Fairytale Town will showcase a diverse selection of theater performances for children and families each weekend in April for the Children’s Theater Festival. Performing companies include the Fairytale Town Troupers, Shadow Puppet Theatre, Boxtales Theatre Company, Roseville Theatre Arts Academy and more.

“Fairytale Town is home to one of the oldest theaters in Sacramento built for children and used for children’s theater productions,” said Kathy Fleming, executive director of Fairytale Town. “Thousands of children have had their first experience with live theater in the Children’s Theater, and we are excited to continue that legacy for today’s children.”

Fairytale Town’s own repertory theatre arts program, the Fairytale Town Troupers, will kick off the Festival the weekend of April 6 and 7. The Troupers will present “Beauty and the Beat!,” a retelling of the classic fairytale with music, magic and some mid-century mod.

On April 13, Sacramento’s B Street Theatre will present the top five plays selected from the Fantasy Festival XXVII, the theatre’s annual playwriting festival and contest for students in third through eighth grades.

Shadow Puppet Theatre, based in Humboldt County, takes their shadow plays based on stories from around the world to schools, libraries and theatres throughout Northern California. On April 14, Shadow Puppet Theatre will present “Ichi the Spider,” an original story inspired by the trickster tales from West Africa.

On April 20 and 21, Boxtales Theatre Company will present “Prince Rama and the Monkey King,” based on “The Ramayana,” one of India’s most important epics and sacred texts. The Boxtales Theatre Company uses masks, movement, storytelling and live music to present myths and folklore from around the world. The Company is based in Santa Barbara, Calif. and presents their high energy and interactive theatrical experiences for youth and family audiences throughout the state.

Voice of the Wood, an educational performance group based in Davis, Calif., tells stories which celebrate diversity and the triumph of good in the human spirit. On April 27, they will present “How the Jackrabbit Got His Very Long Ears,” a Native American creation myth from the great Southwest desert.

The Roseville Theatre Arts Academy will wrap up the Festival on April 28 with “The Princess and the Pea” told in the commedia dell’arte form. The slapstick-humor in this retelling of the classic fairytale will have the whole audience laughing.

Performances are offered Saturdays and Sundays in April. Show times are 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. All performances take place in Fairytale Town’s indoor Children’s Theater.

Tickets are $2 for nonmembers in addition to park admission, and $1 for members. Tickets can be purchased at the Fairytale Town main gate or at the entrance to the Children’s Theater 15 minutes prior to show time.

For more information, visit www.fairytaletown.org or call 808-7462.

About the Shows

“Beauty and the Beat!”
April 6 and 7: At the corner coffee house, beautiful Beatrix is beloved by all-until her faltering father is forced to sell out to a big-time brute who is all business. With music, magic and some mid-century mod, the Fairytale Town Troupers present a new spin on the classic fairytale “Beauty and the Beast.”

“Fantasy Festival XXVII”
April 13: The top five plays selected from Fantasy Festival XXVII, B Street Theatre’s annual playwriting festival and contest for students in third through eighth grades, will be presented.

“Ichi the Spider”
April 14: In this original show inspired by the traditional West African trickster tales, Shadow Puppet Theatre presents the story of Ichi, a very hungry spider who will do anything to get what he needs.

“Prince Rama and the Monkey King”
April 20 and 21: Using masks, movement, storytelling and live music, the Boxtales Theatre Company tells the story of Rama of Ayodhya and his wife Sita who is abducted by a demon king, and Rama’s journey to win her back and defeat the powers of darkness in the world. Prince Rama is filled with examples of virtue, values and morality lived out in a challenging and complex world. The play is based on “The Ramayana,” one of India’s most important epics and sacred texts from the classical Sanskrit canon.

“How the Jackrabbit Got His Very Long Ears”
April 27: Voice of the Wood presents a Native American creation myth from the great Southwest desert. Jackrabbit’s job is to escort the new desert animals to their homes and explain to them why they were made special to fit into the desert environment. His inattention, or lack of hearing, leads to some hurt feelings and a new set of super-sized ears. The whole audience gets to join in the fun by hooting, howling, singing and snapping fingers during the performance.

