, and organize promotion for every performance. We asked them if the stress ever piles on…
“Well, we don’t have gray hair for nothing,” Stawicki joked.
“Very funny—we don’t have gray hair,” Bostwick shot back, with a laugh.
The Golden Follies’ name is somewhat reminiscent of the hit series The Golden Girls, and anyone who’s interested in becoming a performer better be aged 55 and up. Right now, the group has a healthy mix of men and women in their 60s, 70s, 80s, and even 90s. They’re mostly all retired. The oldest performer in Golden Follies’ history is still with the troupe at age 92, and Stawicki and Bostwick say she doesn’t miss a beat. “She has all her mental faculties, she moves quite well,” Stawicki said. “Everyone tells her, ‘Keep doing what you’re doing,’ because whatever it is, it’s making it happen for her.”
Though Stawicki and Bostwick are teachers, part of the benefit of having a troupe made up of seniors is that the instructing can go both ways. Most of their performers come from a different background than Stawicki and Bostwick, and they have a lot to learn from each other.
“We love it, that’s what keeps us in it. We have learned so much from working with these seniors that you wouldn’t normally learn, because they’ve lived,” Stawicki said.
Bostwick agreed, and said that part of the fun in keeping the Golden Follies going is to learn each performer’s personal story. Unlike Bostwick and Stawicki, who are veterans of the performing arts, many of the Golden Follies only took up their craft after finishing long careers in other fields.
“We’ve got women who were teachers, some who’ve been in the corporate world, they’ve all come from incredible walks of life. Most are mothers and grandmothers,” Bostwick said. “They just have a wealth of wisdom. They’ve lived life and they’re continuing to do so. It’s awesome.”
Because a majority of performers have retired, it gives them enough time to dedicate a large chunk of their lives toward making the Golden Follies happen. Outside of their performances, the Golden Follies don’t hold many fundraisers, and rely on ticket sales to keep the show going on. When shows can take five months or more to put together, it means everyone involved has to be passionate about what they do.
“They have chosen this to be a real, major part of their lives. They’re committed. We couldn’t do it without them, and we laugh because they couldn’t do it without us. We’re a package,” Bostwick said. “Most of this cast has been with us for at least 10 years.”
The Golden Follies’ website boasts shows at the Firehouse Theatre in Pleasanton, Chabot Auditorium in Hayward, and the American Legion Hall in Antioch, with crowds ranging from 200-1,200. Many of their audiences have a core group of senior citizens, Bostwick and Stawicki said, and it’s common for audience members to be inspired by what they see.
“We’re always open to having people call us and say they want to be a part of it,” Bostwick said. “Some people who join us have a background in dance, some have no background, but they have something about them. You have to have some sort of showmanship, and we do help you with that, but you have to be able to move your feet. Maybe they were funny, or maybe they knew how to be a showgirl.” Stawicki added, “We can recognize pretty much right off if they’re going to be able to fit into the cast.”
Anyone who’s interested in learning more about the Golden Follies can call (925) 803-9020, or email Diane Stawicki and Susan Bostwick at goldenfollies@yahoo.com. You can also visit www.thegoldenfollies.com for more information about upcoming performances.
Nate Gartrell grew up in Benicia, studied journalism in college, and has written for a handful of media outlets since age 15. He aspires to visit all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums and to hit the trifecta at the horse track.
Getting personal with one of Vallejo’s greatest assets
What makes Vallejo great? Common testimonials include our beautiful waterfront, historic Mare Island, the thrills of Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, any one of three colleges within our city limits, and of course all the fun local happenings! But when it comes right down to it, it’s the people that make this city great. Out of over 100,000 individuals in this bustling community, we’d like to highlight one very special person who has dedicated his life to making Vallejo a better place.
For those who don’t know, Rich Curtola is the current President and CEO of the Vallejo Chamber of Commerce. He began working for them as Director of Sales and Membership over six years ago, and has been at his current position for the past four years. Before that he worked for St. Patrick-St. Vincent High School as their Director of Development for 20 years. He was also the owner of Swensen’s in Vallejo for nine years. If you name a board in town he’s probably sat on it. If you name a person in town he’s probably influenced them, whether they know it or not.\
He was born and raised in Vallejo and spent his career here. Today, Curtola has become one of Vallejo’s greatest advocates. Whenever he hears anybody say anything negative about his beloved hometown, he’ll call them on it immediately. If you don’t like a particular street because of road conditions, or something specific like that, he’ll let you slide. But any general put downs will not be tolerated. “If I’m having a cocktail with somebody, lunch, chatting on the phone, and they say something disparaging about my town, one of those blanket statements, I call them on it right off the bat,” he said. “I try to do that on a regular basis.”
