The Downtown Sacramento Partnership recently announced a new ReImagine Activation Grant Program, offering micro-grants to downtown businesses and supporting organizations looking to utilize spaces safely and with social responsibility.
The program also hopes to support local artists – of all genres and platforms—in their efforts to increase the cultural offerings in downtown Sacramento.
“Some artists want to take it and turn it into planters. Another one wants to turn it into a new type of canvas,” said Shira Lane, of The Atrium 916, “Others want to create kind messaging to make America kind again and bring us together again.”
The goal of the initiative according to Lane is to ensure that the signs do not wind up in landfills. Crafters, hobbyists, art teachers, students, and others have all reached out to get some signs.
Sacramento’s largest art museum, The Crocker Art Museum, reopened on October 16, 2020. Patrons must reserve tickets in advance; the facility is operating at 20% capacity for the time being.
Nearby Sacramento businesses, hard hit by the dramatic loss of customers over the past six months, are hoping the museum-goers also visit other storefronts, eateries, and shops.
Nearly the entirety of Sacramento’s $89 million of federal coronavirus aid has been allocated. The city’s council recently voted on how to spend the last iteration of funds, including a few subcategories for small business assistance, tourism, culture and the arts, employment growth, and services for the homeless.
“It’s a significant achievement what we have done thus far to intentionally decide we’re going to spend this money on and in our community and then to execute it in the way we have,” Steinberg said.
The category with the largest allocation of $22 million is small business assistance, with most of the money being distributed in the second round of funding for 1,347 Sacramento businesses. Assistant City Manager Michael Jasso reported that this round of funding saw a diversified pool of applicants than the original round of loans, which mostly went to businesses in the center of Sacramento.
The program allows restaurants to apply for a city permit to extend their dine-in service to public sidewalks, streets, and parking areas. This will enable restaurants to adhere to social distancing regulations and reach nearly 100% serving capacity.
Sacramento is showing ingenuity and flexibility to reopen restaurants.
Paragary’s in midtown Sacramento, for example, was one of the first eateries to apply and receive a permit. The city erected barriers on the sidewalk outside the shop and the owners have already set up tables and chairs.
This type of flexibility and accommodations are helping Sacramento’s restaurant scene get back to business.
Countless businesses have been shattered by the coronavirus pandemic and Gov. Gavin Newsom’s “stay at home” order The hotel industry might be hurting most of all.
Travel has come to a complete standstill. Weddings have been postponed or held at private venues. Conferences have been canceled. All this leaves Sacramento’s hotel owners struggling. According to Visit Sacramento, the city’s convention and visitors bureau, this time of year, owners expect properties to be at 85% capacity; now they are seeing occupancy rates as low as 6%.
Sacramento hotels are finding creative ways to fill their empty rooms.
Some hotel owners have found creative solutions to fill
their rooms and generate revenue. The Hilton
Arden West is offering rooms as temporary office space for workers who are finding
it difficult to work from home. The Hampton Inn closed, and the owner moved the
guests to a nearby sister property, a Holiday Inn Express. He is rationing limited
work hours among the housekeeping staff. The owner of a California
Inn in Rancho Cordova is in negotiations with Sacramento County officials
to lease the rooms as housing for the homeless.
Thousands
of hotel workers have lost their jobs. Before the crisis, the hospitality
industry employed more than 10,000 workers in greater Sacramento. John
Kehriotis, owner of the Embassy Suites in Old Sacramento, and part-owner of the
Sacramento Kings, said he had to let go of three-quarters of the riverfront hotel’s
employees.
New York’s Fashion Week is winding down and Sacramento’s style scene is upping its game. The city is filled with clothing spots offering unique fashion finds. Here is a list of just a few local businesses worth checking out.
Sacramento’s trendy fashion businesses have a lot to offer
1st
Go 2nd (hand)
The Article Consignment Boutique in East
Sacramento is a vintage and consignment store that is a must for any shopping
fan. Buying second-hand is not only fun, but it reduces the environmental impact of clothing,
saves a lot of money, and creates a style that is unique and authentic.
Know Your
Heart
Heart
Clothing Boutique is a favored women’s clothing spot, offering a practical
and whimsical wardrobe for any occasion. Comfort and style come together seamlessly
in this cozy store where the staff is eager to help customers find just the
right look.
Go Krazy
Krazy Mary’s, also in East Sacramento, offers up-scale fashion that is forward-thinking and user-friendly. It’s sister store, Sugar Shack Boutique, networks with local artists and designers to curate an affordably unique collection of clothing.
Find an Outlet
Folsom Premium Outlets has more than 80 different outlet stores. With something for everyone, this is the perfect place to go for shoppers only looking to park once. There are also a few cafes and shake shops on the campus perfect for an energy boost during shopping sprees.
Downtown
Sacramento is now home to a new – and eccentric – bakery.
Odd Cookie Bakery Cafe and Bar has moved into the old home of the Bar Rouse on 9th Street near J Street. An opening is set for mid-December.
cupcakes topped with crispy bacon
The locally owned business will offer unexpected food and drink combinations: cupcakes topped with fried chicken, deep-fried calzones, sweet and spicy cocktails, and so much more. Traditional treats will also be available for less adventurous eaters. Yum!
Over 7,000 new residents moved to Sacramento last year alone, making it the fastest growing Californian
city. These newcomers are likely enjoying cheaper rents and warmer temperatures
alongside all the funky, good old-fashioned weird stuff Sacramento has to offer.
As the city’s director of tourism, Nick Leonti, says
“Sacramento is about 80% weird stuff.” So whether
you are on your way in or out of Sacramento, you should definitely check these
out:
Home of the Martini– just a few miles out of Sacramento, you’ll hit Martinez, the birthplace of the classic cocktail, the Martini. Cheers.
Jelly Belly Factory– located at 1 Jelly Belly Lane, this place is wall-to-wall jellybeans of the most delicious kind. Once you have donned your paper hat, you can walk along the factory floors to watch the magic happen and hear the fascinating history of the Jelly Belly craze.
Osaka-Ya has been making manju and mochi since 1963;
they are one of the three remaining manju shops
in Northern California. But it is also a snowcone heaven. The storefront
is a tiny shop tucked away near the freeway on 10th Street. From a small window
next to the shop’s entrance, they sell snow cones that run from “extra small”
(about as big as your face) to “extra large” (major brainfreeze potential).
Leonti explains that the city’s “history” of weird, stems from the gold rush, when scrappy adventurers from all over the world arrived in droves. Today, that quirk remains alive and well.
Keeping it local; going global. That seems to summarize the theme of Sacramento’s Global Local Festival. Established by Estella Sanchez a few years ago, the event is organized by the non-profit entity she co-founded – Sol Collective. This was set up to promote “the arts, culture, activism and healthy living.”
The idea of the event – which this year is happening on September 22 – is to bring the community together before the summer is truly over to “enjoy the last bits of sunshine.” There, people will enjoy local musicians who produce “unique sounds [and] socially conscious content.”
This year, live performances include: DJ Nadi, Gingee, and The Philharmonik.