“The Princess and the Pea”
April 28: The Roseville Theatre Arts Academy presents a humorous version of the classic fairytale told in the commedia dell’arte form. Arlequin is afraid he will be stuck playing the role of the pea, but he ends up getting to play the prince. The troupe romps through a series of hilarious princess tests with great slapstick humor. A fairy godmother in this story? Rosetta’s playing the role, whether the troupe likes it or not.

Fairytale Town unveiled a new play structure in the Sherwood Forest area of the children’s storybook park on Saturday, Feb. 16.

With earth-tone colors and forest-themed elements, the structure was custom-designed to echo the entire Sherwood Forest play set. The structure features slides, crawl tubes, a talk tube, telescope and multiple climbing apparatuses, including steps shaped as tree trunks and bedrock, an inclined log and a vertical rock climbing wall. Wood chips surrounding the base of the play structure will make for soft landings during play time on the structure.

“Sherwood Forest has been a treasured part of Fairytale Town for more than 30 years,” said Kathy Fleming, executive director of Fairytale Town. “Hundreds of thousands of children will have fun pretending they are Robin Hood or Maid Marian as they crawl on Sherwood Forest’s new play structure.”

The Sherwood Forest area of the park also includes a balance beam, a maze of Boxwood and Spring Bouquet shrubs, decorative wood sculptures and a large fixed-seating area with dining tables used by guests and birthday parties.

The new play structure was made possible in part by former Sacramento city council member Rob Fong and proceeds from Fairytale Town’s Yellow Brick Road fundraising project.

“Play time at Fairytale Town is an essential part of childhood for those that grow up in the Sacramento region, and this new play structure will help ensure the park remains a vibrant destination for future generations,” said Rob Fong, former city council member.

For more information, visit www.fairytaletown.org or call (916) 808-7462.

When Professor Francie Dillon was named Arts Educator of the Year by the Arts & Business Council of Sacramento during an Oct. 12 luncheon, she wasn’t sure how to get her message across in her acceptance speech. So she borrowed lessons from the hokey pokey.
Dillon teaches Literature for Children and has been performing for years at venues such as Fairytale Town and the Sacramento Public  Library, where her shows have been aimed at bringing literature to children.
She has a reputation for throwing herself into her shows, and some of her fans have been very enthusiastic about her performances.  Following one show in front of young children, a 4-year-old came up to her and said, “When it’s time, I think I’ll hire you for my wedding.”
But Dillon has had to curtail many of her activities because of an undiagnosed neurological problem that has affected her mobility and speech. “I was concerned that if I did win, would my body allow me to say what I wanted to say, the way I wanted to say it.”
While approaching the stage, she was helped by Sacramento Business Journal columnist Ed Goldman and found her strength. “It was like the person who lectures and is the entertainer came out, and it all fell into place,” Dillon says.
Noting that her success has occurred through many components, Dillon quoted the hokey pokey to the audience. “When I put my right  hand in, always at the other end has been my family and my friends who believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself.”
Left hand, right leg and left leg represent Fairytale Town, the library, the Sacramento Bee, and fans young and old. “And when you shake yourself all about, that’s when you acknowledge what it is to be human – the creativity, curiosity and participation in life. That is what it’s all about.”
Dillon was one of three nominees. The others were Art Professor Elaine O’Brien – who also is a Sacramento State instructor – and  Milton Bowens, lead artist in residence at the Twin Rivers Unified School District.
Dillon’s award was one of several given out Oct. 12. For more information, visit www.sacabc.org/programs/prelude-to-the-season/. For media assistance regarding Sacramento State’s arts programs, call the University’s Public Affairs office at (916) 278-6156.

For 22 years, Francie Dillon has entertained children and families with her mix of music and storytelling, everywhere from Fairytale Town to area schools to hospital bedsides.

Now battling an undiagnosed neurological disorder, the community is rallying to support Francie in her time of need with “Celebrate Francie” – a fundraising event on Friday, Nov. 2 at Fairytale Town.