No matter where you live in any city in the world, there’s going to be problems. For some reason, despite all the hugely positive attributes Vallejo has to offer, negativity is what many choose to focus on. Curtola has been actively doing his part to change that. “I hope that if anything I’ve at least participated in that effort to stop the name calling,” he said. “To hold people accountable for what they say about this community.” By now you might be wondering, what does he tell the naysayers to make them think otherwise? His response:
“The reality,” he said. “We’re a community of 130 or so thousand people. I try to remind them of that.” Many longtime residents may remember Vallejo being deemed the most diverse city in America; if you Google it you’ll find plenty of articles. Curtola sees that diversity on a deeper level. “I do recognize that our community is extremely diverse, and I think that’s wonderful,” he said. “I think that’s an asset to our community.” As far as most diverse city in America … “When we make a statement like that, most people are immediately thinking of the color wheel. We are the most diverse by race. I say that crosses boundaries of race and socio-economic status: We have some people that are very poor and we have some people that are very wealthy, and in that bell curve is the spice of life.”
So imagine the Vallejo community as a bell curve, some people at the top, some people at the bottom, and everything in between. “In the national change of things there is a bell curve, and Vallejo has a wonderful one,” said Curtola. “We are a community of diverse people racially, socioeconomically—in all aspects—and that is the strength of the community if we own it. That’s the tough part. We gotta own it, and we’ve got to build on it.” And that’s how you help make a community great. Embracing it’s strengths and envisioning it’s future through that lens of positivity.
Community service runs in Curtola’s family. You may certainly recognize his name from driving on Curtola Pkwy, named after his brother who was mayor of Vallejo from the 70s into the 80s who believed that a roadway connecting 780 to downtown was critical. His father also served as a city council member and vice mayor in the 50s, and Curtola himself served on the Vallejo Chamber of Commerce board back in the late 70s and early 80s. While yes, service to others is indeed in his blood, it wasn’t until he joined Vallejo Rotary 35 years ago when he truly saw the light. “Their motto is ‘Service Above Self’. When I read that it resonated with me,” he said. “I’ve always tried to live that. It’s not about me—it’s about service. If we all work to make the community better—it gets better!”
Curtola is very proud of his time with Vallejo Rotary, and served as president in the late 80s. And it’s thanks to Rotary that he found his calling as an auctioneer. It began as a joke, offering to be the auctioneer for a Rotary fundraiser, but Curtola was a natural and has been auctioneering ever since. “It’s similar to drinking tequila,” he said, trying to explain his experience auctioning on stage. “I would get so stressed, but whenever the event starts this switch clicks on and I am literally not in control.” Suffice it to say, Curtola can’t auction and drive. But as a service auctioneer he’s helped organizations like the Solano Association of Realtors and his alma mater St. Patrick-St. Vincent high school raise thousands upon thousands of dollars over the years.
Fun fact about St. Patrick-St. Vincent high school, Curtola would also act as announcer for their football games. “I don’t mind getting on a mic and chatting it up,” he said. And anyone who’s ever met him would probably respond, “Since when do you need a mic for that?” Anyway, it wasn’t long before Curtola was referred to as The Voice of Dante Magnani Field. What we’re getting at here is that if you’ve lived in Vallejo at any point in the last 40 years, chances are you’ve crossed paths by the man of the hour, er, article.
When he’s not advocating for Vallejo or volunteering yet again for another community event, Curtola and his wife Ronda like to spend time in their cabin in the mountains or cruising in their 30-foot pontoon boat topping speeds of 14 mph. “I have this group of friends and we’ve been houseboating on Shasta the same week every year for 42 years,” he said. That’s longer than most marriages last! Speaking of which, he and his wife are celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary this September.
Speaking of time … all good things must come to an end, right? Curtola has decided that it’s time to retire from the Vallejo Chamber of Commerce at the end of the year, and the community is seeing him off with a very appropriate roast, Comedy Central style, with the aptly named event Rich on a Spit, held at McCormack Hall at the Solano County Fairgrounds on Friday, October 7th. Cocktails at 6, dinner and program at 7. $80 per person, price including open bar, food and dessert by Gracie’s BBQ. To see the man up close and personal get your tickets now at www.vallejochamber.com or call (707) 644-5551.
Normally people would be terrified at getting roasted by one’s own peers, and subordinates, but Curtola’s been preparing for this his whole life. “In order to give it, you gotta be able to take it,” he explains. “I am notorious for giving it, so I have no problem taking it. There is nothing sacred when it comes to roasting me.” So we’d like to take this opportunity to announce to all participating roasters: No holds barred.
After a full career serving his local community, we asked him why; most people don’t get involved, so why does he think it’s so important? “You need to be involved because I think you owe it to your community,” he said. “Your experiences in the community formed who and what you are in your journey. I think you owe it to those that have provided you with those experiences.” He acknowledges the difficulty in doing so, as others may not always agree with you on your philosophy for change, no matter how passionate you are. “If we can just open doors in communication we can all work together and make the pace even better than it is, but we’ve got to use the ears more and the mouth less,” he laments. Either way, he reminds us, “The reality is it’s still the same thing—they’re just trying to make the community better.” So come see him off in October if you can, or lead by his example and get out of the house and into your local community!
