Category Archives: Art

Natividad Farmers’ Market on July 10 Features Plant-Based Chef Sherrie Ransom

The Everyone’s Harvest Market held Wednesdays from 11:00 am to 3:30.p.m. Cooking Demonstration Starts at Noon.

Salinas, CA, June 18, 2019 — Chef Sherrie Ransom of Green Being Cuisine is the featured chef at Natividad’s weekly Farmers’ Market on Wednesday, July 10.

Ransom’s cooking demonstration at noon features a no-sugar-added Fruit and Chia Pudding Parfait (see recipe below).

The California Certified Farmers’ Market, run by Everyone’s Harvest, is held every Wednesday from May 15 through October. The market is open from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. outside of Building 200, Outpatient Services, located at 1441 Constitution Blvd.

“We are excited to have Chef Sherrie join us again on July 10 to help us continue to promote wellness and healthy eating,” said Natividad Assistant Administrator Andrea Rosenberg. “Sherrie is one of the top chefs in Monterey County when it comes to plant-based dishes and healthy eating, so it’s a great opportunity for the community to learn from her.”

Natividad’s Farmers’ Market features fresh, high-quality fruits and vegetables, many of which are certified organic. The market also features a wide selection of food, coffee, flowers, live plants, and unique gifts and services from small-scale family farmers and local independent businesses. Shoppers support local California growers and entrepreneurs in the Salinas community, Rosenberg said.

Vendors participating this year include Stackhouse Brothers, Rodriguez Ranch, Golden Flowers, Gallardo’s Organics, Mai Thai Cuisine, Mix of Flavors, Chava’s Corn, Fruitas Fresca Barajas, Perfect Crumb, The Bearded Bean, Castellano Organic Farm, Hummus Heaven, and Luke’s Mobile Massage.

The Farmers’ Market 2019 lineup also features regular cooking demos and tastings from local chefs, Everyone’s Harvest team members and hospital staff members. Attendees of these demos enjoy a sample of the featured recipe and take home a recipe card. The cooking demonstration dates and chefs are posted at Everyone’s Harvest’s webpage at everyonesharvest.org.

Ransom is a plant-based chef in Monterey County, providing personal chef services, classes, recipe development and consultation.

“I’m very particular about what I eat and know it can be a challenge to find the time and resources to prepare nutritious meals, especially when traveling,” she said. “I’m delighted to be able to provide fresh options for locals and visitors to the Monterey area.”

Ransom earned her degree in biology and went on to complete certification as a Gourmet Raw Food Chef, Culinary Instructor and Nutrition Educator. She was an Instructor for Living Light Culinary Institute before founding Green Being Cuisine. Her dishes and classes highlight fresh, whole foods with a playful appreciation of flavor and texture.

“I’m grateful to live on the central coast. Every week my local farmers offer a wide variety of fresh, organic produce,” she said. “I strive to feature these beautiful ingredients in all their glory as well as share how simple and delicious healthy foods can be.”

No-Sugar-Added Fruit and Chia Pudding Parfait

By Chef Sherrie Ransom, Owner and Executive Chef of Green Being Cuisine

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh strawberries, chopped

1 cup fresh blueberries

6 tablespoons chia seeds

2 cups coconut milk (or other liquid)

1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

Seeds or nuts (optional)

Whipped Topping:

½ cup coconut cream

2 tablespoons cashew cream

1 tablespoon honey (optional)

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 teaspoons psyllium powder

Directions:

For whipped topping, blend all ingredients until smooth, adding psyllium last. Chill 30 minutes or more.

In a small bowl, blend 1/2 cup strawberries with 1/2 cup coconut milk until smooth. Stir in 2 tablespoons chia seeds.

In a small bowl, blend 1/2 cup blueberries with 1/2 cup coconut milk until smooth. Stir in 2 tablespoons chia seeds.

In a small bowl, combine 1 cup coconut milk with vanilla. Stir in 4 tablespoons chia seeds. Set aside.

Allow all three mixtures to thicken for 30 minutes or more, or in the fridge overnight.

In individual parfait glasses or mason jars, begin to build your parfait in layers, starting with the strawberry chia, then coconut chia, then blueberry chia, and finally another layer of coconut chia. Top with remaining fruit and a dollop of the whipped cream topping. Optional: sprinkle with nuts or seeds.

Variations:

Use any seasonal fruit.

Layer fresh fruit between the chia layers.

Create a chocolate layer by blending until smooth: 1 cup coconut milk, 1/2 blended avocado, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 tablespoons cacao powder, 1 to 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup. Stir in 2 tablespoons chia seeds. Chill 30 minutes or more.