“Francie touches people’s hearts and particularly the hearts of children,” explains Terry Foley, organizer of Celebrate Francie. “It was a no-brainer that people would want to come together for her. If you had to choose a person for which you were going to do something, you might as well choose someone that everybody loves, and everybody loves Francie.”

The “Voice of Fairytale Town”
Dillon – who was just named Arts Educator of the Year by the Arts & Business Council of Sacramento, according to an article in the Modesto Bee – says she first started her business, then named Jazz Babies, in 1991 by teaching music appreciation in preschools.

During this time, a parent asked her if she performed at birthday parties. “I remember looking at her and thinking you’ve got to be kidding, right?” Dillon says with a laugh. “I didn’t even know people could do this for birthday parties!”

Dillon decided to take a shot at performing at a private engagement, which eventually lead her to perform at the former Thursday Night Market on K Street and eventually Fairytale Town. Dillon says her first performance at Fairytale Town was the “most unique feeling in the world” and she walked away from it thoroughly enjoying the experience. “That was the kind of thing that started me on the avenue of being an entertainer,” she adds.

For at least 15 years Dillon has been a special guest performer and program MC at Fairytale Town, according to the park’s Executive Director Kathy Fleming. However, Dillon is mainly known for the 25 storybook boxes that are stationed at each of Fairytale Town’s sets throughout the park. The stories and songs she recorded for them, earned her the name the “Voice of Fairytale Town,” Fleming says.

“She brings a love of literature, a love of play and fun to Fairytale Town,” Fleming says when asked what Dillon brought to the park as a performer. “She brings her essence and it just represents what we do here so well, so it worked out well to have her as much as she’s been here.”

Overcoming Obstacles
From there, Dillon continued to perform and went on to record and publish her own album, “The Toy Box,” which won the National Parents Choice Approval Award. She also began to cross over to teach adults how to bring music into the school setting through presenting at childhood education conferences, and currently teaching children’s literature at California State University Sacramento.

Dillon says teaching other adults is crucial to her now with the physical limitations she is now experiencing. “It’s very important that adults see the potential for creativity and joy that comes from music and storytelling, and for them to present it in such a way that we release the excitement about it,” she adds.

In July 2011, Dillon sought medical attention for the symptoms of her condition, left her nearly bedridden. Although she has some mobility, her lack of balance affects her walk and leaves her unable to walk very far without needing to sit, and her speech alternates between normal and slurred. And her energy declined to where her Monday night lectures at Sacramento State left her incapacitated for the rest of the week.

Currently Dillon’s condition has been undiagnosed by doctors, though they recognize it as a neurological disorder. Dillon says she is determined to find an answer.

“I’ve never felt like a victim,” Dillon says. “I’ve never felt like why me? It has been more of a what can I do to understand this, overcome this, to get through this.”

Celebrate Francie
Now unable to perform as she once did, Dillon is facing some financial hardships. To help her get through this period in her life, some of Dillon’s friends asked her if they could put on a benefit to help raise money for her. Although Dillon says she was reluctant at first, they talked her into it and she finally agreed. “That is the hardest thing to be on the receiving end of such generosity,” Dillon adds with emotion in her voice.

The benefit, Celebrate Francie, is being run by Foley, who was first introduced by Dillon when he hired her to perform at children’s programs for Borders Books & Music in the Sacramento area. After hearing about Dillon’s medical issues, Foley decided to step forward to take on the fundraiser.

The event will be held on Friday, Nov. 2, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at Fairytale Town, which Fleming says is the logical place for it to happen. “Francie played a major role in the re-invigoration of Fairytale Town, so it just made sense,” she says.

Foley says the fundraiser will feature a performance by Northern California band Mumbo Gumbo, as well as family programming. He says further information can be found at CelebrateFrancie.com, where community members can also purchase tickets for the fundraiser and make donations. Additionally a trust fund for Dillon has been established at the Chase Bank on Florin Road in Sacramento.

“This is not a sad event – it’s a happy event and it’s a way for people to come together and celebrate Francie and the contribution she has made,” Foley says. “And really that is what makes up the fabric of our community or any community is people coming together to honor and support one another.”