Matt Larson is a writer/actor/comedian native to Vallejo who travels back and forth from Los Angeles way too much. He’s desperate for attention and urges you to follow him on all social medias@MarsLegstrong. He lives for likes, please keep him healthy.
The Land of Enchantment
By Chef K. Marie Paulk
This is a little different from my normal tale, and I am not turning into a travel writer. I wanted to share some thoughts from a recent trip, which is pertinent to FOOD. Each of you, I am sure, has a favorite getaway destination; a place you might call your … personal land of enchantment? My husband and I just took a 10-day trip to one of my favorite places: Santa Fe, New Mexico. Something about New Mexico has held a special place close to my heart. To me it feels magical, the big purple sky, the landscapes … no matter how many times I visit I never seem to tire of this town of about 70,000. Another good reason I love to visit is because it is definitely a foodie town. The best part of our days there was planning on where and what we would eat for dinner. There is always something new to try, but I never tire of the green enchiladas or green chili stew. In New Mexico, chile and chili are two very different foods. Chile refers to hot peppers, while chili refers to a hearty dish made with protein, peppers or chile powder. The third spelling is used by the British – chilli. The word chile/chili evolved from the Aztec word chil, which translates to “pepper.” The Spanish added the “e,” and we can thank Conquistador Don Juan de Onate for bringing the green pepper to Hatch, New Mexico. There is no better smell in the world to me than chiles roasting on a crisp fall day. Hatch is in southern New Mexico and should not be missed if you are in the area around Labor Day when they hold their annual Chile Festival. The red chile is grown north of Santa Fe in a tiny village of Chimayo. There is a huge difference in the makeup of the New Mexico red chile powder to the regular chile powder you find in the spice section of where you shop. If you are lucky enough to visit a market that carries New Mexico red chile that is the one you should choose.
While on the trip I wandered into the Santa Fe Museum. I am not going to provide a history lesson, but I did learn several interesting facts about the Harvey Girls and Georgia O’Keeffe. I know you might be wondering where I’m I going with this—I did not know anything the about the Harvey girls, but my curiosity was piqued when I saw a t-shirt that read, “Harvey Head.” Fred Harvey, who was in the hospitality business in 1880s, has a following, similar to the Dead Heads of the music group the Grateful Dead. His motto was “3,000 Miles of Hospitality.” He built the Montezuma Hotel outside Las Vegas, New Mexico in 1882. What he is really known for is building an empire that revolutionized the way people travel across the country. I’ve read that he thought his biggest challenge would be procuring high quality fresh foods in the middle of nowhere or dealing with outlaws. He was wrong; his problem was in finding good help. He started looking for waitresses back east, and with the help of his wife (who met with each new hire to make sure they could live up to the strict etiquette standards), he brought to life the “Harvey Girl.” There was even a movie made called the Harvey Girls starring Judy Garland, based on a novel of the same name. The women became such popular cultural icons that many of them married their customers. In an effort to keep them, Harvey paid them a good salary of $17.50 a month and required them to sign an employment contract that would cause them to forfeit a portion of their salary if they quit within a year. At the peak, the Fred Harvey Company operated 30 dining cars on the Santa Fe Railway. The standards were high, the food fresh and portions generous. A 50-cent breakfast included fruit, steak, eggs, hash browns and a stack of six pancakes. The most famous breakfast was the Fred Harvey French Toast, created for the railway in 1918 and also known as Pain Perdu, a French term for “lost bread.” I don’t know why I find this so interesting, but I think it must have been pretty glamourous and fun to be traveling by rail and eating wonderful food while enjoying the sights.
Another interesting tidbit I discovered was about the painter Georgia O’Keeffe. I love her work. Santa Fe has an entire museum devoted to her, which I have visited several times and strongly recommend. Miss O’Keeffe was quite a foodie herself and she was way ahead of the times. In 1940, when she settled in Abiquiu (about 80 miles out of Santa Fe), she created a sustainable residence. All but her proteins she grew organically and made everything herself. She also developed quite a following. Her home stands today as a National Historic Landmark. If you want to visit, make reservations as it is often sold out. Her kitchen and studio are the focal points of the home (like most). She is a true inspiration to me. Her painting, Jimson Weed, sold for $44.4 million in 2014. Reading and learning about all of her accomplishments both inspires me and makes me hungry for green chili enchiladas.
It’s that time of year again. Yes, the Vallejo Waterfront Weekend is back! Right on schedule for the first weekend in October.
Be prepared to see Vallejo showcased at it’s finest. You’ll find yourself thinking the community never looked so good. Featuring some of last year’s favorite attractions with some new surprises, the Vallejo Waterfront Weekend will attract thousands of visitors to the Vallejo waterfront this October 1st and 2nd.
