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Art

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

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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

Art

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

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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/

Art

Goodwill Central Coast Launches Donation Drives Across Three Counties on the Central Coast

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Residents of the Central Coast can make a difference in their communities, empower people to work and preserve the landscape by diverting millions of pounds from landfills by donating to Goodwill Central Coast today.

Salinas, CA, June 03, 2019 — Residents of the Central Coast can make a difference in their communities, empower people to work and preserve the landscape by diverting millions of pounds from landfills by donating to Goodwill Central Coast today.

Goodwill Central Coast is encouraging residents in Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Luis Obispo counties to donate to their local Goodwill store or donation station. From home pick-ups to tax write- offs, Goodwill makes giving to Goodwill as easy as possible.

It’s easy to declutter when you know Goodwill will be there to accept your donations and repurpose those items that don’t “spark joy” in you, but may do so for someone else.

Retail sales from donated items allows Goodwill to continue empowering thousands of people through employment every year. Goodwill gratefully accepts everything from clothing and accessories to small household appliances and furniture, electronics, books, fine china, art and other collectibles in good or new condition.

For more information, contact Goodwill at 1-800-894-8440 or donorservicessc@ccgoodwill.org, ccgoodwill.com or facebook.com/goodwillcentralcoast.

About Goodwill Central Coast

Goodwill Central Coast, a private 501(c)3 non-profit organization, began in 1928 in the city of Santa Cruz and today has expanded into three counties: Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Luis Obispo. Goodwill Central Coast now employs over 600 people, including employment training professionals, sales personnel, donation center attendants, warehouse and distribution workers, and administrators. Its programs strengthen communities by improving job growth, the lives of individuals and families, and the health of our environment. Each year Goodwill assists more than 13,000 job seekers get back to work and reclaim financial and personal independence. Goodwill provides a positive learning environment that creates brighter futures through connecting people to meaningful work.

Goodwill Central Coast

1566 Moffet Street

Salinas, CA 93905

(831) 423-8611

https://www.ccgoodwill.org

Contact:

Marci Bracco Cain

Chatterbox PR

Salinas, CA 93901

(831) 747-7455

https://www.ccgoodwill.org

Art

2019 Monterey County Fair Entertainment Goes Country with a Little Classic Rock Too, Aug. 29-Sept. 2

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The 2019 Monterey County Fair will be going country this year, with a little classic rock thrown in for its free music entertainment on the Garden Stage during the run of the fair, Aug. 29-Sept. 2, 2019.

Monterey, CA, June 03, 2019 — The 2019 Monterey County Fair will be going country this year, with a little classic rock thrown in for its free music entertainment on the Garden Stage during the run of the fair, Aug. 29-Sept. 2, 2019.

Country star Mitchell TenPenny, whose 2018 hit “Drunk Me” hit #6 on the U.S. country charts, tops the list of country artists to headline, which includes Carrie Underwood Tribute and Garth Guy, a tribute to Garth Brooks. Journey Revisited, a tribute to the great Bay Area band, will also perform during the fair.

Nashville resident Tenpenny released his debut album, “Black Crow,” in 2015, and his second album and full-length major label debut album “Telling All My Secrets” in 2018.

All live music is free with fair admission. A full schedule of entertainment will be released this summer.

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

Travel

New Cottage Collection at Cinnamon Shore North Offers Small-Scale Luxury and Classic Coastal Charm

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Seven Fountain Plaza Cottages accommodate vacation homebuyers seeking smaller properties, with prices starting in the $400,000s.

Port Aransas, Texas, May 30, 2019 — Sea Oats Group announces the ground-breaking of Fountain Plaza Cottages – a collection of seven, small-scale beach homes grouped inside a landscaped courtyard at Cinnamon Shore North. Each cottage is under 1,000 square feet, with names like Minnow and Scallop to denote their diminutive scale.

“We’re excited to offer these one- and two-bedroom, single-family cottage homes — and to work with a quality builder like Waggoner Custom Homes,” says Developer Jeff Lamkin of Sea Oats Group, Inc. “Not everyone needs a multi-story, multi-bedroom space at the coast, but they still want privacy and the charm of a community like Cinnamon Shore.”