Dillon says the money raised will allow her to take the steps she needs to adapt her past career as a children’s entertainer to a new one that works within her current situation, as she knows she still has more to give.

“I can’t believe that the universe is willing to let me just dissolve without making further contributions, I cannot believe that is the plan,” Dillon says. “I believe I’ve got something to give that will benefit and be of service, and now it’s my job to discover that. This benefit will give me the breathing room to make that happen, and to me the greatest gift of all is the room to discover that.”

Celebrate Francie will take place Friday, Nov. 2, from 5:30-8:30pm at Fairytale Town. To purchase tickets and for further information, visit CelebrateFrancie.com.

Corrie@valcomnews.com

On Sunday, Sept. 9, Land Park’s own Fairytale Town celebrated the 33rd annual National Grandparents Day by offering grandparents free admission to the park with their grandchildren. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., grandparents with children ages 0-12 explored all the fun and games for no cost at all. The program, made possible by ScholarShare College Savings, encourages Sacramento’s grandparents to connect with their grandchildren through play and activities.

The park offered plenty of opportunities for grandparents and children to have fun together, from a live performance on the lawn to chalk art and scavenger hunts. Special workshops were held in shaded pavilions that gave families the chance to play prince or princess with props sized for kids and adults, and finger painting tables large enough for children and their grandparents were abundant. The play structures scattered through the park provided excellent photo ops for grandparents to capture some memories with their grandkids in pictures. Many of these structures are designed such that smaller kids are able to climb up towards the shoulders of adults, so that older family members don’t have to kneel; the sighs of relief were audible from the knees of the seniors.

The design of the park couldn’t have been more perfect for the occasion. The large number of trees growing around the walkways, providing plenty of shade, blocked the hot summer sun. Only the number of benches matched the amount of foliage, so that the seniors could keep cool and rested as they watched their second generation of progeny run around and play.

Doris Jane, a Land Park local, has been enjoying the scenery for years. Several sets of grandchildren have kept her coming back again and again. “They love the slides,” she said. It’s the park itself that she and grandpa love. The shade is wonderful, she explained, and it keeps the park nice and cool. “[The staff] has kept the park up nicely,” she said confidently, leading one to believe that the pleasant atmosphere this year was not just an isolated event. It’s no coincidence that the park has been able to keep bringing the summer crowds, both young and old, for all this time.

Fairytale Town’s Land Park setting was ideal considering how many people attended the event. Residents from all over Sacramento, as well as tourists from outside the state and even outside the country, were greeted by adequate parking spaces on the surrounding streets. Additionally, hungry patrons found themselves within easy walking distance from several restaurants, although the park’s snack stand offered plenty of cheap, healthy meals for both kids and adults.

If you missed the event, or just did not get enough time with your grandchild and want more to enjoy the park, Fairytale Town would like to remind you that September is Grandparents Month. Through Sept. 28, the park is offering free admission and activities for grandparents and their grandchildren Monday through Friday, from 2 to 5 p.m.

jcooper@valcomnews.com

With the holiday season upon us, it’s time to start thinking about ways to keep the family and kids entertained during those long breaks from school. Luckily, the Sacramento region offers a full slate of family- and kid-friendly events, attractions and places that can help fend off that inevitable declaration of “I’m bored!” that you know you’ll hear once all the new toys have been opened and played with.

Fairytale Town

Saturday, Dec. 10 will be a winter wonderland at Fairytale Town, with a hands-on celebration of holiday arts and crafts from around the world. Santa’s workshop will be open with Santa on hand, with photos with Santa available for $5.

Regular winter hours at Fairytale Town are Thursdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., weather permitting.

Skating

Ice and rolling skating are two ways to burn off some of those holiday calories; both are offered at multiple spots around the Sacramento region. Ice skaters can lace up their skates at the downtown Sacramento Ice Rink, located at St. Rose of Lima Park at 7th and K streets, and at Skatetown Roseville, 1009 Orlando Ave. in Roseville.

The Downtown Ice Rink is open daily through Jan. 16, 2012. Hours are Mondays through Thursdays from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m., and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Holiday hours of 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. will be offered on Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day. The rink is closed Christmas Day. Admission is $8 for a two-hour session, and skate rental is $2. A full calendar of special events, like Disco night, Ugly Sweater Day, and a Luau, can be found at http://downtownsac.org/events/westfield-downtown-plaza-ice-rink.