Wanna win a car? At the Vallejo Waterfront Weekend you can! “One lucky winner will be driving home in a brand-new 2017 Chevy Cruze with a 24-month prepaid lease, donated by TEAM Superstores!”
It only takes $5 to enter the Lucky Ducky Derby, and there are only 5,000 duckies to purchase, so the odds of winning are like, 1 in 5,000! Plus, 2nd place gets $2,500 cash, 3rd place gets a VIP package for 4 at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, 4th place gets a $1,000 Victory Stores shopping spree … so that’s actually odds of like, 4 in 5,000! At least! Depending on how many duckies you have … pretty decent chances, indeed.
Of course the Whaleboat Regatta will be returning as a major facet of the weekend. Back in the day—‘70s and ‘80s—the Whaleboat Regatta had up to 150 teams competing with some major rivalries going on. It made a brief resurgence in 2004 and is now back for good in its 3rd consecutive year. So get your team together, and they’ll provide the boat! Or come spectate and start placing your bets. (Bets? … shh.)
Getting seasick? Then head over to the car show by Boyz Under the Hood (Saturday only). Judging categories include cars from 1931 and earlier, 1932-1940, 1941-1969, 1969 to present. You’ll also find truck, rat rod, low rider and special interest categories, so for the motoring enthusiast you’ll definitely want to take a look under these boyz’ hoods.
Our community comes together to make this event possible. And what better way to bond with your local community members than a Celebrity Dunk Tank? And this is an election year! (wink, wink) Other attractions include a Chili Cook-off (which is NOT to be missed!), art exhibits, a triathlon and 10k, kayak races, the Gus Vegas Memorial Lite the Nite Glo Run, food vendors galore … there is literally too much going on over the course of these two October days—hotel reservations are highly recommended!
And it’s free admission! So round up the family, call your friends, and experience Vallejo Waterfront Weekend 2016!
For more information please visit www.VallejoWaterfrontWeekend.com.
Matt Larson is a writer/actor/comedian native to Vallejo who travels back and forth from Los Angeles way too much. He’s desperate for attention and urges you to follow him on all social medias@MarsLegstrong. He lives for likes, please keep him healthy.
2016 marks the Soroptimist International of Vallejo’s 77th year of service to the community. They invite you to join them as they host “Hello, Hollywood, Hello!” at their 7th annual Winemakers Dinner, Saturday, September 10th. They will be featuring a six-course dinner, complemented by selections from the Wagner Family of Wine portfolio of Caymus, Conundrum, Mer Soleil and Emmolo. Jenny Wagner is the owner and winemaker for Emmolo Wines and will be the featured winemaker. The Wagner Family of Wine is currently located at Caymus Vineyards in the charming town of Rutherford but is expanding into Suisun Valley. Welcome to Solano County, Wagner Family!
“Hello, Hollywood, Hello!” celebrates Hollywood’s famous years of moviemaking, along with the actors and actresses who are renowned to this day. Vintage dress from the 30’s and 40’s is suggested but not required.
Dinner tickets are $100 per person of which $30 is a donation. They are laying out the red carpet at the entrance!
The goal of the Soroptimist International of Vallejo’s Winemakers Dinner is to continue to fund their programs and opportunities for women and girls to live their dream. Some of these include:
- Awarding scholarships for college-bound high school seniors
- Providing scholarships for middle school girls to attend Tech Trek Science Camp
- Presenting Live your Dream Awards for women seeking to make a better life for themselves and their
families
- Assisting girls graduating from foster care through New Beginnings by providing items for their new
lives beyond foster care
- Providing utility assistance through De Paul Women’s Resource Center
At the end of this fiscal year they will have donated over $40,000, which is 100% of their fundraising proceeds.
With your help as a sponsor they can touch many lives in so many ways. Call for more information on how you can participate!
Thank you so very much for your help in making our Winemakers Dinner a great success again this year!
Sharon Powers, Event Co-Chair 707.246.0803
Jackie Arnold, Event Co-Chair 707.631.1147
Pinky Santiago, Sponsorship Chair 707.649.1100
Soroptimist Club of Vallejo is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization Tax ID # 94-6107900. Any amount donated in excess of the fair market value of goods and services received is tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
Plan your weekend getaway around these two amazing September events
Our local happenings are often restricted to Solano, Napa and Contra Costa counties. However, we live in an amazing place that’s relatively close to some of the best attractions the world has to offer! Why not take advantage? If you’re looking to expand your happening horizons, we found two events in neighboring Nevada happening on the same September weekend! Did someone say mini vacay?