The Fountain Plaza Cottages offer very livable floor plans, with ingenious use of spacethat capitalizes on the Tiny House movement and on the down-sizing trend among American homebuyers. Yet each showcases the rigorous design standards of Cinnamon Shore. Home plans by Schnell Urban Design, LLC, celebrate classic cottage architecture, with design details such as dormer windows, exposed rafter tails, decorative porch railings, and ideas from beach communities that have stood the test of time.

Of four home designs, three will repeat in the plaza, giving the group aesthetic continuity. They range from a 749-square-feet plan for cottages named Seahorse and Minnow to a 971-square-foot design for a pair of homes called Sand Crab and Starfish. There’s an 853-square-foot plan for two, one-bedroom cottages, Sand Dollar and Scallop, while Piggy Perch, with one bedroom, 841 square feet and a crowning cupola, serves as a focal point for the enclave.

“It’s been so much fun to look at these plans and prepare to build these classic cottages,” says Pete Waggoner of Waggoner Custom Homes, based in Port Aransas. “There’s such innovative use of space inside, while the porches and balconies really foster a sense of relaxation and community.”

Fourth-generation German carpenters, Waggoner and his brother, Tim, trained as true apprentices in the craft. They developed loyal crews who have worked with them on projects from the West Coast back into the heart of Texas and along the Lone Star State’s Coastal Bend, where they’ve built homes for the past 14 years. The sought-after duo has already contributed their skills to Cinnamon Shore, building several homes there, including the Coastal Living Idea House in 2015. “We’re glad to bring a new collection of cottages and a new style of single-family residences to the Cinnamon Shore village,” Tim Waggoner says. “It’s really an amazing collection with such great curb appeal.”

 

The Fountain Plaza Cottages are going up just beyond the Social Circle, helping to finish one side of Cinnamon Shore North. The community has grown for more than a decadeand nears completion, while it recently broke ground on an expansion, Cinnamon Shore South, located just one mile away.

Another group of smaller homes – Sunset Cottages – is also under way at Cinnamon Shore North, offering more small-scale alternatives for Texas homebuyers.“Both sets ofimpeccably designed cottages add mores options for those looking to invest in coastal real estate or to establish a go-to getaway on the Texas Coast,” says Jodi Peters, managing broker at Cinnamon Shore Realty.

Known for its welcoming, cottage charm and resort-like amenities, Cinnamon Shore represents the best of coastal architecture and quality construction on the Texas Coast. For more about real estate, visit http://www.cinnamonshorerealty.com/ or call 361-749-1851. For more on the community, visit https://www.cinnamonshore.com/.

Contact: Jennifer Smith, 210.343.9522 jennifer@cinnamonshore.com

About Cinnamon Shore

Cinnamon Shore is a pedestrian-friendly planned community nestled behind the protective dunes on Mustang Island along the Texas Gulf Coast. It is the first new urbanism development for Sea Oats Group, which is fulfilling its vision of a traditional seaside village with a wide array of amenities and recreational facilities intertwined with beach cottages, luxury villas and vibrant town centers. Now comprised of two communities –the original, Cinnamon Shore North, and its new, 150-acre, Gulf-side expansion, Cinnamon Shore South–the master planembraces the natural ambience of Mustang Island and the slow-paced charm of a walkable neighborhood. For more, visit http://www.CinnamonShore.com, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (@CinnamonShore).

About Sea Oats Group

Port Aransas-based Sea Oats Group is one of the most successful developers of coastal properties in any market nationwide, including the Texas Gulf Coast, where the value of its beachfront portfolio is unequalled. The firm is dedicated to creating traditional neighborhood developments that provide residents with the highest possible quality of life, while preserving the integrity of the resort landscapes they occupy. By combining living spaces with retail areas in a walkable, connected plan, Sea Oats Group weaves together beautiful places to live, work and play. For more information, visit www.SeaOatsGroup.com.

Contact:

Marci Bracco Cain

Chatterbox PR

Salinas, CA 93901

(831) 747-7455

https://www.cinnamonshore.com

Art

CELEBRATION ’69, a Multimedia, Rock and Roll Experience Featuring Live music, Images and Storytelling, is back by Popular Demand

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CELEBRATION ’69, a multimedia, rock and roll experience featuring live music, images and storytelling will hit the stage again July 12, 13 and 14 at Monterey Peninsula College as a benefit for the MPC Theatre Company.