Skatetown Roseville offers two NHL-sized indoor ice rinks, learn-to-skate classes, hockey league play, ice skating coaching, and more. A full list of dates and times, information about admission and rental costs, and holiday hours is available online at www.skatetown-roseville.com.

If roller skating is more your style, Foothill Skate Inn, located at 4700 Auburn Blvd., is your spot. The facility’s typical weekly winter schedule includes open skating sessions on Sunday afternoons between 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., Monday nights from 6:30 p.m. until 10 p.m., Wednesday family skate nights from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday evenings between 6:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., and Saturdays from 11 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. and again from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. every Saturday night. See www.foothillskateinn.com for more information.

Animal adventures

Animal lovers have plenty of holiday options at the area’s various zoos, nature centers, and parks.

Another Land Park staple, the Sacramento Zoo, is located at 3930 South Land Park Drive. The zoo is open daily from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., with the exceptions of Christmas Day, when the zoo is closed, and Christmas Eve, when it is open from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and admission is free.

Several special events are planned at the zoo throughout the holidays. Zoo visitors who bring a non-perishable food item or a new, unwrapped toy when they visit the Zoo by Dec. 24 will receive $1 off zoo admission. Food donations benefit the Sacramento Food Bank and families in need; toy donations benefit Toys for Tots.

On weekends in December, zoo visitors will be able to buy handcrafted wreaths and zoo-grown mistletoe to benefit the American Association of Zookeepers, and on Saturday, Dec. 10, the zoo’s animals will open their holiday presents. On Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, the zoo will be open from 10 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. for a special pajama party, with free admission and zoo staff wearing their finest jammies.

The Effie Yeaw Nature Center in Ancil Hoffman Park in Carmichael offers quiet trails, wildlife viewing opportunities, and interactive exhibits for the entire family. For more details, visit http://www.sacnaturecenter.net/.

The December schedule includes a special holiday shopping event scheduled from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, with all profits from this annual sale benefitting the center’s educational programs. Shoppers can help nature education programs and pick up bargains for the nature lovers and kids on their lists.

A birding basics program will begin at 1:30 p.m. Dec. 4. At 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, guests are invited to explore the river’s edge, which provides habitat for beavers, otters, herons, and other wildlife. Cold-blooded creatures will be the featured attraction at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18, and at 10:30 a.m. on Christmas Eve, visitors can hear a Native American story about the coyote and get a close-up look at a coyote pelt, skull and mounted specimen. Finally, at 10:30 a.m. on New Year’s Eve, visitors can meet the center’s newest animal resident, a young great horned owl, and learn how these impressive birds earned the fearsome nickname “Flying Tiger.”

mmaloney@valcomnews.com

The recession has hit the wallets of the majority in this country in one way or another. Local governments are not immune from having to make changes to their day-to-day spending either. People have been laid off and services once taken for granted have been eliminated completely.

But in Land Park, despite the recession and deep budget cuts, residents have found a way to sprout something positive: in the form of the community-driven Land Park Volunteer Corps.

If you live near or frequent William Land Park on the weekends, you have probably seen members of this group hard at work tidying up the park and surrounding areas. That is where the group meets each month to take part in what they call “park work days.”

Craig Powell, lead coordinator of the group, described how the community came together to beautify the park.

“I used to be a member of the Land Park Community Association and I saw first-hand how deep the budget cuts were every year,” Powell said. “I didn’t want to see our beautiful parks deteriorate before our eyes.”

Initially it was hard to get the word out about helping clean up the area, but Powell said he always had a feeling that if they put out a call, the community would answer. On May 1, 2010, Powell and associates delivered 1,000 letters to Land Park residents asking for workers and donations.

He hoped for a few volunteers and perhaps a few hundred dollars in total.

Instead, Powell was met with a staggering 400-plus number of volunteers and over $9,000 in donations. Since that time, the volunteer corps has gone to work reinvigorating the park.