Tips:

If adding blended fruit (including avocado) to the chia, use less chia or more liquid. Fruit has natural pectin and will act as a thickener.

Prepare in serving size dishes or jars the night before. The next day: grab and go.

The chia pudding can be prepared with any liquid. Try it with juices, teas, nut or seed milks, water.

Chia seeds absorb 10 -12x their volume of liquid. If you garnish a dish with dry seeds, drink lots of water to avoid dehydration. Soaked seeds can offer extra hydration because of the liquid they hold.

Soaked chia seeds can be used replace eggs in a recipe; 1/2 tablespoon soaked seeds per egg.

Ground chia seeds can be used as a flour and binder in a recipe.

Media Contact:

Marci Bracco, Chatterbox PR

marci@chatterboxpublicrelations.com, 831-747-7455

About Natividad

Natividad is an acute care hospital and Trauma Center providing high-quality health care to everyone in Monterey County, regardless of ability to pay. Located in Salinas, Calif., Natividad is a public health care system offering a wide range of inpatient, outpatient, emergency, diagnostic and specialty medical care. Founded in 1886, the 172-bed medical center has more than 10,000 admissions and 52,000 emergency visits annually. Home to the area’s only Level II Trauma Center, the hospital’s specialized personnel, equipment and services provide a vital local community service that saves lives and keeps patients close to home. Natividad’s Baby-Friendly® facility delivered more than 2,200 babies last year and is affiliated with UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals. It also operates an accredited Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, giving the tiniest and most fragile babies — some as small as one pound — the best chance for a healthy start. Through its UCSF-accredited Family Medicine Residency Training Program, Natividad is the only teaching hospital on the Central Coast. For more information, please call (831) 755-4111 or visit www.natividad.com.

Contact:

Marci Bracco Cain

Chatterbox PR

Salinas, CA 93901

(831) 747-7455

Home – Natividad: Inspiring healthy lives

Monterey County Fair & Event Center May Be the Perfect Location for Quinceañeras New Event Options Include Bringing Your Own Food or Caterer and Hosted Keg Prices Have Been Lowered

Don’t Forget to Refer a Friend to for an Event Rental and Receive a $50 Visa Gift Card and 10% Off Your Referral!

Monterey, CA, June 17, 2019 — Finding and booking a venue for a Quinceañera, the celebration of a girl’s 15th birthday, has never been easier thanks to the Monterey County Fair & Event Center, which can make this special day as fun and easy as possible.

Whether it is a small private affair or a large grand event, the event center offers magnificent landscapes, both indoor and outdoor venues, lowered prices and flexible terms, and a variety of amenities, making it the perfect location for your event.

For example, hosted keg prices have been lowered to $325 domestic and $375 imported, which is almost $100 lower than previously. Also, clients do not have to use a preferred caterer and can bring their own food and/or utilize their own caterer.

Packages can include tables and chairs, power pedestal, insurance, event staffing, janitorial services, and security services for events up to 400 guests. For various room rental packages, go to https://montereycountyfair.com/pdf/events/room_packages_2019.pdf.

Partnering with the Butterfly Boutique (http://www.butterflyboutique11.com/index.html) the team at the Monterey County Fair & Event Center is committed to helping you create the most special day of your life by bringing to reality your vision and dreams.

And now, when you refer a friend to an event, you will receive a $50 Visa Gift Card once the contract is signed and your referral will receive 10% off as well.

The event center’s Quinceañera expert, Nicolette Aldrete, can help you coordinate the details. Call her at 831-372-5863, ext. 304.

About the Monterey County Fair & Event Center

The Monterey County Fair & Event Center is a premier event center set on 22 oak-studded acres with ample parking. It is a state-owned multi-use facility that features four large banquet rooms, two outdoor concert venues, and a variety of outdoor and indoor cost-effective sites ideal for all types of events. It is home of the annual award-winning Monterey County Fair, host to many major and private events on the Central Coast, and the site of the Monterey Bay Race Place, a Satellite Wagering Facility.

For more information, contact the Fair Administration Office, at 2004 Fairground Road in Monterey, by calling (831) 372-5863 or go to www.montereycountyfair.com for more information.

Contact:

Marci Bracco Cain

Chatterbox PR

Salinas, CA 93901

(831) 747-7455

http://www.montereycountyfair.com

World’s Top Sand-Sculpting Company to Create Giant Sand Sculpture for 2019 Monterey County Fair, Aug. 29-Sept. 2

The world’s foremost sand-sculpting company, Sandscapes, will create a giant sand sculpture reflecting the theme of this year’s Monterey County Fair, Aug. 29-Sept. 2, 2019.

Monterey, CA, June 14, 2019 — The world’s foremost sand-sculpting company, Sandcapes, will create a giant sand sculpture reflecting the theme of this year’s Monterey County Fair, Aug. 29-Sept. 2, 2019.

