By Heather Crivellone
I have to admit, one of my most favorite and cherished places to take the kids here in Sacramento is Fairytale Town. How can it get any better… a park made specifically for toddlers and little feet to run around and play to their hearts content all while adding in the great nursery rhymes we have all grown up with? Stories and the Old Mother Goose rhymes literally come to life at this 2.5 acre play park.
The kids can explore old nursery rhyme favorites while speeding down slides, climbing through tunnels and balancing along the “Crooked Mile”. Kids can enjoy viewing animals from the “Three Little Pig”, “Mary Had a Little Lamb” and more. My favorite area is Mr. McGregors Garden where the kids can help water the vegetable plants. You can spend the entire day exploring and playing with your kids at this park!
And during the summertime, there are also events for the entire family to enjoy.
They will be hosting a “Family Campout” on three different nights during the summer. If you and your family are looking for a fun “practice round” before hitting the “great outdoors” , then you should look into this event and schedule now. Sleep out under the stars and enjoy activities all day and night with your family. Cost is between $25-$30 and they will be setting up camp on June 21st, July 16 and August 16.
On Saturday June 29 enjoy some sweet treats from 6pm-10pm at “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” with All You Can Eat Crystal Ice Cream, craft activities, live music, theater performances and all the fun park play you can dream of. Purchase your tickets in advance for $15 Adults, $5 Children ages 2-12 and children under the age of 1 are free.
In July, mark you calendars for several fun events:
July 6 is an International Celebration with performances from around the globe. Some performances include Chinese lion dancers, Scottish Highland dancers and more.
July 13 is a “Very Special Arts Day” with different art show performances throughout the afternoon.
On July 20,21, 27 and 28 the Fairytale Town Troupers will present: Jack and the Meanstalk on the Fairytale Town Stage.
In August the family can enjoy “Cat and the Fiddle Music Festival” on Friday August 9 through Sunday August 11. This will be a weekend full of music and celebration! “Big Kids” will enjoy live music in the evenings performed by some of our favorite local bands. And the younger kiddos will enjoy “rockin’ daytime concerts”.
And on Saturday August 24 one of Sacramento’s favorite and well know musicians Jackie Greene will take the stage to perform.
Visit the Fairytale Town website for more information and special pricing for these upcoming events. But make sure you mark your calendars for some family fun at Sacramento’s most beloved children’s play park.
Berry Picking at Impossible Acres in Davis- one way to celebrate “National Fruit and Veggies Month”
By Heather Crivellone
I don’t think anyone can argue that one of the best things of summer is the abundance of fresh fruit. The sweet, juicy berries, yummy peaches and nectarines. Whether they are in fresh cobblers, home-made pies or just out of the fruit bowl- everyone loves sweet summer fruit! And a great way to get kids excited about fruit (other than the A-la-mode) is to get them involved in watching it grow and the fun of picking the fruit!
Now, if you have been reading our posts…or just have a mind like Cliff Claven (full of all sorts of information), then you know that June is “National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month”. And luckily for us here in Northern California, we have plenty of “you-pick-em” orchards where we can take the kids to explore, learn and see where our food comes from.
With the beautiful spring-like weather we’ve been having it’s a perfect time to visit some of the local farms. Impossible Acres, located in Davis is a small family farm that has been growing a variety of fruits and vegetables for over 12 years. They are very kid-friendly and when we visited they handed us all baskets and told us we could “sample” as we pick. The kids had a blast running through the peach tress and “trying” the apricots. My daughter loves raspberries, so she filled her basket in no time and informed me that were making raspberry jelly that night!
Because it is a farm, don’t expect too many extra amenities… no real bathrooms, no frills, but some tables to picnic on and some of the tastiest fruit to pick and enjoy!
During the fall, Impossible Acres turns into a Pumpkin Patch and has farm animals, petting zoo and more…I’m sure we will be back for the autumn festivities! But as for now, we enjoyed the experience of picking the fresh fruit. Knowing where it comes from, how it’s grown and whose hands it was in makes for such a better experience and such a piece of mind when feeding your children.