57th Annual International Camel & Ostrich Races
Traditions are often based on history. Such is not the case for the camel races in Virginia City, Nevada. Sure, camels had a brief Virginia City presence in the mining days of the late 1800s, but they didn’t get along too well with the horses, so, bye camels! The camel chronicles didn’t officially begin until 1961 when a farcical newspaper article was written by the editor of the Territorial Enterprise, who thought it’d be funny to announce an upcoming camel race down the city streets—a precursor to The Onion, indeed. Once word got out to the San Francisco Chronicle, they decided to call their bluff and bring camels from the local zoo. And now? You can attend the 57th Annual International Camel & Ostrich Races in Virginia City, September 9-11th.
“There’s not too many places where you’re going to watch this type of entertainment,” said Deny Dotson, Tourism Director for Virginia City. “People don’t realize how much fun and how quirky it is. It’s very unique.” If you disagree, please write to us and let us know how many times you’ve seen people race camels, ostriches and zebras (yes, zebras) all in one day, with a mariachi band playing in the background, in such a historic setting at that of Virginia City. “People just kinda scratch their head,” Dotson laughed. “Mariachi, camels, ostriches, Virginia City … I don’t get all this … Whatever! People are laughing, having a good time.” And that’s really all that matters. (Note: they had a mariachi band last year, entertainment options this year may vary.)
Before we go any further, Dotson assures us that all the animals are very well taken care of. “The handlers are some of the best in the country,” he said. “The animals are in superb condition. We provide shade, we provide feed, and they don’t race more than once a day.” One race and they’re done for the day? Not a bad gig indeed. And, just in case, there is a veterinarian on call as an extra safety precaution.
Dotson attests from experience that camels are fun to ride and says the experience is much like riding a horse. Ostriches, however … “that’s a different story,” he said. “They’re just so unpredictable. They’re no match for anyone who wants to get on them! They just spin ‘em right off.” He laughed. “That’s what makes the entertainment value so much fun.” There’s plenty of fun attractions for kids as well, including chicken chasing, rock climbing and trampolines!
Select individuals do get an opportunity to race a camel. A surefire way to do so is to become a sponsor! Or be a kid. Dolan Auto Group, the presenting sponsor of the event, will also be sponsoring the first 100 kids (on Sunday only!) to ride a camel for free. Plus there’s a daily raffle where, for $5, one lucky person gets to ride! All amateur camel racers are required to take an on-the-spot training course before mounting their mighty camel steed.
While this event spans over three days, Dotson informs us that there won’t be much of a day-to-day difference, so if you attend the races one day, you can spend the rest of your weekend exploring Virginia City! They have some very unique lodging opportunities such as staying in a “haunted room” at the Silver Queen Hotel or enjoy the 1860’s vibe of Edith Palmer’s Country Inn where Marilyn Monroe stayed while filming The Misfits.
With plenty to see and do in Virginia City, the 57th Annual Camel & Ostrich Races is the icing on the cake. As Dotson says, “It’s just something that everybody should have on their bucket list.” For more information head to visitvirginiacitynv.com or call 1-800-718-SLVR.
35th Anniversary of The Great Reno Balloon Race
Fact: most of us have experienced far more sunsets than sunrises. But they say the early bird gets the worm, so, if you’re up early enough on the mornings of September 9th, 10th or 11th and just so happen to be near Rancho San Rafael Regional Park just a few miles north of Reno, Nevada, the early bird gets to witness the 35th anniversary of the phenomenal spectacle that is The Great Reno Balloon Race.
“You’ve never seen anything like it,” said Pete Copeland, Executive Director for The Great Reno Balloon Race. “There’s nothing more beautiful.” And he’s right! There actually is nothing quite like it as, sure, there are other hot air balloon events, but there is none to be found on this scale that is also—for free! “I get many comments from other event directors about when we’re going to start charging,” said Copeland. “But that’s not going to happen with us. We’re going to stick to our identity and keep this thing free.”
This is, in fact, the largest free hot-air ballooning event in the world. The world! And it’s practically right next door to us … Most ballooning events have about 30-40 hot air balloons, and they’ll charge you admission! Thanks to more than 75 generous sponsors of the event, you can see upwards of 100 balloons floating in Nevada for free. Plus, the top 10 finalists of the race get to split a prize purse of $11,000! So you can expect some serious competition.
As you can imagine a hot air balloon “race” would probably result in a tie as they can only go as fast as the wind. So instead, pilots are allotted one bean bag per day that they are to fling toward a target on the grounds of the park. After three days the scores are tallied up and the winner is chosen based on who had the most accurate aim while maneuvering their balloon as close to the target as possible.
Despite 35 years of tradition there will still be some surprises in store! As well as some fan favorites like the Smokey the Bear balloon. Last year you may have noticed an Elvis-shaped balloon, this year you can look for a super secret balloon inspired by a hit gaming app that has to do with birds … that are angry …
Expect some pretty amazing photo opportunities. In fact, the imagery here is so picturesque that last year, Sony came out to take some footage of the event. Now, whenever you go to a Best Buy or Costco or any place that sells TVs, if you see hot air balloons on a Sony monitor you’re looking at the vibrant colors of The Great Reno Balloon Race! It’s really quite the spectacle.