The sand sculpture will feature sea otters on a roller coaster, reflecting the fair’s theme, “High Tides and Carnival Rides.”

Sandcapes emerged in the mid-’80s from the competitive sand sculpture scene on the beaches of Southern California. Originally performing at corporate events and summer beach festivals, demand soon exploded as Sandscapes’ sculptors formed the leading edge as the world’s first full-time professional sand sculptors.

In addition to numerous national, international, and regional sand sculpture titles, Sandcapes holds 12 separate World Sand Sculpting Championships titles. Averaging 40 sculptures annually, their sculptors have created over 1,000 sculptures at major venues around the world.

For more information on Sandscapes, go to http://www.sandscapes.com/.

The Monterey County Fair will run from Thursday, Aug. 29-Monday, Sept. 2, 2019, at the Monterey County Fair & Event Center, 2004 Fairground Road, in Monterey.

About the Monterey County Fair & Event Center

The Monterey County Fair & Event Center is a premier event center set on 22 oak-studded acres with ample parking. It is a state-owned multi-use facility that features four large banquet rooms, two outdoor concert venues, and a variety of outdoor and indoor cost-effective sites ideal for all types of events. It is home of the annual award-winning Monterey County Fair, host to many major and private events on the Central Coast, and the site of the Monterey Bay Race Place, a Satellite Wagering Facility.

For more information, contact the Fair Administration Office, at 2004 Fairground Road in Monterey, by calling (831) 372-5863 or go to www.montereycountyfair.com for more information.

Contact:

Marci Bracco Cain

Chatterbox PR

Salinas, CA 93901

(831) 747-7455

http://www.sandscapes.com/

Entries Open Online for Home Goods, Art, Crafts, Livestock Entries at 2019 Monterey County Fair, Aug. 29-Sept. 2

Are you a creative amateur photographer, love to bake, make your own beer, sew your own clothes, adept at arts and crafts or raise livestock?

Monterey, CA, June 13, 2019 — Are you a creative amateur photographer, love to bake, make your own beer, sew your own clothes, adept at arts and crafts or raise livestock? You can now enter your products or projects for judging and display online for this year’s Fair, Aug. 29-Sept. 2, 2019.

The Fair’s exhibit program is an excellent way for you to show off your talents, earn bragging rights and, above all, have fun. A 2019 Entry Guide Book, which has all the information you need to enter, such as due dates, deadlines, rules and regulations, and local rules is available at www.montereycountyfair.com.

All entries must be entered online only, with the exception of the wool department. To enter online, go to https://montereycountyfair.com/exhibits-junior-livestock-auction/.

Printed entry guidebooks will be available in the Fair Administration Office at 2004 Fairground Road in Monterey, at all Monterey County libraries, and at Beverly’s Fabric & Crafts (Monterey), Joann Fabrics & Crafts (Salinas) and Michaels Arts & Crafts (Marina and Salinas). If you have questions, you can call the Entry Office at (831) 372-1000.

All of the divisions and classes will be judged under the American system and/or the Danish system. The American judging process ranks exhibits against one another and awards one first place, one second, etc. The Danish judging process compares each exhibit on its own merits against the scorecard or recognized standard and awards as many first places, etc. as merited.

New this year, 4-H and FFA non-livestock entries will win cash prizes.

The Monterey County Fair will run from Thursday, Aug. 29-Monday, Sept. 2, 2019, at the Monterey County Fair & Event Center, 2004 Fairground Road, in Monterey. The theme of the 2019 fair is “High Tides and Carnival Rides.”

About the Monterey County Fair & Event Center

The Monterey County Fair & Event Center is a premier event center set on 22 oak-studded acres with ample parking. It is a state-owned multi-use facility that features four large banquet rooms, two outdoor concert venues, and a variety of outdoor and indoor cost-effective sites ideal for all types of events. It is home of the annual award-winning Monterey County Fair, host to many major and private events on the Central Coast, and the site of the Monterey Bay Race Place, a Satellite Wagering Facility.

For more information, contact the Fair Administration Office, at 2004 Fairground Road in Monterey, by calling (831) 372-5863 or go to www.montereycountyfair.com for more information.

Contact:

Marci Bracco Cain

Chatterbox PR

Salinas, CA 93901

(831) 747-7455

http://www.montereycountyfair.com

CHICAGO THE MUSICAL Broadway Master Class with Leigh Zimmerman

Broadway star and Olivier Award-Winning actress Leigh Zimmerman teaches choreography, scenes and songs from the original revival of Chicago The Musical.