Salinas, CA, May 27, 2019 – CELEBRATION ’69, a multimedia, rock and roll experience featuring live music, images and storytelling will hit the stage again July 12, 13 and 14 at Monterey Peninsula College as a benefit for the MPC Theatre Company.

ID for pictures:

Band with Hendrix – From L Justin Noseworthy, Mark Shilstone-Laurent, Dustin Carroll, Jeff Covell

“The Celebration ’69 band rocks a Jimi Hendrix song.”

Band plays zep – From L Justin Noseworthy, Rod Wilson, Mark Shilstone-Laurent, Dustin Carroll, Jeff Covell

“The Celebration ’69 band rocks Led Zeppelin.”

Credit: Richard Green

CELEBRATION ’69, a multimedia, rock and roll experience featuring live music, images and storytelling, is back by popular demand. The show will hit the stage again July 12, 13 and 14 in the Morgan Stock Theater at Monterey Peninsula College as a benefit for the MPC Theatre Company Charitable Trust. Performances start at 7:30 on the 12th and 13th, and at 2 pm on Sunday, the 14th. VIP Experience tickets are available for the Friday evening performance.

CELEBRATION ’69, which played to sold out audiences earlier this year at Hartnell College, celebrates the Golden Anniversary of 1969, the single most amazing year of the 20th century. The show focuses on stories about six of the year’s most iconic historical events, including, among others, Woodstock, the Apollo 11 moonwalk and the Manson family murders. As transitional links, a live band on stage plays medleys of songs released that year including hits from Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Cream, Santana and more. And all the while, visual images, both historical and musical, bring the era back to life.

Mark Shilstone-Laurent, the show’s creator and lead singer for the on stage band says of the show, “We try to recapture the essence of that crazy year by flooding the stage with music and images and stories. And although this thing may LOOK like a play, it’s definitely more of a party. We’ve chosen songs we think audiences will be familiar with and we encourage them to sing along whenever they like. And if the performances earlier in the year at Hartnell College are any indication, audiences aren’t the least bit shy about joining in!”

The show features photos from the collection of rock photographer/journalist Stephen Robert Caraway who passed away in 2015 but left a treasure chest of iconic images from rock and roll’s biggest stars dating all the way back to 1967. The show is a memorial to Mr. Caraway’s photos as well as his spirit that never really lost track of what the 60’s tried to be all about – peace and love.

Again, Shilstone-Laurent, “Although CELEBRATION ’69 plays right into the wheelhouse of the Boomers who lived it, it’s a show for anyone who may be curious as to why the 60’s and its music are considered such a big deal – or for history buffs that understand just how crazy unique 1969 was, and want to relive it both musically and historically.”

For reservations, go to mpctheatre.com. Or you can call the box office at 831-646-4213. For more information and to view photos from the Hartnell performance in February, go to celebration69.com.

Contact:

Marci Bracco Cain

Chatterbox PR

Salinas, CA 93901

(831) 747-7455

http://www.celebration69.com

Travel

Big Sur Foragers Festival Dates Announced: January 16 – 19, 2020

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Foragers Festival Fungus Face Off to be Held at Big Sur River Inn Saturday, January 18, 2020

Big Sur, CA, May 24, 2019 – The historic Big Sur River Inn serves as the host and backdrop of one of the Big Sur Foragers Festival‘s most popular events, the “Fungus Face-Off,” set for Saturday, Jan. 18, 2020.

Confirmed Partners

Wineries:

Bernardus Winery

Chappellet

Mesa Del Sol

Chefs:

Big Sur River Inn

Montrio Bistro

Rio Grill

Tarpy’s Roadhouse

The Face-Off at the River Inn, set under the oaks overlooking the Big Sur River, features celebrated local chefs competing for the best foraged dish, and will include food tastings, fine wines, craft beers, raffles, a silent auction and more.

This event sells out early, and tickets will be on sale through EventBrite starting July 2019.