The work days, which take place the first Saturday of each month, begin behind Fairytale Town at 8 a.m. for a breakfast that is catered by local businesses. At 8:25 a.m., six to nine teams are dispatched to work on different projects that are decided upon days in advance by Powell and park superintendent Frank Hernandez. Of the 400 or so contributing members, roughly 60 to 90 are there to work on a given work day. From 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., the teams work continuously on their projects.

“It would blow your mind how much work they get done in two and a half hours,” Powell said.

The monthly projects include trimming the badly overgrown ivy behind Funderland that Powell said “encroaches onto the pathway,” maintenance of flower beds on Sutterville Road, weed wacking, clipping and cutting outgrowths at the bases of trees, pond clean-up, bush trimming and even helping to renovate the stables at the pony rides by adding a new roof.

The group has taken part in 11 park workdays so far since its May 2010 beginning, and Powell said that 90 percent of the bushes the group has trimmed had not been trimmed in years. Powell calls these endeavors “monster bush trims.”

The money that is donated is used to supply tools and supplies for the work that needs doing. Workers range from young to old and all are welcome to join in on the clean-up effort. The non-profit organization receives no compensation for the work they do other than the donations made to help fund the outings. But according to Powell, the response from the community has been payment enough.

“Our pay comes from getting ‘atta boys’ from people passing by,” he said.

People are curious to see what the group is doing and Powell said that everyone seems to think it’s a great idea. Powell notices more and more new people showing up for the work days due to word of mouth from other members. Anyone is welcome to join in on the projects as Powell explained that “someone can arrive having never gardened or landscaped before and will be able to do so after two and a half hours.”

While none of the volunteers receive wages for their work, Powell said that the payoff is in seeing the results of their toil right in front of them.

“People can see exactly what they’ve done and they get that endorphin rush of working hard and then sitting down to have lunch.”

The work days end with a lunch also provided by local businesses.

From humble beginnings that came about because of huge budget cuts, Powell cannot get over how quickly the group has grown in just over a year.

“It has been more successful than I ever thought it would be,” he said.

The group runs nine months out of the year from March through November. Anyone interested in becoming a part of the corps can contact Powell by phone at (916) 718-3030 or by email at ckpinsacto@aol.com. The group has a mailing address where donations can be sent and Powell said that the corps is looking to broaden the fundraising base. Donations can be sent to: Land Park Volunteer Corps., 3053 Freeport Blvd. #231, Sacramento, CA 95818.

The next park work day takes place on Aug. 6 at 8 a.m. at the normal “base camp” behind Fairytale Town. All the group asks is that you bring your own gloves and a willingness to get down to business.

benn@valcomnews.com

Long-time Sacramento resident Shirley Plant is the recipient of the 2011 “Make It Happen Award.” The award is sponsored by the Melena and Enlow A. Ose Endowment for the Arts of the Sacramento Region Community Foundation.

Plant, who will be 85 in October, received a $15,000 grant from Ose to build an endowment fund for Fairytale Town. Plant said she has been involved in Fairytale Town since its inception. Fairytale Town has over 25 play sets laid out on 2.5 acres in Land Park across from the zoo.

“It is a cultural experience for children,” Plant said. “There is the opportunity to see farm animals, enjoy music and theatre, and experience life through a fairytale.”

Plant said many children would not have these experiences if it wasn’t for Fairytale Town and that is why it means so much to her.

Fairytale Town’s executive director, Kathy Fleming, said Plant is creative and good at articulating her ideas.

“She is the little engine that could,” Fleming said. “She is good at involving people and wants to make it the best it can be.”

Plant was raised in Pasadena and taught school for a short while. She met her husband while attending UC Berkeley. They moved to Sacramento in 1949 and raised four sons.

Plant and her husband became members of the Sacramento Junior League.

Plant said the League received an anonymous donation of $3,000 and members wanted to use it by doing something for children. After a League member visited a park similar to Fairytale Town in Oakland, Plant said the idea was born.

“With a lot of blood, sweat and tears, we undertook the project,” Plant said. “We had to convince the city to give up some of the land from the municipal golf course.”