Carmel, CA, June 12, 2019 – Broadway star and Olivier Award-Winning actress Leigh Zimmerman teaches choreography, scenes and songs from the original revival of Chicago The Musical. Leigh brings this unique Broadway Master Class to the Monterey Peninsula at Carmel Academy of Performing Arts.

Leigh Zimmerman is an award winning multi-talented actress, singer and dancer whose career successfully spans stage, screen, and television in both the US and the UK. She has starred in numerous Broadway and West End musicals and plays, including the original cast of the Broadway revival of Chicago The Musical, A Chorus Line, and The Producers. She has appeared in over 25 films and television shows including Home Alone 2, United 93, Person of Interest, and NUMB3RS.

Since 2003, Leigh has been teaching Master Classes in musical theater all around the world. She has received international praise and acclaim for sharing her knowledge and expertise with established and aspiring entertainment industry professionals.

Join Leigh in two special sessions:

Saturday, August 3, 2019 10am-5pm

*Adults*

Sunday, August 11, 2019 10am-5pm

*12-18 years old*

One day $125.00 per person

Bring your own lunch and water bottle

BOOK NOW:

www.LeighZimmerman.com/Masterclass

Carmel Academy of Performing Arts

Mission Street & 8th

Carmel, CA

(831) 624-3729

LEIGH ZIMMERMAN BIOGRAPHY

Leigh Zimmerman is an Olivier Award-Winning, multi-talented actress, singer, and dancer whose career successfully spans stage, screen, and television in both the US and the UK. She is a leading entertainment professional, business owner, teacher, mother, wife, and activist.

Leigh is also proud to hold both American and British citizenship, which allows her to live and work all over the world. Leigh has starred in numerous Broadway and West End musicals and plays including the original cast of the Broadway revival of Chicago The Musical, A Chorus Line, The Producers, Relative Values, The Seven Year Itch, Contact, Crazy For You, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, and The Will Rogers Follies. She has appeared in over 25 films and television shows including Home Alone 2, Proof, United 93, W.E., Person Of Interest, NUMB3RS, Feel The Force, Doctors and One Life To Live.

Leigh has dedicated her professional career to the art of truthful storytelling through words, music and movement. In addition to her work as a performer, Leigh has been teaching master classes since 2003 in musical theater, acting and audition techniques all over the world. She has received international praise and acclaim for sharing her knowledge and expertise with established and aspiring entertainment industry professionals.

Contact:

Marci Bracco Cain

Chatterbox PR

Salinas, CA 93901

(831) 747-7455

http://www.LeighZimmerman.com/Masterclass

Renowned Florist and Floral Designer Teresa Sabankaya of Bonny Doon Garden Company In California Releases First Book, Launches Book-Signing Tour

When Teresa Sabankaya started her flower business in 1999 by growing her own assortment of boutique cut flowers, and later opened her own flower shop in Santa Cruz, precious few women were involved in growing and selling their own flowers and floral arrangements.

Bonny Doon, CA, June 11, 2019 — When Teresa Sabankaya started her flower business in 1999 by growing her own assortment of boutique cut flowers, and later opened her own flower shop in Santa Cruz, precious few women were involved in growing and selling their own flowers and floral arrangements. She is at the front of the farmer-florist movement, recognizing the importance of American Grown flowers and how to source them.

Now, 20 years later, Sabankaya is not only a renowned florist and innovative and in-demand floral designer, she is a pioneer of the Slow Flowers ™ movement, is an Advanced Certified Green Gardener, and now an author of a book on flowers.

Sabankaya’s “The Posy Book,” which was recently released on the Countryman Press imprint, explores one of her favorite topics, posies, a garden-inspired flower arrangement that conveys a message in the language of flowers.

In “The Posy Book,” Sabankaya, founder and creative director of Bonny Doon Garden Company, a full service floral design studio, Santa Cruz florist and botanical gift shop, shares what has become her signature — posies. Inspired by the Victorian-era language of flowers, Teresa’s modern-day posy is a gathering of flowers, herbs, and plants meant to convey messages such as Happy Birthday, Sympathy, Housewarming, and so much more! The Posy Book is the ultimate inspiration book, resource directory, instruction and historical reference book, and provides how-to and step by step directions on how the everyday person can use garden flowers and commercially grown cut flowers to create a modern-day floral design that uses the language of flowers to create a wide array of greetings and messages to it’s recipient.

Sabankaya and her posies have been a core part of her retail business from the beginning and have been featured in such media as CBS Sunday Morning, Romantic Homes magazine, San Francisco Chronicle, Santa Cruz Sentinel and The New York Times.