The River Inn has a significant presence in Big Sur history and lore. The inn’s history goes back to 1888, when Jay Pheneger acquired a 160-acre parcel from the federal government and gave his name to the creek that bounds the River Inn on the south.

Homesteaders Barbara and Michael Pfeiffer bought the property, and in 1926, Michael, and Barbra’s son John took over the land on which the Big Sur River Inn now stands. The inn was opened in 1934 by his daughter Ellen Brown. She opened her living and dining rooms to the public and began serving hot apple pie, which is still served today and gave the place its first name, Apple Pie Inn. Lodging units were built and Big Sur’s first resort was established.

In 1943, Ellen’s sister, Esther Pfeiffer Ewoldson and her husband, Hans, took over the operation. Esther replaced her mother as Big Sur Postmaster and the Post Office was moved to the River Inn, situated where the front office of the motel is now.

With a lot of help, Hans built the General Store and lodging units 10 through 15. He rebuilt the dining room and “fixed it up fancy.”

The Pfeiffer and the Ewoldson families started a tradition at the Big Sur River Inn of fine food, excellent service, and warm hospitality. In 1988, the Perlmutter family, along with a small group of close friends, formed a partnership to carry on that tradition.

For the second year, the Big Sur River Inn extends its tradition of hospitality to host the Big Sur Foragers Festival.

The Foragers Festival has traditionally served as a fundraiser for the Big Sur Health Center. The community’s non-profit health center will receive the proceeds from the foraging events to continue to support the presence of local health care services in the Big Sur area.

The four-day festival affords Big Sur area restaurants the opportunity to host the culinary expertise of notable chefs, who will be preparing unique fare ranging from rustic to elegant, paired alongside the central coast region’s amazing selection of wine and beer.

In addition to the Fungus Face-Off, events will include:

A Thursday Night Fundraiser at Lugano’s Swiss Bistro. Details to come.

Friday night winemaker’s dinners as locations around Monterey County include Il Grillo in Carmel-by-the-Sea

Saturday Foraging walk led by local experts. “Wild Mushroom Walks and Talk”

Sunday we are finalizing several brunch fundraisers around Monterey County.

Stay tuned for more details coming soon. For event details and venue information, visit www.bigsurforagersfestival.org.

Contact:

Marci Bracco Cain

Chatterbox PR

Salinas, CA 93901

(831) 747-7455

http://www.bigsurforagersfestival.org

Business

Café Fina Restaurant on Fisherman’s Wharf will celebrate its 30th anniversary this summer!

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One of the Monterey Peninsulas most renowned and cherished restaurants turns 30 this summer.

Salinas, CA, May 22, 2019 – One of the Monterey Peninsulas most renowned and cherished restaurants turns 30 this summer. Café Fina on Fisherman’s Wharf will celebrate its 30th anniversary this June 28th. Family recipes passed down from grandmother to mother are still used at Café Fina to provide an authentic Italian seafood experience right here in Monterey. In this Italian cuisine, fresh fish and homemade pasta has been the main course since 1989.

Owner Dominic Mercurio remembers playing and working on the wharf since he was just a child, “a bunch of us used to come down her every day in the summer time. We were 10 or 11 and would leave home in the morning and not go back until dark.” “My father Jean introduced my brother and I to the fishing industry and shared everything we knew. We are proud to continue his legacy.”

Some years later, Dominic opened his own Italian seafood restaurant in Monterey, naming it after his mother Josephina.

Dominic’s excellent cooking has enabled him to be the sole caterer for John Madden’s induction ceremony into the Football Hall of Fame in 2006. Dominic has earned visits from Rachel Ray, the Hillstrand Brothers of the Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch and other TV, Movie and Sport stars including the great Joe DiMaggio. Dominic is also committed to his local community, donating on as regular basis to a number of organizations in the Monterey Area.

In the coming months Café Fina will be rolling back prices on specialty food items and drinks to 1989 prices. Special pricing will include spaghetti and meatballs, pizza and wine.

Join Café Fina as they celebrate 30 years this June and thank the many loyal local customers who have made the last 30 years so special!