There are many “U Pick-em” farms throughout the area and to locate others, check out
http://www.pickyourown.org/CA.htm
to find out locations and what types of produce are available. Currently at Impossible Acres you can get Ollalieberries, Marionberries, Raspberries, Peaches and Nectarines. They are open Wednesday through Sunday from 9am-6pm, and closed Monday and Tuesday.
If you decide to make the trip out to the farm with children here are a few tips: make sure the kids (and you) wear “real” shoes…my daughter refuses to wear shoes and even flip-flops drive her insane. Well, the dirt, thorns and bushes were enough to make her put on her “lace-up” shoes. Bring water and put on the sunscreen!!! We took a picnic and then headed out to one of the parks in Davis to enjoy lunch with the fresh berries we had picked. It was the perfect end to a wonderful summer morning!
And if you find that you have picked more peaches than you can consume, here is my absolute favorite Peach Bar Recipe (it’s always a hit at the summer picnics!). Enjoy!
Peach Crumb Bars
Yield: 24 bars
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients:
For the Dough: 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold 1 egg, lightly beaten
For the Filling: 5 cups diced or sliced peaches (about 7 peaches, peeled) 2 tablespoons lemon juice ½ cup all-purpose flour 1 cup granulated sugar ¼ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.
2. For the Dough: In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Use a pastry blender to cut in the butter, and then the egg. The dough will be crumbly. Pat half of the dough into the prepared pan. Place the pan and the remainder of the dough in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.
3. For the Filling: Place the diced (or sliced) peaches in a large bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice. Mix gently. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour over the peaches and mix gently.
4. Spread the peach mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble the remaining dough over the peach layer.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.
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Raley Field and the Sacramento RiverCats will host another “Mommy and Me” Day on Wednesday, June 19th
By Heather Crivellone
The last couple of years, my kids and I have visited Raley Field during their “Mommy & Me Days”, and we all had such a great time that they continue to talk about “Dinger” the River Cats Mascot and how they want to go back and visit the baseball field.
Luckily for us, the Sacramento River Cats will be hosting another FREE “Mommy and Me Day” on Wednesday June 19 from 10am- 12pm. If you did not get a chance to attend the last Mommy and Me events- we highly recommend making the time to take your little ones out to the baseball field. Parents and their children (Under the age of 6) can spend the day out on the baseball field playing different games and participating in activities such as: tee-ball, soccer, arts and crafts, and much more.
Last time they had Dinger the Mascot visiting with all the children, games with parachutes, balls and everything that the pre-school aged children love! There will also be free snacks and drinks provided while supplies last.
If you are planning on attending this event, please go on their website and fill out the mandatory waivers and bring them with you to the field. This will help in having to wait in the long lines…. And since we know that children are not the most patient little beings- this may help avoid a spontaneous “melt-down”.
Make sure you don’t forget your sunscreen (since you will be down on the field), camera for those great shots of your little ones “sliding” into home-plate, and plenty of energy for a fun filled day!
Father’s Day Weekend Family Fun
If you are looking for some events and activities to show Dad that you care, you’re sure to find one or two that really float his boat this weekend. He’s bound to enjoy a ball game at Raley Field, or California war history at Sutter’s Fort. How about heading over to William Land Park for the 12th Annual Sacramento Juneteenth Celebration? Or maybe Dad will be content to build legos with the kiddos at Franklin Public Library. Whatever you choose, Dad is sure to feel loved in Sacramento this weekend!
6/15 – Pops in the Park: The John Skinner Band at Bertha Henschel Park - Pops in the Park is a series of free evening concerts that raises money for under-funded neighborhood parks. Sponsorship and advertising dollars, as well as proceeds from the sale of food and beverages at the events, have been used since 1995 to fund the events, enhance neighborhood parks, bring improvements to the neighborhood, and provide youth athletic scholarships.
6/15 – Summer Solstice at the Effie Yeaw Nature Center – Summer is here! Beat the heat and take time on this morning Preserve hike to see what changes are taking place as we enter the season of Summer.