Sabankaya holds an influential position as one of the most innovative florists in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her floral designs are highly desirable due to their unique style of arranging and elegant garden appeal. Her wedding florals have been featured in numerous wedding blogs and magazines including Smitten, Sweet Violet Bride, Style Me Pretty and Green Wedding Shoes.

She has been featured in Amy Stewart’s “Flower Confidential” book as well as her blog, and was featured “like a florist from 100 years ago” in the PBS documentary “Botany of Desire,” based on Michael Pollen’s bestseller “Botany of Desire.”

Sabankaya is an instructor of floral design and can be frequently seen leading workshops and presentations about flowers in many levels. Her “Posy in your Pocket” presentations have been highly attended at the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show, the Monterey Home and Garden Expo, Filoli Estate, and many garden clubs and nurseries.

She is an Advanced Certified Green Gardener, a member of Slow Flowers ™, Great Garden Speakers, and the California State Floral Association.

She kicked off her book-signing and floral demonstration tour on May 8 at Bookshop Santa Cruz, in Santa Cruz, California.

The Bonny Doon Garden Company

1101 Fair Ave.

Santa Cruz, CA 95060

www.bonnydoongardenco.com

http://www.teresasabankaya.com/

teresa@teresasabankaya.com

(831) 566-9925

Contact:

Marci Bracco Cain

Chatterbox PR

Salinas, CA 93901

(831) 747-7455

http://www.bonnydoongardenco.com

2019 Monterey County Fair Advance Ticketholders Can Get Free Rides on Monterey Salinas Transit during Fair, Aug. 29-Sept. 2 & Free Shuttle Rides from MPC, Friday Through Monday

Patrons of the 2019 The Monterey County Fair can get free bus rides on Monterey Salinas Transit from anywhere in Monterey County during the run of the fair, Aug. 29-Sept. 2, 2019, at the Monterey County Fair & Event Center.

Monterey, CA, June 08, 2019 — Patrons of the 2019 The Monterey County Fair can get free bus rides on Monterey Salinas Transit from anywhere in Monterey County during the run of the fair, Aug. 29-Sept. 2, 2019, at the Monterey County Fair & Event Center.

Patrons need only show a ticket purchased online or at Costco to get a free ride and will be dropped off adjacent to the Monterey County Fair at a convenient MST Bus Stop.

MST is also offering free shuttle service Friday through Monday between the Monterey County Fair and Monterey Peninsula College’s Parking Lot A at Via Lavandera on campus. Patrons will be dropped off at Gate 3, at the fair.

The shuttle departs every 10 minutes during these hours:

Friday 3:00 – 11:20 p.m.

Saturday & Sunday 10:10 a.m. – 11:20 p.m.

Monday 10:10 a.m. – 9:40 p.m.

Paid parking for the fair is available Thursday through Saturday at Monterey Pines Golf Course for $12, and starting at 3 p.m. Friday through Monday, at MPC for $8.

For information on MST, call 888-MST-BUS1 or go to the website at www.mst.org.

The Fair will be held Aug. 29-Sept. 2, 2019, at the Monterey County Fair & Event Center, 2004 Fairground Road in Monterey. The Fair’s theme this year is “High Tides and Carnival Rides.”

About the Monterey County Fair & Event Center

The Monterey County Fair & Event Center is a premier event center set on 22 oak-studded acres with ample parking. It is a state-owned multi-use facility that features four large banquet rooms, two outdoor concert venues, and a variety of outdoor and indoor cost-effective sites ideal for all types of events. It is home of the annual award-winning Monterey County Fair, host to many major and private events on the Central Coast, and the site of the Monterey Bay Race Place, a Satellite Wagering Facility.

For more information, contact the Fair Administration Office, at 2004 Fairground Road in Monterey, by calling (831) 372-5863 or go to www.montereycountyfair.com for more information.

Contact:

Marci Bracco Cain

Chatterbox PR

Salinas, CA 93901

(831) 747-7455

http://www.montereycountyfair.com

Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History Hosts Exciting, Informative Events for Both Children and Adults from June through July 2019

The Museum is Now Open 7 Days A Week.

Pacific Grove, CA, June 07, 2019 — The Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History has a number of fun and informative events for both children and adults on tap for June through July 2019.

Here are the events scheduled so far for June -July 2019. Events are held at the Museum, except where noted, at 165 Forest Ave., Pacific Grove.

