Waterfront Days this Memorial Day Weekend

Sacramento Waterfront Days appears to be what Gold Rush Days in Old Sacramento use to celebrate. It seems to be almost identical minus the dirt covered streets and ends on Sunday. This three-day event takes place on Front Street, The Embarcadero, and the 1849 Scene all along the Sacramento River.  The heritage celebration features a wide variety of crowd-favorite entertainment, all free to experience and enjoy. Guests in Old Sacramento Waterfront will be entertained by talented period musicians performing live throughout the district in addition to a Shakespearian Comedic Play.  Experience the Gold Rush Fire Brigade (as seen at the Rose Bowl Parade), and other Old West theatrics, family-friendly melodramas, history re-enactments, horse-drawn carriages, canons, gold panning, hands-on children’s arts and crafts activities, the popular Tent City depicting daily life during the Gold Rush, and much more.

Friday, May 24th 
Education Day
1 PM: “Quest for the Gold Spike” Melodrama at the Eagle Theatre*
7 PM: Waterfront Days Bar Crawl
Saturday, May 25^th
10-5 PM: Outdoor Heritage Festivities
1 & 3 PM: “Quest for the Gold Spike” Melodrama at the Eagle Theatre*
6-10 PM: Brad Johnson & The Killin’ Time Band (Embarcadero)
Sunday, May 26^th
10-5 PM: Outdoor Heritage Festivities
1 & 3 PM: “Quest for the Gold Spike” Melodrama at the Eagle Theatre*
6-10 PM: The Rob Staley Band (Embarcadero)

Waterfront Idea Makers

Waterfront idea makers competition, Perkins Eastman

There is currently an open competition to professional design firms and the public to submit ideas on how the city can help shape the Old Sacramento waterfront with new ideas. Winners will receive an award and the city will consider all ideas and select projects to implement. You can vote for your favorite entry till March 20^th.

It’s always strange to me when a professional design firm takes a creative license to change more than just the area of focus. Perkins Eastman does this horribly by adding eight or so building around Old Sacramento by destroying others in addition to other things not in the scope of work. Several of the concepts have fun ideas to build on, but many ideas involve busting up waterfront boardwalk the city just spent $7.7 million replacing to be ADA compliant. I’m also not loving the ideas of developing the open park space that is still in Old Sacramento.  Overall, I hope the city gets some good ideas to bring more the area. It was not that long ago the city did a similar competition for the Capitol Mall, I wonder if anything will even come of that?

Go here to vote: http://www.cityofsacramento.org/WIM

Waterfront idea makers competition, Stantec

Gold Rush Days are Back!

Sacramento's Gold Rush Days

Old Sacramento's annual festival to “turned back the clock,” transforming Sacramento’s historic district into a scene straight out of the 1850s will return this year after a cancelling it last year due to the drought and water needed to keep the dust down. According to The Sacramento Bee, the big difference this year compared to previous years is that the street won’t be covered in dirt. Instead, the city plans to use the $25,000 it spends on water and dirt towards enhancing performances at the event. Come celebrate Sacramento’s heritage – Labor Day Weekend Aug. 4-7th 2015

I’m glad to see this event is back, it’s my favorite to see with my kids. Hopefully the dirt streets will return next year with some rain. 

Sacramento's Gold Rush Days

Sacramento's Gold Rush Days

2nd Street & Capitol Mall Connector

2nd Street and Capitol Mall Connector Bridge

Construction of a new entrance into Old Sacramento at Capitol Mall and 2nd Street and installation of wider sidewalks on the O Street Bridge over I-5 will begin in July.  Work is expected to be finished in fall of 2016, ahead of the opening of the Golden 1 Center.

The Riverfront Reconnection Project includes construction of the 2nd Street and Capitol Mall Connector Bridge providing a new entrance for cars, bicycles and pedestrians into Old Sacramento from Capitol Mall at 2nd Street and Neasham Circle.  Improvements to the Capitol Mall Bridge over I-5 include the addition of green bike lanes, wider sidewalks, and street planters.  The project will also include the construction of wider sidewalks and new railings on the O Street Bridge across I-5 adjacent to the Crocker Art Museum. The estimated total project cost is $13.5 million. Funding is provided by federal and local matching funds.