Gates open at 3:30 a.m. daily (which is arguably more of a night owl than an early bird event. But hey, an average of 125,000 people attend the event every year, so if they can do it, so can you!). Before the big balloon launch you can witness some pretty incredible precursor events each day, especially the Glow Show and the Dawn Patrol. The Glow Show is a visual display where a bunch of hot air balloons, still static on the ground, are majestically lit up in the dark of night with the lights being choreographed to music (the Super Glow Show, held Friday morning only, will feature up to 30 balloons!). The Dawn Patrol is similar in that the balloons are also lit up against the dark morning sky, but then they float up into the air, beautifully illuminated.
With the exception of the Friday morning Super Glow Show, you’ll see a similar spectacle on all three days, so it’s recommended to come Friday and either Saturday or Sunday. Other draws to the event include shopping along “Balloon Boulevard,” participating in the Biggest Little Pajama Party, and much more. So bring a chair, blanket, even coffee and a lunch if you like, layer up! And don’t forget the camera. For more information visit renoballoon.com or call (775) 829-2987.
SO … here you have two remarkably unique events occurring on the same weekend just a few hours away. Our suggestion? Mark your calendar for September 9-11th! Maybe arrive in Reno on the 8th as you’ll have a (very) early ballooning morning on Friday the 9th. Then check out some silly camel and ostrich racing festivities on Saturday the 12th. Find a cool place to stay and discover a bit more of Virginia City on Sunday the 11th before heading home. If you plan it right you could get the fam back by bedtime! Pretty awesome opportunity here, and we’re pretty proud we thought of it. Seize the days!
Larson is a writer/actor/comedian native to Vallejo who travels back and forth from Los Angeles way too much. He’s desperate for attention and urges you to follow him on all social medias @MarsLegstrong. He lives for likes, please keep him healthy.
As the great American writer Jack London detailed in his memoir John Barleycorn, Vallejo and Benicia have a rich drinking history. The way London describes it, a sizable amount of real estate in this area was dedicated to producing alcohol. But somewhere down the line, Vallejo fell off track a little. Despite the city’s close proximity to Wine Country, there wasn’t much in the way of breweries or wineries in town, until recently.
The tide started to change in 2014, when Mare Island Brewing Co. opened at the Vallejo Ferry Building, which is ironically located a short distance away from where London was rescued by a Greek fisherman more than a century ago, following an evening when London got a bit too inebriated.
Mare Island Brewing Co.’s co-founders (and co-brewers) Ryan Gibbons and Kent Fortner are a pair of winemakers turned brewers. Gibbons was the first to decide to go from “grape to grain,” leaving the wine industry to begin his tenure at Lagunitas before finally going into business with Fortner.
Fortner, in addition to being a longtime fermenter, is a history aficionado who settled on Mare Island and has taken the time to learn the stories of past generations. As a tip of the cap to their brewery’s home base, he and Gibbons have named their beers after elements of the island’s history.
“We’re able to use the history and pay homage to it, and continue that history on,” Gibbons said. “One of the things I’ve noticed is that there’s a huge gap between those who lived and worked on Mare Island and those of us who are younger, who might see it as just a bunch of abandoned buildings, or might not know what it is. We’re trying to bridge the gap with beer.”
Their first release, Saginaw, is named after the first wooden ship to be christened in Mare Island. The name of their second release, Coal Shed Ale, was chosen simply because they brew in old Mare Island coal sheds, and because they plan to incorporate work from artists inhabiting other coal shed studio space into the taproom layout. They’ve also come up with a trademark beer to the Vallejo Admirals baseball team.
“Because we come from a winemaking background, balance is important to us,” Fortner said in 2014. “We do have some hoppy beers, but in general, our beers are a little more toned down, a little on the balanced side.”
When they opened in 2014, Fortner and Gibbons expressed hope that their opening would inspire other breweries and wineries to set up shop in town.
“We’d like for this to be a brewing town,” Gibbons said. “With the look of Mare Island and its industrial grit, it’s such a nice area to just sit down and enjoy a pint on the waterfront.”
And according to Frank Kennedy, of Vino Godfather winery, that’s exactly what happened. Kennedy, along with his partner Twila Nixon, opened the Vino Godfather tasting room in October 2015, in an historical mansion on Mare Island.
“I’ve always liked Vallejo and thought that it had a lot of untapped potential for doing a tasting room,” Kennedy said. “I had seen the success Mare Island Brewery had by opening the tasting room at the ferry building, so we wanted to be the first ones out here on Mare Island to open a wine tasting room.”