Friday, June 7 – Sunday, June 9, 2019 2nd Annual Monterey Bay Jade Festival

The Monterey Bay Jade Festival is an annual gathering of jade vendors, enthusiasts, artisans and collectors with a common interest for the world of jade. This year’s event will take place at Monterey Bay Custom House Plaza, Monterey, CA 93940

Friday, June 7 from 1:00pm-7:00pm

Saturday, June 8 from 10:00am-6:00pm

Sunday, June 9 from 10:00am-4:00pm

Thursday, June 13, 2019 Hardcore Natural History Series

6:30pm – 8:00pm

Join us for a conversation about one teenager’s personal project to clean the oceans in our area. Alex Weber and her father Mike have been free diving off the coast for some time. A few years ago, Alex was struck by the number of golf balls that littered the ocean floor around Pebble Beach. Alarmed by what that addition of plastic might do to the ecosystem, she took on a personal crusade to clean the ocean floor around Pebble Beach. At HNH, we’ll be hearing more about her journey, the scientific paper she has published, and how this one project is reshaping policy and the ocean ecosystems along our coast.

$5 Members Online • $10 Non-members Online • $15 At The Door

Thursday, June 20, 2019

5:30pm-7:30pm

Volunteer Appreciation Dinner

As we wrap up Volunteer Month, we want to celebrate our volunteers who help keep the museum running! We could not do it without you, and to show our appreciation, we invite our volunteers to the museum for Volunteer Appreciation Dinner. We will have a raffle for prizes and will be giving out awards for an evening our volunteers will not want to miss!

Friday, June 28, 2019 False Food Exhibition Opening Reception

False Food seeks to bring awareness to plastic pollution and the imperiled ecosystem through a presentation of plastic artifacts, fatally ingested by albatross, in aesthetically constructed images. With False Food, Jerry Takigawa creates paradoxical beauty that sustains the dialogue about a tragedy of our own making. This exhibit will run from Friday, June 28 through Sunday, September 15, 2019 in the museum’s Special Exhibit Gallery.

Saturday, June 29, 2019 Junior Naturalist Excursion

Moss Landing Marine Labs

10:00 am – 12:00 pm

The Junior Naturalist Club will head to Moss Landing for its June excursion to pay a visit to the famous Moss Landing Marine Labs. The club will be treated to guided tours of the MLML museum and laboratory spaces while learning about the cutting edge science and rich history of this Monterey Bay icon. The tours will start at 10:00 am. Junior Naturalist Club Membership required.

Thursday, July 18, 2019 Hardcore Natural History

The Plastic Link in the Agriculture Supply Chain

6:30pm – 8pm

Daniella Russo and Greg Baxter are the co-founders of Think Beyond Plastic, the leader of a global multidisciplinary effort to identify and commercialize upstream innovations that eliminate plastic pollution, with focus on innovative product delivery systems. At Hardcore Natural History, they’ll be discussing their work in agricultural supply chains in our area.

$5 Members Online • $10 Non-members Online • $15 At The Door

Saturday, July 20, 2019 Junior Naturalist Excursion

10am – 12pm

Garland Ranch

The Junior Naturalist Club will head back to the Carmel Valley for its July excursion, where we’ll be joined by the Museum’s Watershed Guardians Coordinator, Matt McConnell, for an exploration of the Carmel River and its many inhabitants. We’ll ‘fish’ for macroinvertebrates and hike a gentle loop trail while learning about watersheds and the importance of clean, cool rivers. Junior Naturalist Club Membership required.

Thursday, July 25, 2019 Member Event

6pm-7:30pm

With Pacific Grove’s notorious summer fog rolling in, we welcome museum members to join us inside our Bird Gallery for a special presentation of the documentary “Big Sur Fog: The Science and the History”. This will be followed by a Q&A discussion with Director and Writer Steven and Mary Albert.

For more information on Museum events, call (831) 648-5716, email admin@pgmuseum.org or go to the website at www.pgmuseum.org.

About the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History

In 1883, our museum opened its doors among the first wave of natural history museums in America. Naturalists of this era, such as John Muir And Louis Aggasiz, began a national tradition of hands-on science education and nature preservation. The museum has continued this tradition for 130 years. The museum’s mission is to inspire discovery, wonder, and stewardship of our natural world. It envisions a community of curious minds, engaged in discovering the natural heritage and cultural legacy that exist today on the Central California Coast. The Museum is a catalyst for conservation and a valued learning resource in this region, facilitating active inquiry for all ages.

Contact:

Marci Bracco Cain

Chatterbox PR

Salinas, CA 93901

(831) 747-7455

http://www.pgmuseum.org

Longtime CAPA & Dance Kids Production Designer Working on Highly Anticipated Star Wars-Themed Park at Disneyland in California

It’s one of the most ambitious and eagerly awaited theme park attractions Disney has ever attempted and longtime Dance Kids and Carmel Academy of the Performing Arts production designer Nicole Bryant Stephens has been intimately involved in its completion.

Carmel, CA, June 06, 2019 — It’s one of the most ambitious and eagerly awaited theme park attractions Disney has ever attempted and longtime Dance Kids and Carmel Academy of the Performing Arts production designer Nicole Bryant Stephens has been intimately involved in its completion.