6/15 – Lego Robotics with Bricks 4 Kids - How would you like to turn a LEGO® creation into a robot, programmed to do exactly what you tell it to do? Bricks 4 Kids robotics combines classic LEGO® building with the world of robotics, using motors, sensors, and software. You’ll learn how to design and program your LEGO® bots that can perform all kinds of tasks. This is a Summer Reading Program.
6/15 – Hands on History: War in California at Sutter’s Fort - Stepping back in time to 1846, the Fort will re-visit a time when Mexican California was in a continuous state of political unrest and threats from foreign powers were a constant menace. The English Navy was anxious to have a good seaport on the Pacific Coast and kept warships in the area; French emissaries had approached John Sutter for an alliance; United State President James Polk was espousing the concept of “Manifest destiny” and the dream that the U.S. would extend from the Atlantic to Pacific Oceans. The turmoil reached an apex in June of 1846, when as many as five flags may have had a turn flying over Sutter’s Fort.
6/15 – Cupcake Ball Father Daughter Dance - Sacramento Children’s Museum cordially invites fathers and their daughter(s) to the Museum to dance the night away at the 2nd annual Cupcake Ball. Princess dress-up encouraged. Enjoy playing in the Museum and dancing the night away to a DJ. Cupcakes and light refreshments will be served.
6/15 – Family Safety & Health Expo - The Family Safety & Health Expo is designed to give your family valuable information and easy access to some of the health, safety, and recreation resources that are available in our community. Visit over 80 informational booths and interactive displays focusing on health and safety. Enjoy live entertainment from magician Travor Wyatt, Kovar’s Satori Academy, and Granite Bay Dance Connection. Meet local law enforcement and fire department representatives. Raffles, giveaways, and more!
6/15-6/16 – Sacramento’s 12th Annual Juneteenth Festival at William Land Park - Sacramento’s Juneteenth Festival has celebrated and educated the community about one of America’s most important acts of legislation: The Emancipation Proclamation. Signed into law in 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation declared that all those enslaved were now free. Juneteenth events include Gospel Under the Stars, 1 mile race, parade, talent show, fishing derby, golf tournament, live music and food vendors.
6/15 – 6/16 – Fairytale Town Puppet Festival: The Three Little Pigs - Fairytale Town brings you another season of playful puppetry! Children and adults can enjoy live puppet show performances inside Fairytale Town’s Children’s Theater. This year’s festival features six original productions based on new and traditional fairy tales.
6/16 – Sacramento River Cats vs. Tacoma Rainiers - Bring Dad to the ballpark for the annual Father’s Day BBQ in the Kinder’s BBQ Area behind right field. Special game-ticket-and-BBQ packages are available, or you can just bring Dad out for an afternoon of baseball and sunshine! Kids of all ages will enjoy U.S. Bank Sunday Fundays, featuring pregame player autographs, face painters, and balloon artists, and the opportunity to “Run the Bases” on the field after every Sunday home game!
6/16 – Superheroes 5k run/walk - The capital of California is being overrun by caped crusaders for a good cause! The bad guys will tremble this Father’s Day as thousands of superheroes storm the Capitol Mall in this larger than life 5K run/walk! At each mile marker, you’ll run by scenes from your favorite comic books and enjoy the music that has made our favorite superheroes light up on the big screen. At the finish line there will be prizes awarded to the best superhero costumes and those who were faster than a speeding bullet.
Summer Events at Safetyville USA
By Heather Crivellone
Safetyville USA has been teaching children since 1984, the basic safety skills they need to know in a fun, interactive and memorable experience.
The goal of the program is to reduce injury and possible death of children resulting from preventable accidents. A trained volunteer tour guide leads children, preschool through third grade, through the town teaching them a variety of safety skills, including: fire, bicycle, pedestrian, electrical, stranger danger, and railroad safety.
Outside of Sacramento in Rancho Cordova- this “mini-city” is set up so children can explore their surrounding at their “own level”.