Kennedy, a 20-year veteran in the wine business, has been working on Vino Godfather wines since 2008. He and Nixon first released a batch of their signature brand— Prohibition Wines — in 2011. Kennedy said the title is a tip of the cap to previous generations in his family, who were also longtime winemakers.
“My grandpa and uncle grew grapes during [the Prohibition] era, and they basically did a little bootlegging on the side to survive back in those days,” Kennedy said. “It’s kind of a reference to that era.”
Kennedy and Nixon retained longtime Bay Area winemaker Warren Smith to head production and collaborate with Kennedy. Since opening last October, they’ve attracted roughly 7,000 customers to their tasting room, Kennedy said.
“We try to make our wines really balanced and fruit-forward, and what appeals to about 80 percent of the mass,” Kennedy said. “Our wines are unique in style.”
Kennedy and Nixon’s success has piqued the interest of other wineries in the area, and Kennedy says he expects more to set up shop on the island.
“I believe Vallejo is the new frontier for wineries and breweries,” he said.
It may also become the new frontier for distilleries.
Earlier this year, it was announced that the Splinter Group plans to open a distillery and taste room on Mare Island as well. It is expected to open at the end of 2016, after Splinter Group began talks with Lennar Mare Island, the property management company in charge of the Mare Island, to lease the historic Building 45 last year.
“Lennar Mare Island is very excited about Splinter Group coming to Mare Island. Building 45 is a special piece of Mare Island and we have been seeking a business who appreciates its history, understands its future, and can attract visitors,” Lennar spokesman Edward Moser said.
Splinter Group focuses on whiskey distillation, and currently offers two lines: an 84-proof bourbon whiskey called Straight Edge, and an American whiskey called Slaughter House. The latter is aged in American Oak for nine years and is advertised as having a taste of caramelized sugar, baking spices, dark fruits, butterscotch, and vanilla notes. Last year, Slaughter House took a gold medal and “best in class” at the 2015 Whiskies of the World Competition. The distillery is currently housed in Napa, but its owners are excited about spreading out into Vallejo, Moser said.
“They were enthusiastic about the opportunity to open their business within Mare Island’s historic core,” said Moser. “We are happy to have business opportunities like this that continue to bring visitors and economic activity to the city of Vallejo and Mare Island’s historic core.”
And if that wasn’t enough, a popular Napa Valley brewery has announced it plans to move to Vallejo soon as well.
Napa Smith Brewery, founded in late 2008, will be moving to 101 Yolano Drive in Vallejo, off of Sonoma Boulevard. They expect to be open by the end of 2016.
The brewery is also set to enter a cooperative partnership with two breweries: Turtle Anarchy Brewing Company and Hap & Harry’s Tennessee Beers, and will be establishing a brewery in Nashville as well. The collaboration will make Napa Smith the smallest independent biocoastal operation in the continent, and more than double its capacity, according to a news release from the company.
Napa Smith Brewery offers 11 in-house beers — three seasonal lines, and eight year-round lines — that cover a wide range of tastes. Its brewers make a pale ale, an organic IPA, and an Amber ale, and swing towards a craft beer taste with lines like “Hop Java” or “Hopageddon.” But they also have a pilsner and other more mild flavors.
The man behind the beers is brewmaster Don Barkley, who started the craft in 1978. He went on to co-found Mendocino Brewing Company before joining Napa Smith. During his career, Barkley said he’s seen an “explosion’’ of craft beer across the country.
“Working with other brewers to expand and promote good beer is a job,” Barkley said in a written statement. “There aren’t too many careers that span 40 years and culminate in this fashion. I feel very fortunate to be a part of Napa Smith’s plans for expansion.”
Napa Smith will offer bottles, kegs, a taproom, and refreshments, but they’ll also have a nice growler deal too: You can buy a 64-ounce growler for $9, and/or get one filled up for $20 (that option works well for beer tourists).
“You can get a growler filled up, then go to another brewery and refill it,” owner Mike Forte said. “That’s something that’s really popular in the craft brewer market right now.”
Mare Island Brewing Co.’s taproom is located inside the ferry building at 289 Mare Island Way, Vallejo. It is open 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday, and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday. It is closed Tuesday and Thursday. For more information, visit www.mareislandbrewingco.com or call (707) 556-3000.
Vino Godfather’s tasting room is located at 500 Walnut Avenue on Mare Island (the closest cross street is Kansas Street), across from the VA Clinic at the first mansion on Mansion Row. Its hours are 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, noon to 8 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, noon to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. On Saturdays, they also have live entertainment, pizza that’s cooked in a brick oven outside, and a deal where $20 gets you a taste of every wine and a cup of your choice. For more information, call (707) 552-2331.
The tale of Saga of Saginaw:
The following is an account from Mare Island Brewing Co. co-owner Ken Fortner, and details the history of the ship Saginaw, the inspiration behind the first beer ever released by the brewery:
Saginaw was the first boat ever made on Mare Island, in 1857. That boat, it fought Confederates. It did minesweeping. It was originally a sailboat, and it was turned into a steamship.