Bryant Stephens, an independent design contractor, has been hired as a field art director for Mural Makers since November 2018, working on the massive 14-acre Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge theme park being built at Disneyland Park in California (another one is being built at Disney World in Florida). According to Disney, the attraction will be the largest single-themed land expansion ever, and will have restaurants — including the park’s first-ever cantina — rides and other experiences to offer customers a fully-immersive experience.

“It’s phenomenal to be involved in a project of this magnitude,” says Bryant-Stephens, who has worked with Dance Kids and CAPA for over 25 years. “Just walking around and seeing it come alive is incredible.”

This is not the first time she’s worked with Disney. She has worked on teams that designed and built Disneyland Hong Kong, Disney’s California Adventure, Tarzan Tree House, and Disneyland. And she’s now working with her mentors from those projects, including Walt Disney Imagineers Ron Monk, Dino Fauci and 81-year-old Stefan Borowitz, who came out of retirement to work on Galaxy’s Edge.

Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Park in Anaheim is scheduled to open on May 31, while Disney World in Florida will open at the end of summer on Aug. 29. The goal for Disney is that fans will believe they have been transported into the world of Star Wars — at the Black Spire Outpost on the planet Batuu.

“The 14-acre, themed destination at Disneyland Park in Anaheim will be unlike any attraction experienced before,” said the Hollywood Reporter, which was given a sneak preview last month. “With two state-of-the-art rides (Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run), a plethora of shops and restaurants (all in the theme of Star Wars so as not to feel like they are part of a Disney stop), jaw-dropping spectacles and full-scale droids milling about, the land delivers on the ambitious project (Disney chairman and CEO Bob ) Iger foretold when he announced the park at the D23 Expo in August 2015.”

Needless to say, the Star Wars park is the biggest project Bryant Stephens has ever worked on.

Born in New York, Bryant Stephens moved to Carmel in 1977. She was educated at Frohman Academy for Musical Theatre Education in Carmel and received her bachelor’s degree in fine art in Scenic Design from Theatre School formerly the Goodman School of Drama at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. In addition to Dance Kids and CAPA, she has designed sets for Santa Catalina School, York School, the Wharf Theatre, the Forest Theatre Guild and up in Aptos for Naatak the largest Indian Theatre group in the country. But her most extensive experience locally has been with Dance Kids and CAPA, including the annual “Nutcracker” and the Spanish-language version, “Cascanueces: A Folklorico Nutcracker.”

“My family has been extensively involved with CAPA and four generations of my family has been involved with Dance Kids’ ‘Nutcracker,’ even my grandmother, brother Joe and parents,” she says. “There couldn’t be a better creative outlet for my family than ‘Nutcracker’ and CAPA.”

Bryant Stephens has been involved in theater and dance since age 4, and by 12 began being paid for her work in technical theater. Her three children, two boys and a girl ages 7, 13 and 14, are all involved with ‘Nutcracker’, and her husband is the technical director he also helps out at home while she’s working on the Disney project in Anaheim. She has her own set and production design firm, Bottega Designs for over 27 years.

Working on a Star Wars project was one thing, but she was just as excited to be working again for Disney.

“I am a fan of Star Wars, but I’m an extreme fan of Disney,” she says, especially since being herself a Walt Disney Imagineer, for the first time in 2005 working on Hong Kong Disneyland.

Construction on the Star Wars park began in December 2017, Walt Disney Imagineering designed the project in collaboration with the Lucasfilm Story Group, with Imagineer Scott Trowbridge supervising the project, Asa Kalama and Chris Beatty serving as executive creative directors, and Lucasfilm’s Pablo Hidalgo and designer Doug Chiang of Industrial Light & Magic involved as consultants.

The team decided to create a new planet of Baatu instead of using an existing planet from the Star Wars films such as Tatooine or Hoth in order to give guests a new experience.

“We wanted to build new Star Wars stories, new Star Wars destinations, but this time you could be in that story that required us to go to a new place,” said Trowbridge to the Orlando Sentinel. “This used to be a vibrant trading port back in the old sub-lightspeed days, but now with advent of hyperspace, its prominence has kind of fallen and faded a little bit which has made it a great spot for those who didn’t want to be on that kind of mainstream path. The smugglers, the bounty hunters, the rogue adventurers looking to crew up, the people who don’t want to be found — basically all the interesting people.”

“The outpost looks lived-in and the intentional imperfections make the area feel like it’s been around for hundreds of years,” said the Hollywood Reporter. “There will be three entrances into Galaxy’s Edge, which is located north of Frontierland, where Big Thunder Ranch used to be, that also required the reconfiguration of the Disneyland Railroad and Rivers of America. Scents and music will be piped into the land, including original customized themes created by Star Wars composer John Williams.”