Contact: Chris Chidlaw

Chidlaw Marketing

Chidlawmarketing@comcast.net

831-594-2962

Contact:

Marci Bracco Cain

Chatterbox PR

Salinas, CA 93901

(831) 747-7455

https://www.cafefina.com/

Art

Renowned Florist and Floral Designer Teresa Sabankaya of Bonny Doon Garden Company in California to Release First Book, Launch Book-Signing Tour

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Renowned florist and floral designer Teresa Sabankaya, founder and owner of Bonny Doon Garden Company, will release her first book in May and hold several book-signings and events over the course of several months in 2019.

Bonny Doon, CA, May 21, 2019 — Renowned florist and floral designer Teresa Sabankaya, founder and owner of Bonny Doon Garden Company, will release her first book in May and hold several book-signings and events over the course of several months in 2019.

Sabankaya’s book, “The Posy Book,” which was released Tuesday, May 7 on the Countryman Press imprint, explores one of her favorite topic, posies, a garden-inspired flower arrangement that conveys a message in the language of flowers.

Her book-signing tour includes the following:

>Tuesday, May 28, Books, Inc., Campbell, California

>Wednesday, June 5, 7 p.m., Gilroy Library, 350 W. Sixth St., Gilroy, California

>Friday, June 7, Filoli, 86 Cañada Road, Woodside, California

>Saturday, June 8, noon, Monterey Bay Greenhouse Growers Open House, California Pajarosa Floral, 133 Hughes Road, Watsonville

>Saturday, June 15, Book Passage at Ferry Building, San Francisco, California

>Thursday, June 27, A Garden Party Posy book-signing at Bachman’s Floral, Home & Garden; Minneapolis, Minnesota

>Monday-Wednesday, July 1-3, Slow Flowers Summit in Minneapolis, Minnesota

>Thursday, August 29, 7 p.m., Blue Willow Books, 14532 Memorial Drive, Houston Texas

>Tuesday, Sept. 3, Central Texas Gardener Radio Show, Austin, Texas

>Tuesday, Sept. 3, 7 p.m., Slow North, Austin, Texas

>Wednesday, Sept. 4, Posy Workshop, book-signing at Slow North, Austin, Texas

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, a posy is a small, round bouquet of flowers, herbs, and plants meant to convey a message, such as dahlias for gratitude, sunflowers for adoration, or thyme for bravery; she shares her favorites for every occasion.

Sabankaya’s trademarked creations, Bonny Doon 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.

Founded in 1999, Bonny Doon Garden Company is a full-service floral design studio, florist, and botanical gift shop located inside New Leaf Community market in west side Santa Cruz.

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.”

She is a Certified Green Gardener; a member of Slowflowers.com, an online directory of florists who source their materials locally; and Greatgardenspeakers.com.

The Countryman Press has a long history as an independent publisher. Now owned by W. W. Norton and Company, Inc., Countryman and its books continue to grow both in scope and number.

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

Business

Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History Extends Opening Hours to 7 Days a Week

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The Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History is now open seven days a week.

Pacific Grove, CA, May 15, 2019 — The Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History is now open seven days a week.

The hours for the Museum, 165 Forest Ave., Pacific Grove, are 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., daily, and on Mondays will remain open until 7 p.m., during the summertime farmer’s market (Memorial Day to Labor Day).

The Museum is closed for major holidays. Please check the Museum’s event calendar (https://www.pgmuseum.org/museum-events?view=calendar&month=05-2019) for holiday information.

The Museum will be closed Thursday, July 4, 2019, in observance of Independence Day; at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, to prepare for the 135th Anniversary Gala; Thursday, Nov. 28, for the Thanksgiving holiday; Wednesday, Dec. 25, for the Christmas holiday; and Wednesday, Jan. 1, for New Year’s Day. The Museum is ADA accessible and a wheelchair is available upon request.

The reason the Museum elected to open for seven days is, as a well-used free resource for Monterey County, there will be more chances to accommodate families and field trips, and allow out-of-town visitors an extra day to visit the Museum.

For more information on the museum, 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.

Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History

165 Forest Ave., Pacific Grove, CA, 93950

(831) 648-5716

Fax: (831) 648-5755

admin@pgmuseum.Org

www.pgmuseum.org

Contact:

Marci Bracco Cain

Chatterbox PR

Salinas, CA 93901

(831) 747-7455

http://www.pgmuseum.org