New Website Coming Soon!

I am in the process of doing a huge update to my website and blog!

My blog still contain all sorts of great information of news and events in and around East Sac as well as updates on the real estate market. The format will be a bit more dynamic and located as a page within my full real estate website  You can still reach it by going to www.WelcomeToEastSacramento.com or by going through the primary website at http://WelcomeToEastSac.com/blog/.

I've also made great changes to my real estate website and now have it located at www.WelcomeToEastSac.com. The website has greatly improved search features including an improved Map Search, a detailed Advanced Search, the ability to search by Address, MLS number and even preset searches for some of my favorite neighborhoods like East Sac, Land Park, Sierra & Arden Oaks, Curtis Park, River Park, Elmhurst and Midtown / Downtown.

I've also been able to upload many of my past client thank you notes and referral letters in a Testimonial section. Turns out that I had over 50 great letters, notes, comment cards and Yelp reviews to post to the new website!

The new website even has a great way of sharing my Referral Network great companies that I have worked with and would recommend to my friends.

With the launch of my new website will come a new email address. While Nathan@East-Sac.com will still get to me, I'm switching over to Nathan@WelcomeToEastSac.com to have a cohesive brand (and so I don't have to explain the "dash" between East and Sac every time I give out my email over the phone).

I'm really excited about the new site and blog. I hope that you like it too!

Urban Renaissance Home Tour

As fun as it can be to watch home improvement and remodeling shows on TV, it's even better when you can see the results of such hard work in person. Next Sunday, September 28, from 10am-4pm, the Urban Renaissance Home Tour offers just that opportunity, by showcasing some of the finest new and remodeled homes in East Sac.

Five of them, to be exact. They are described as a "Hampton Cottage in Black & White," a "Stately City Home; A Downsizer's Dream," an "Arts and Crafts Revival with Modern Touches," a home exemplifying "European Country Living," and a "Tudor Updated for Three Generations." 

So if you're looking for inspiration for your own remodel, or just want a fun day out to ooh and ahh, this is the perfect event for you. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 the day of the tour, with proceeds going to benefit the McKinley Park Renewal Fund. For more information and to buy tickets, go to www.sacurbanhometour.com.

Edible Gardens Tour

This Saturday, September 13, get ready to salivate over some of the most delicious edible gardens in East Sac at the 4th Annual Edible Gardens Tour. This year, from 10am-4pm, host Soroptomist International of Sacramento will open the gates to six unique edible gardens. In addition to getting ideas for your own garden, you will enjoy music by Sacramento Symphonic Winds, get to chat with Master Gardeners and have the chance to win great door prizes. 

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 the day of the event, with proceeds going to support two local charities: the Sierra Forever Families Camp Wonder program, and St. John's Shelter Program for Real Change Employment Readiness Program (Plates Cafe). For more information and to buy advance tickets, go to the Soroptomist website at www.soroptimistsacramento.com. 

Sac Open Studios

Over the course of two weekends, more than 100 Sacramento area artists will open their studios to the public during the Sac Open Studios tour. It will be a great way for the community to become more familiar with the kinds of art and artists that the area produces—and be able to buy some of that art, too. 

Each weekend will feature artists from different regions in Sacramento. The first weekend (September 13-14) will have studios open in Downtown, Midtown, Land Park and West Sac. Then the following weekend (September 20-21), studios in East Sac, Arden, Tahoe Park, Carmichael and Fair Oaks will be open. 

To get a taste of what you can expect with the event, there will be a free preview exhibition at Verge Center for the Arts from 6-9pm on Thursday, September 11. Otherwise, for more information, including a downloadable guide of all the participating artists, go to sacopenstudios.com. 

Sweatin' for McKinley

If you're feeling a little guilty after eating so much the night before at Food Truck Mania--or you just wanna get out and have fun learning to be fit and healthy--then come on by the 3rd annual Sweatin' For McKinley health fair and fitness camp this Saturday morning, September 13. The event runs from 8:30am-12pm and will feature classes like Zumba, boxing, flag football, soccer, yoga, Pilates, kids camps and adult boot camps. Not to mention the many vendors, displays, raffles and prizes that will be available at the fair. 

While general admission to the fair is free, a $15 Fitness Pass will get you into as many of the fitness classes as you want. All proceeds from the event will go to support the McKinley Park Renewal Fund, which helps maintain the Clunie Community Center and the McKinley Rose Garden. For more information, and to buy Fitness Passes in advance, go to www.sweatingformckinley.com.