2nd Street and Capitol Mall Connector Bridge

“The project will enhance connections to the riverfront, Old Sacramento, the Crocker Art Museum, and Capitol Mall,” said City Project Manager Zuhair Amawi.  “The City’s goal is to improve circulation and access for visitors going to some of Sacramento’s most popular destinations.”

2nd Street and Capitol Mall Connector Bridge

Prior to the start of construction, the City is hosting a community meeting to share information about the construction schedule and traffic detours.  The community is invited to attend the meeting on Wednesday, July 1 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the Stanford Gallery, 111 I Street, Old Sacramento.  A brief presentation will begin at 6 p.m.  City staff and members of the project team will be available to answer questions.

To learn more about the project, and sign up to receive email updates visit the City’s Project Page.  Questions about the open house and the project can be directed to info@riverfrontreconnect.org

http://sacramentocityexpress.com/2015/06/26/2nd-street-and-capitol-mall-connector-to-provide-new-entrance-into-old-sac/ 

Gold Rush Days 2012

Old Sacramento Gold Rush Days - Front Street

Gold Rush Days are a celebration of Sacramento's heritage.  This Labor Day Weekend Aug. 31st - Sept. 3rd., more than 200 tons of dirt pave the streets in Old Sacramento as this annual festival "turns back the clock," transforming Sacramento's historic district into a scene straight out of the 1850s. Hundreds of costumed performers take on the roles of celebrities, personalities and just plain folks, bringing history to life while bluegrass pickers and old-timey Musicians performed on several stages, evoking the vivid tunes of the times.

Events and performances throughout the district are FREE to the public. Please click here for the entertainment schedule.

Old Sacramento Theatre of Lights

Back for the third year, event-goers will experience the Old Sacramento Theatre of Lights. Each night a symphony of lights, sounds and visual effects will take the audience back to a time when the beloved poem The Night Before Christmas was first introduced in Sacramento in 1857.

The Old Sacramento Theatre of Lights will run two 20-minute light shows at 6:15 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. every Thursday through Sunday until December 18. The shows will begin running every night from December 19-23 at the same times. The Christmas Eve show will only be at 6:15 p.m. New Year’s Eve will feature Theatre of Lights as an important piece of the overall fireworks spectacular with shows running later in the evening at 8:15 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

http://downtownsac.org/events/theater-of-lights/

Sacramento's 12th Annual Gold Rush Days

Sacramento’s heritage celebration-is scheduled for Labor Day Weekend. More than 200 tons of dirt will be dumped on the streets of Old Sacramento as the annual festival "turns back the clock," transforming Sacramento’s historic district into a scene straight out of the 1850s. Costumed re-enactors, Wild West gun fights, musicians playing period instruments, and many aspects of life during the Gold Rush will be highlighted during the four-day event.

FREE Event
.
Dates:
September 2-September 5, 2011

Times:
Fri 9am-4pm
Sat 11am-7pm
Sun 11am-7pm
Mon 11am-4pm

Parking:
Tower Garage and the Old Sacramento Garage (I Street enterance) will have pre-paid parking, $8

Old Sacramento State Historic Park

Today the Planning Commission will hear a Preliminary General Plan/Draft EIR for the Old Sacramento State Historic Park reconstruction project. The current draft plan includes; Horse Car Loop  (circling around Front Street, I Street, L Street, 2nd Street) and 17 mile Railroad Operation, reconstruct buildings of the 1860’s-70’s at the current Old Sacramento State Historic Park, viewing of sunken ship, improved bike trail to the foot of J Street, restore passenger station to 1873 appearance with a restaurant and excursion train boarding down to the Sacramento Zoo and as far as Pocket/Meadowview and Hood area. The formal planning process started in Fall 2010 and public viewing will availlable till Spring 2012. No estimated construction costs have been mentioned yet. Read more here at the California State Parks site.

 

Old Sacramento - Gold Rush Days

I took this set late summer during Gold Rush days in Old Sacramento. I plan to have them up on my website soon, but until then please follow this link here.
 

The Orleans

The other day I got to tour of The Orleans in Old Sac and think it's a very nice project. The rebuilt Orleans was just completed at a cost $12 million and has 24 rental units with space for retail or a restaurant on the ground floor.









The views from the top floors are awesome... the city view looking east is cool but the sound off I-5 is pretty loud if your out on the deck. The western views are great with the tower bridge on the left and trees everywhere. It sure would be exciting to wake up every morning in the heart of historic Sacramento and walk down the wooden sidewalks to start the day.