Saturday, April 14, 2012

Something Fun: Earth Day Around the Altamont Pass

Earth Day is on Sunday, April 22nd this year, and I've found a few events around the area that you may enjoy.

Wente Vineyards is having a really cool celebration, with family friendly activities.  There will be presentations on sustainability at Wente, tours around the gardens and sanctuary at the golf course, activity booths for kids and adults, and of course, wine tasting.  Most activities are free, but you'll have to pay for wine tastings and food purchases. The event takes place from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM and more information can be found here: http://www.wentevineyards.com/news/event_list/earth_day_celebration/




And if you want to take a little drive, Stockton is holding their Annual Earth Day Festival, from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM, with entertainment, booths and exhibits, a Family Fun Bike Ride, as well as food and clothing drives.  You can get more information on the free event here: http://livegreensanjoaquin.org/index.htm





Concannon Vineyard is also celebrating Earth Day with special tours and tastings, although this one seems like it's more for the adults.  I can't really tell when these events are available - just on Earth Day or on any other day, as well.  This information is mostly courtesy of PR Web, supposedly from a press release by Concannon, but it's difficult to find the same exact information on their website.  Here's the link to the article on PR Web.  And you can go to their website here: http://www.ConcannonVineyard.com

So Much To Do Around the Altamont Pass This Summer

I've been anxiously awaiting my next opportunity to post because there's so much exciting stuff comping up in our area.  While I'm loving the rain, summer is right around the corner. I can tell because the Summer Activity Guides for the Cities of Livermore and Tracy have come out, and I'm so excited about what they hold.

Livermore has a ton of classes and camps for kids.  We've been thinking about picking one that my step-daughter and my niece, who lives in Livermore, can attend together.  They will be so excited when they hear about it.  So far, I'm loving the GLEE Summer Camp and the Nature Camps.  I wish I could go!  Fortunately, the brochure contains many activities available for adults, as well.

You can find the Livermore Activity Guides here.

I'm especially excited about the Tracy Activity Guide, found here.  They say that you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but how can you not get excited when you see this?




I love old cars, and especially trucks, so I'm really excited about the Then & Now Car Show happening on July 21st in Downtown Tracy. 

But inside, there's much more, too.

I've seen signs around the mall about this, but the brochure also mentions that they're going to have a Farmers' Market at West Valley Mall in Tracy.  This will be so much more convenient for us in Mountain House and I'll probably end up going more often, since I'm in that area most weekends, anyway.  It runs on Sundays, May 6th until October 27th, 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM.  The guide also lists many other Farmers' Markets in San Joaquin County, including the original Tracy Farmers' Market, on Saturdays May 5th through October 27th, 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

There will also be some other fun community events downtown.  There will be Downtown Block Parties: "Enjoy music, wine, beer, dancing & a bite to eat!" And each Party has a different theme:

May 4th will be a Cinco de Mayo Celebration
June 8th is Blues & Brews
June 22 will be Old Time Rock & Roll, 50's & 60's Night & Taste of Tracy
August 3rd is Boots & Buckles Country Night
August 24th is Classic Rock Night

There will also be outdoor movies on the Downtown Plaza at 6th & Central, starting at sunset on July 13th, July 27th, and August 10th.

I think they've had these events in previous years, but I feel like they haven't been so well advertised as they are this year, right in the very front pages of the brochure.

There's also Girls Night Out on May 11th, and Tracy's Best Yard Sale on June 16th. 

Even further in, there's a wealth of Summer Camps for kids.  I think Egal Lakes Day Camps sound like something our kid would love.  From the brochure: "Each week includes: team sports, games, swimming, crafts, water activities, nature walks, fitness and more."  There are many more camps available, as well as activities for adults.

My family is yet to decide which activities we'll participate in this summer, but we're pretty sure it will be a great time.