If you have groups of 10 or more preschoolers, you can take the guided tour around the “city” , however, when we went, we didn’t have that many children with us (WHEW!), so we decided to take the self-guided tour and let the children explore while we visited each exhibit and explained the safety issues with the children on our own. The children took turns pressing the buttons and practiced waking across the streets, watched a video on fire safety at the “fire station”, learned about the dangers of train tracks, electrical wires and more.
At the end of our self-guided tour, we all enjoyed our picnics outside and admired the tiny buildings that make up this fun city.
Make sure you call ahead to make a reservation for your large group and to double check hours for public visits since they are so popular with hosting field trips.
Events are held throughout the year and this month- on Saturday, June 15th from 10am-3pm join other families for Safetyville’s 15th Annual Family Safety and Health Expo.
This is a FREE event featuring over 80 info booths focusing on health, safety and youth recreation resources available in the Sacramento area. There will be live performances, raffles and giveaways, food and entertainment at this event.
Also, coming is thier FREE family Bike Nights every Thursday and Friday evening from 5:30pm-8pm June 2o thru August 23. Bring the family out (along with your bikes and helmets), ride around the park, enjoy special guest speakers and have some dinner as food and beverages will be available for purchase. Make it a family fun night out with some exercise, safety education and fun this summer!
By Heather Crivellone
Did you know that June was National Fruit and Veggies Month? I’m sure if you are a parent, then you think about fruits and veggies on a daily basis- how you are going to cook, serve and /or sneak them into your kids’ diet.
On average, the typical American doesn’t consume the recommended allowances on a daily basis. And living in Sacramento, we shouldn’t have an excuse, since we are lucky enough to be surrounded by so many farms and opportunities to purchase fresh and organic produce. Now that June is here- spring and summer is the best times to take advantage of the local Farmers Markets to see what is in season and to possibly try new things.
Luckily for us, we have many markets to choose from in Sacramento.. And for some, it’s more of a fun family outing than just going to shop for produce.
Many of the markets cater towards entertaining the whole family. On Wednesday nights and Saturday mornings, head out to Davis for their “Picnic in the Parks”. Located at Central Park on 4th and C Streets in Davis- from mid-March until the end of October, you can take the family out to find seasonal goodies and enjoy live music from local bands, have dinner from vendors at the International Food Faire and even purchase beer or wine! Other entertainment includes bounce houses for the kids, pony rides, clowns, face painting and more!
If you are looking to stay more local than a drive out to Davis, then check out the popular Farmers Market on Sunday mornings “under the freeway”. Every Sunday (year round) from 8am-noon on 8th and W Street, you can purchase fresh fruits, veggies, meats, seafood, cheeses and more. Not as much entertainment for the kids at this market, but it is located next to Southside Park, a great kid- friendly destination.
On Thursday evenings, join locals at the new West Sacramento Farmers Market at 1271 West Capital Ave. From 4:30- dusk, enjoy dinner from one of the local food vendors, listen to live music and see what is happening each week as they have different events and entertainment each week. One week they had a family story time, another was a visit from Dilly Dally the Clown…check out the schedule to see what’s next!
On Wednesday mornings, take a stroll through downtowns Cesar Chavez park located at 910 I Street. From 10am-1:30pm through October you can visit local growers and purchase some greens.
For a list of local markets in your area check out
http://www.california-grown.com/Market-times.html
You will find a market on most days of the week through the greater Sacramento area.
If you have kids- you know it can be a challenge to get them to eat their veggies. However, if you include them in the process of picking them out, preparing and serving them, they will be more likely to try new things and hopefully eat their veggies.
Although- sometimes this tactic doesn’t always work with my 5 year old, but I still try…heck, I spent the afternoon baking Beet Cookies! They were definitely NOT a hit in our house, but as long as we keep going and she gets the opportunity to pick them out and try new things- I feel like I’m doing the best I can as a mom to get her to eat her veggies!
Weekend Family Fun
It’s going to be a hot weekend, but don’t let that keep you from having fun! Visit a Sacramento firehouse, enjoy a concert in the park, dig in the garden at Soil Born Farms or enjoy the air-conditioned indoors learning about rattlesnakes at the Discovery museum. As usual, there is plenty going on this weekend. Stay cool!