Friends of Fairytale Town, Inc. formed in May 1956. Fairytale Town opened in August of 1958. Plant said Fairytale Town was gifted to Sacramento. Fleming said the city owns and maintains the property and the ‘Friends’ board oversees the operations. In October 1997, Fairytale Town became a board-run, non-profit organization.

To celebrate 50 years of operation, Fairytale Town added a ‘yellow brick road’ in front of the park, where a person can buy a personalized brick. Plant was the inspiration behind the idea. She said she saw it as a way for the park to raise funds for improvements and for the public to commemorate and honor loved ones.

“Three generations of children have enjoyed Fairytale Town,” Plant said. “Fairytale Town has an unusually rich environment and I am proud of it.”

Plant said there are no other places in Sacramento where children can see an egg hatch or be the guy on the crooked mile.

“Fairytale Town brings generations together through fairytales,” Plant said. “It creates continuity for our society as a culture.”

Plant says Fairytale town is unique in that it serves many purposes. She said it brings the beginnings of literature to our children and feels honored to be recognized as the recipient of the Ose award.

Farmer Brown’s Barn-Owls: June 13 – 17 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.

Earthworks Garden Camp: June 20 – 24 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.

Rock School: June 27 – July 1 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.

Zap! Boom! Pow! Comic Book Basics: June 20 – 24 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Art Tricks & Techniques: June 27 – July 1 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

For more details and pricing information visit www.fairytaletown.org or call (916) 808-7462.

The free museum day is just that: a day to enjoy free admission to the many museums in Sacramento and throughout the region. This year’s event is presented by the Sacramento Association of Museums (SAM) and is sponsored by Umpqua Bank. Over 85,000 people participated in last year’s free Museum Day.

Museums are nonprofit and educational institutions that make a unique contribution to the community by interpreting and preserving the things of this world, according to the California Museum Association.

There is a museum for every taste and interest. There are art and natural history museums, science and technology centers, historical societies and museums, botanical gardens, zoos, children’s museums and much more.

“With an expanded and energized focus on the arts, culture and museum offerings in the Sacramento region, this is an exciting time to explore the rich experiences available at a wide variety of local museums,” said Paul Hammond, Sacramento Association of Museums chairman. “Sacramento Museum Day offers the perfect opportunity for everyone to visit a museum they haven’t been before – or return to an old favorite – to gain a new appreciation for or a fresh perspective about our region, our state, and our world.”

Event coordinators recommend planning ahead, and to limit the day to two or three different museums on the day of the event in order to allow adequate time to enjoy the experience. Free shuttles will operate throughout the day with stopping points located adjacent to many—but not all—participating museums. The California Museum, at 10th and O streets, serves as the central transfer point for shuttle routes in operation during Sacramento Museum Day. Volunteer “step-on” tour guides will be on-board to assist riders and narrate the route, courtesy of the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Participating museums this year include: Aerospace Museum of California , the California Automobile Museum , the California Foundry History Museum , the California State Military Museum, the California State Capitol Museum, The California Museum, the California State Indian Museum, the California State Railroad Museum, the Crocker Art Museum, the Discovery Museum Science and Space Center, the Don & June Salvatori California Pharmacy Museum, Fairytale Town, the Folsom History Museum, the Governor’s Mansion State Historic Park, the Heidrick Ag History Center in Woodland, the Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park, the Museum of Medical History, the Old Sacramento Schoolhouse Museum, Old Sacramento State Historic Park, the Sacramento Zoo, the Sacramento Historic City Cemetery, the Sacramento History Museum, the Sojourner Truth Multicultural Arts Museum, Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park, the Wells Fargo History Museum on Capitol Mall and the Wells Fargo History Museum in Old Sacramento.

Detailed information about participating museums, suggested parking, public transit options, and free event shuttle routes is available at www.sacmuseums.org (click on “Events”), or by calling the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau at (916) 808-7777.

Museums, in addition to being the stewards of our cultural and natural heritage, offer everyone the invaluable opportunity to refresh, relax, recharge and renew. As the old adage goes, “You’ve got to pour into yourself before you can pour yourself out for others.”

susan@valcomnews.com