Coming out of Midway Island, the Saginaw wrecked while searching for castaways, with all 169 getting off the boat alive. They salvaged the captain’s skiff and scuttled the Saginaw, and then five members of the crew set off in the skiff for Hawaii, which was 1,500 miles away, looking for help.
When they arrived, the five crewmembers were starving and on the verge of death. While they were trying to get ashore, the skiff capsized, and four of the five drowned. The lone crewmember to survive the skiff’s sinking somehow made it to shore, and convinced King Kamehameha to go over and rescue the other 164 that were left.
That crewmember, the lone survivor of the rescue mission, William Hoffer, is buried on Mare Island, and his grandson is still alive.
Nate Gartrell grew up in Benicia, studied journalism in college, and has written for a handful of media outlets since age 15. He aspires to visit all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums and to hit the trifecta at the horse track.
I have always enjoyed movies and the theatre. I have to admit, though, that I find movies more financially accessible; plus, you can watch them in the comfort of your own home. I have always thought there was something extra special, though, about a live performance on the stage – even if it was just a high school, or even younger, production. That fact that it was live and anything can go wrong made it even more special when it all went right. I was also always enthralled with the sets and how they moved about on the stage. I remember as young boy going with my family to see The Nutcracker ballet in San Francisco and it just seemed so magical as it came to life before me. I have been back to see it several times as an adult and have found it to be equally enchanting. I have three very young children now and the family and I have watched the production at home via a recording of the live stage show. While it is fun to watch and my children enjoy it, it just doesn’t quite capture the magic as seeing it live. Plus, there is the whole experience of going to the theatre! Dressing up, the intermission, etc. Now that my youngest is 5, my wife and I have been sharing the theatrical experience more and more with them, but cost remains a factor and somewhat of a barrier. Additionally, until they are all able to focus for that long of a period of time it is a challenge to bring them.
How then can I expose my children more to the magic of theatre while keeping it affordable for my budget? How can I keep my children entertained during long performances? How do I find children-centric performances to take my kids to? Those are all questions I ask myself when as I explore how to expose my children to the arts. For all of those reasons I am excited about the annual Chevron Family Theatre Festival. If you have not heard of this festival before, and even if you have, you should note that it will be celebrating its 10th season on July 16, 2016 at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek. Children, as parents know, are hard critics of any form of entertainment, so any event that has stood the test of time with them should be strongly considered by parents.
Chevron’s sponsorship of the festival makes it very affordable for families to attend. Chevron, The Diablo Regional Arts Association, the Lesher Center and the city of Walnut Creek all partner to bring the event to the community each year. Events like these are not cheap to produce and I love when private business and community organizations come together to help create them. All communities need these types of events to help them come together and it is fantastic that Chevron, the art community and the city have been working together for so long to make this happen year after year.
The event opens with a ribbon cutting followed by a Prince and Princess parade, which is FREE. Then they will be giving away a boy or girl engineer-scientist-STEM puppet and providing a puppet theater in which the children can create their own show with their new toy—and in case it wasn’t clear: that is free as well. They will have dancers, drummers, puppet making, costumed characters such as Cinderella, Snow White, Jedi and Storm Troopers for the kids to enjoy all, again, for free. They will also have access to face painting and storytelling—for free—happening all day long outside of the theatre.
Inside the theatre, live productions will be put on throughout the day. The price for these will only be $5 per person, which is a great bargain. Each of the shows are only 30 to 60 minutes long and they promise to capture even the youngest person’s attention for that duration. They are planning on showing a version of the Wizard of Oz, Peter & the Wolf, and Alex Ramon Magic. They are also going to be having as their headliner, Artrageous.
Artrageous, if you’re not familiar, is a live performance that offers a magical bend of light, color, music, dance and singing. Visit their website at http://artrageousexperience.com/ to discover more about them before the festival. The tickets for Artrageous and the other shows will go on sale on Tuesday, June 16 – a month before the event. They can be purchased by calling the Lesher Center’s ticket office at (925) 943-SHOW (7469) or by visiting http://www.LesherARTSCenter.org/
If you have not attended this event for their previous nine editions, you should certainly put it on your calendar for this year. If you’ve been in the past I’m sure it’s already on your radar. Either way it will probably be advisable to get your tickets early for this so you can make sure to catch all of the action. You certainly can’t beat the price. A mere $20 per person will allow you to see all four of the shows, plus, you have all the free events during the day as well. I know that $20 price compares very favorably to other theatre events in the Bay Area. If you absolutely can’t make it in 2016 or you are reading about this on July 17th, make sure to be on the lookout for the 2017 edition of the festival and get planning early.
Robert Briseño – Robert has three little ones that he is constantly on the lookout for fun and affordable adventures that he and his wife can take them on.