Food Truck Mania

The ever-popular Food Truck Mania returns once again to McKinley Park this Friday, September 12. From 5-8pm, enjoy the delicious bites from one, two or, if you think you're up to the challenge, all 11 food trucks that will be on hand. For adults, the food will be supplemented by refreshments in the beer and wine gardens and live music by The Soulshakers. And the kids will enjoy playing around in the bounce house, the face painting and balloons.

Presented by Councilmember Steve Cohn and Sacramento Mobile Food Events (SactoMoFo). For more information, go to sactomofo.com.

McKinley Park Tree Tour

This Thursday, September 11, come on by McKinley Park for what will be the Sacramento Tree Foundation's last park tree tour of the season. From 6-7:30pm, attendees will be guided through the park by a certified arborist. You can commune with nature tech-free, or bring along a tablet or smartphone to learn how to use the GreenprintMaps app to identify trees.

Visitors will congregate in the Shepard Garden and Arts Center parking lot wearing comfortable walking shoes and their own water as needed. For more information, go to www.sactree.com or call (916) 974-4333.

Fire Station Open House

The Sacramento Fire Department's oldest functioning fire station, Fire Station 4, will hold an open house for the public this coming Saturday, September 6, from 2-4pm. Originally built in midtown in 1902, the fire station moved to East Sac in 1933. As such, it is celebrating its 81^st year at its current location at 3145 Granada Way (near Alhambra). 

People are encouraged to come on by to meet the staff, tour the facilities and get information on fire safety. For more information, call (916) 808-1011 or go to sacfire.org.

Hair & Fashion Battle Expo

This Saturday, August 23, come to the Scottish Rite Center to satisfy your craving for cutting edge fashion and beauty at this year's Hair & Fashion Battle Expo. As stated on the H&F Battle website:

"Hair & Fashion Battle Expo is a professional competition & trade show presented for the benefit of enhancement of your learning and understanding in the field of hair and fashion. This event will feature the top salons and designers from Sacramento and surrounding areas, which will showcase and compete in the areas of hair, make-up and fashion for cash and other prizes. With our diverse battle and showcase this show will showcase the most innovative stylists and designers highlighting unique hair and fashion styles worn by trendy fashionistas from every background, body shape & size." 

The battle begins at 6:30pm. Tickets are $30 in advance, $40 at the door. A portion of the proceeds from the event will go to benefit the Roberts Family Development Center. For more information, go to www.hairandfashionbattle.com or call (916) 271-2351.

Glenn Hall Park Volunteer Day

This Saturday, August 23, volunteers are needed from 9am-12noon to help keep Glenn Hall Park looking neat and tidy. Tasks will include pruning hedges, weeding and planting flowerbeds. While some equipment will be available, volunteers are encouraged to bring their own gloves, hat, clippers, rakes, etc. Coffee and snacks will also be available. 

While RSVPs are preferred, drop-in help will not be turned away. For more information, email cadence@surewest.net.

Ice Cream and Magic

This year, Friends of McKinley Library will hold its annual ice cream social on Tuesday, August 19, from 5:30-7pm at McKinley Park. In addition to all the delicious free ice cream from What's the Scoop?, magician Mike Della Penna will be performing. There will also be outdoor games, children's crafts and face painting.

You can even make an evening of it and bring a picnic dinner. For more information, call (916) 264-2920.

Photographing Jewelry and Small Artworks Lecture

Anyone who sells things online and wants their products to stand out, or who is in the visual arts and trying to get their portfolio to stand out, will benefit from the Photographing Jewelry and Small Artworks Lecture that will be held at the Shepard Garden and Arts Center this Monday, August 18, from 1-2:30pm. 

Artist and photographer Charr Crail will discuss lighting, set-up, backdrops, equipment, necessary file formats for online presentation and how to devise your signature look. This lecture is presented by the Sacramento Center for the Textile Arts (SCTA). Admission for non-SCTA members is $10, while members get in free. 

This lecture will be followed next Monday by a hands-on workshop. For more information about both sessions, call (916) 736-2014 or email bosley.diana@gmail.com.

Sutter's Fort 175th Anniversary

175 years ago, John Sutter arrived in the Sacramento area, leading to the construction of Sutter's Fort, discovery of gold and the eventual founding of Sacramento. To commemorate Sutter's arrival in August of 1839, Sutter's Fort State Historical Park will conduct a special Hands On History event. 

From 10am to 5pm this Saturday, August 16, you can relive history through a display of rare Sutter family and Fort artifacts, special guests (including Sutter family descendants) and a variety of interactive activities. These will include pioneer dress-up, cooking demonstrations, a corn husk doll craft station, period games for kids, and much more. 

Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for children 6-17 and free for children 5 and under. For more information, go to www.suttersfort.org or call (916) 445-4422.