Bryant Stephens expects to work on the Star Wars project through April then it’s back to the Peninsula to work on local projects until Disney needs her again.

About Nicole Anne Bryant Stephens

Bryant Stephens has been a professional set designer and artist since high school. She received her BFA in Scenic Design from The Theater School formerly the Goodman School of Drama, DePaul University, Chicago, Ilinois. She has designed and worked on hundreds of productions including sets for the outdoor Forest Theater in Carmel, a variety of television specials, live musical events, theme parks and casinos.

After college, Nicole moved to Las Vegas and began work for PRG (Production Resource Group) where she expanded her skills working in casinos designing stages for a variety of shows. She was lead scenic artist for Penn and Teller’s “Sin City Spectacular” for their three-year run. After her tenure at PRG, Nicole struck out on her own, quickly building a stellar international reputation. During this time she also partnered with her family to launch Bottega Designs, where she applied her talents as a production designer and scenic artist to her father and brother’s architectural work.

Nicole has a talent and passion for teaching others new skills and techniques, directing live performances, and managing local crews as a field art director on various large casino and theme park projects.

Bottega Designs

https://nicoleannebryant.com

Contact:

Marci Bracco Cain

Chatterbox PR

Salinas, CA 93901

(831) 747-7455

https://nicoleannebryant.com

Carmel’s Yeast of Eden Brewpub Introduces New Oyster Hour and Hosts Two Acclaimed East Coast Brewmasters and Their Beers at Special Event on June 3

Carmel’s most exciting new restaurant and bar, Yeast of Eden, will launch a new Oyster Hour as well as host two acclaimed East Coast brewmasters for a major beer event at the Carmel Plaza brewpub on June 3.

Carmel, CA, June 05, 2019 — Carmel’s most exciting new restaurant and bar, Yeast of Eden, will launch a new Oyster Hour as well as host two acclaimed East Coast brewmasters for a major beer event at the Carmel Plaza brewpub on June 3.

The event will feature three draft beers from each brewery, Burial Beer out of Asheville, North California and Other Half Brewing out of Brooklyn, New York, plus an Oyster Hour with fresh oysters for $1 each, as well as food and drink specials all night.

The Oyster Hour event with the two brewmasters will be from 5-6 p.m. Monday, June 3, with happy hour from 3-5 p.m., where Yeast of Eden and Alvarado Street Brewery beers will be $4 and there will some great food specials. The new Oyster Hour will be held from 5-6 p.m. every week, Monday through Thursday.

“Both brewmasters and owners of Burial and Other Half, Douglas Reiser and Sam Richardson, will be in attendance,” said Yeast of Eden co-owner J.C. Hill. “We’ve never had the privilege of serving beers from these two breweries on the central coast, so this will be a real treat to our locals who are into craft beer.”

Hill said that the two brewmasters are attended the Firestone Walker Invitational beer festival in Paso Robles this weekend. It’s one of the most prestigious beer festivals in the country, drawing thousands of people and a highly selective list of brewers from all over the U.S. and worldwide. Alvarado Street Brewery will be participating in this festival along with their peers.

Yeast of Eden is located on the lower level of Carmel Plaza, Suite 112, at Mission Street and Seventh Avenue in Carmel-by-the-Sea.

About Yeast of Eden

Yeast of Eden started as a lighthearted pun turned passion project for co-owner J.C. Hill and now Head Brewer Andrew Rose in 2014. Born out of an obsession with oak in the early days of Alvarado Street Brewery, Hill and Rose were allured by the seemingly limitless potential of mixed fermentation beer (a catch-all term of a genre of beers that have been fermented with various microflora that includes wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria) and it’s interaction with oak wine barrels in the aging process. So much so that Yeast of Eden became it’s own brand once Alvarado Street expanded their brewery operation in 2016 with the opening of a larger production facility in Salinas.

Fast forward to December 2018, and Yeast of Eden opened its first brick-and-mortar location with a restaurant and bar in the south wing of the Carmel Plaza in downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea. The brewpub features 120 seats inside and 40 seats in an outdoor courtyard patio, all in a hip, contemporary design aesthetic. The menu features global, street-food inspired cuisine to pair with the crisp, effervescent open-fermented beers made on-site.

Yeast of Eden

Carmel Plaza, Suite 112

Mission Street & Seventh Avenue

Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93923

Opens 11:30 a.m.

Phone: (831) 293-8621

Contact:

Marci Bracco Cain

Chatterbox PR

Salinas, CA 93901

(831) 747-7455

https://yoebeer.com/