6/6 – 6/16 – Annual Puppet Festival: Rumpelstiltskin at Fairytale Town – The last of Fairytale Town’s season of playful puppetry! Children and adults can enjoy live puppet show performances inside Fairytale Town’s Children’s Theater. Puppet show tickets are $1 for members and $2 for nonmembers, in addition to park admission. For more information check out the performance schedule below.
6/7 – Gibson Ranch Star Gazing Party - Are you curious about the universe? Do you want to explore the heavens? Have you ever been a star-gazer? The members of the Sacramento Valley Astronomical Society extend an invitation to you to join to view this wonderful universe.
6/8 – Fun on the Farm presented by the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op & Soil Born Farms – Participants are invited to join the fun and explore the American River Ranch. Come meet the farm animals, dig in the garden soil, plant seedlings, have a farm fresh snack, and create something special to take home.
6/8 – Gathering of Honored Elders - Join as the California Indian Museum presents their 36th annual Honored Elders Day. This event is devoted to honoring the Elders who keep the traditions, stories, languages, and culture alive for future generations. Along with Native American dancers, guest speakers, community services organizations, and arts and crafts vendors who will all be on-site, Museum guests will also have the opportunity to meet the esteemed Elders and explore the treasured Museum.
6/8 – Sacramento Fire Department Open House: Station 16 at 7363 24th Street - The Sacramento Fire Department will be hosting Fire Station Open Houses on Saturdays from 2 pm to 4 pm on the dates and locations listed on the flyer, 2013 Open House Schedule. You are invited to bring your family and friends to visit with firefighters, take a tour of the fire station, and more! To find out where your fire stations are located, click on: Fire Station Map.
6/8 – Geico Endurocross - Endurocross is a mix of supercross, trials, and enduro racing held indoors over off-road riding obstacles, including rocks, boulders, logs, sand, mud, and special obstacles, like giant tires and a water hole, featuring some of the best motorcycle riders in the world!
6/8 – Bubbles and Chalk Drawings at the Library – Toddlers and preschoolers are invited to come make a mess with bubbles and chalk. Together with the Franklin Library they’ll explore blowing bubbles with lots of different materials and use their imaginations to make lots of creative chalk drawings.
6/8 – Pig-a-Palooza - This year’s pig roast fundraiser at the Oak Park Farmers Market will encompass a variety of pig-themed eats and activities. Local chefs will duel it out in a pork cook-off as they compete for the honorable title of “Primo Porker.” The event will be family friendly, offering interactive children’s activities and discounted child price tickets. There will even be a pig calling contest…details to come! Food will be provided by Feeding Crane Farms, Bledsoe Meats, and other local vendors.
6/8 – The Fish Family Fest - The 2nd annual one-day summer festival features some of best performers in Christian music. You’ll enjoy a day full of music with Brandon Heath, The Afters, For King and Country, Plumb, The Reel, Transparent, and others. It’s six hours of music and fun for the whole family you won’t want to miss. You’ll also want to check out the delicious food, play area for the kids, and the artist booths.
6/8 – Pops in the Park: Mercy Me at Glen Hall Park - Pops in the Park is a series of free evening concerts that raises money for
under-funded neighborhood parks. Sponsorship and advertising dollars, as well as proceeds from the sale of food and beverages at the events, have been used since 1995 to fund the events, enhance neighborhood parks, bring improvements to the neighborhood, and provide youth athletic scholarships.
6/8 – 6/9 Roses are Red… - Celebrate National Rose Month at the Discovery Museum. This weekend kids make and take scented sachets with lovely floral scents. Enjoy walking the grounds and see if you find the wild rose that grows around the pond. Your admission includes this activity, the Space Quest! exhibit, a planetarium show (at 1pm or 3pm for ages 4 and older) and a creature feature (at Noon or 2pm for all ages).
6/9 – Rattlesnakes at the Effie Yeaw Nature Center - Warm weather is perfect weather for snakes, especially for rattlesnakes along the American River. Learn all about these snakes and their imposters, and how to enjoy the American River and keep your family safe during this season.