McKinley Park Tree Tour

The next free Sacramento Tree Foundation tour of McKinley Park's numerous trees will take place this Tuesday, August 12, from 6:30-8pm. Attendees will meet up at the Shepard Garden and Arts Center parking lot. From there, a certified arborist will lead the tour through the park.

Anyone attending is encouraged to come ready with comfortable shoes, water if the weather's hot and, for the technologically inclined, a smartphone or tablet to learn how to use the tree mapping app GreenprintMaps. For more information and to sign up for the tour, go to www.sactree.com.

Food Truck Mania August 8th

Yay, it's here again! This Friday, August 8, stop by McKinley Park from 5-8pm to enjoy the latest round of amazing food trucks. This month's lineup will offer dinner and dessert that purists, adventurers, carnivores, herbivores, kids and adults will all enjoy. 

Live music will be played throughout the evening by The Pressure Lounge. For adults, there will be a beer garden and wine garden. And for the kids, there is a bounce house, face painting and balloons. For more information, go to sactomofo.com.

I hope to see you there!

National Night Out

More than 30 years ago, the National Night Out was devised in an effort to heighten awareness about crime and drug prevention, encourage support of and participation in neighborhood anti-crime programs and generally enhance community spirit. The 31st Annual National Night Out continues this tradition, and takes place tonight Tuesday, August 5, from 6-10pm.

Neighborhoods can participate by holding block parties, barbeques, ice cream socials, etc. East Sacramento Preservation will be holding its own event at 926 43rd St. from 6-8pm. In addition to free ice cream, local elected officials and reps from area fire departments and police are expected to be on hand to chat with East Sac residents and answer questions. For more information, contact jbonner@pd.cityofsacramento.org or call (916) 808-6467.

My wife and I have organized our own block party BBQ and Neighborhood Watch kickoff meeting tonight as well. We've invited every neighbor on our block as well as the neighboring block that our street ends into. We are providing the hotdogs, bottled water and lots of safety information. It's time to stop the wave of crime that has swept through our neighborhood!

Mulch Madness

It's been a long, hot summer so far, and there's plenty more to come. Mulch Madness, organized by the Sacramento Tree Foundation, will help protect the trees in McKinley Park from the dry conditions. The mulch rings applied around the bases of new and established trees throughout the park will help keep the soil cool, retain moisture and prevent weeds.

This Monday, August 4, from 6:30 to 8pm, volunteers of all ages are encouraged to help out--with or without their own gloves, wheelbarrows and rakes. For more information and to fill out the Volunteer Release form, go to www.sactree.com.

Fab '40s 5K Run/Walk

It is no exaggeration to say that Alzheimer's disease affects millions of Americans. Odds are that, even if you don't have anyone in your family with Alzheimer's, you know someone who has. In order to support the families and caregivers of those with Alzheimer's disease, the East Lawn Memorial Park will hold its 6th Annual 5K walk/run through the scenic Fab 40's neighborhood this Saturday, July 26. 

More than 1200 people are expected to participate in this popular event. The course starts and ends in East Lawn Memorial Park. The main part of the course is back and forth along M Street, with a loop around next to East Portal Park. With the tree-lined streets and the exquisite architecture of Fab '40s homes, this is truly a gorgeous way to support a great cause. 

Registration is $35 for adults, and $16 for the kids' fun runs. For more information and to register online, go to fab40s5k.org or call (916) 492-8966.

McKinley Park Tree Tour

Sure, you might appreciate the beauty of the trees in McKinley Park, but how much do you know about them, really? To learn more, stop by the parking lot near the Shepard Garden and Arts Center to take a tour of the park from 6:30-8pm on July 22nd, led by a certified arborist.

The only requirements are comfortable shoes and water if the weather is warm. Optional, but encouraged, is to bring along your smartphone or tablet to learn how to identify and map trees using the GreenprintMaps app. For more information, and to sign up for the tour, go to www.sactree.com.

38th Street Annual Blood Drive

For the 6th year, Alice McAuliffe and her husband Pat will host a blood drive outside their home at 1141 38th Street, complete with refreshments and East Sac neighborhood camaraderie. On Thursday, July 17, from 3 to 7pm, two bloodmobiles from BloodSource will be taking donations. This year, the goal is to collect 45 pints of blood to help patients and hospitals during the busy summer months. 

A set appointment during the hours of the event is required to donate. To do so, go to bloodsource.org/drives and enter location code M597. For more information, you can also call Alice directly at (916) 451-5507 (she is a wonderful lady to talk with, so you might want to call instead of going online)

I regularly give blood at the downtown BloodSource location at 16th and Q and this will be my first year of joining my neighbors in the local blood drive. I've already set up my appointment to go and give blood and I hope to see a lot of you there!