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Even though Memorial Day is really the unofficial start of summer, the Fourth of July weekend is the official start of what I call the “Disneyland Effect.” It’s that time when there are so many people walking around town, they simply start walking in the streets like they’re at Disneyland. It can be a lot of fun if you’re not in a hurry — town is hopping this weekend!
The weekend starts out with a bang. At 9 pm tonight, the fireworks will be blasting out over Noyo Harbor from Pomo Bluffs Park in Fort Bragg. Parking is at Todd Point off Ocean View Drive, and they request a $5 donation.
There are 2 big events on Saturday: the Fourth of July Parade in Mendocino, and the World’s Largest Salmon BBQ in Noyo Harbor. The parade is a big thing in Mendocino, as 5000 people line Main and Lansing Streets to watch. Since the town only has 1000 residents, that’s quite an influx! The Mendocino Coast Chamber of Commerce is the sponsor of the parade. The official judges are located down across the street from the Kelley House Museum, which provides a great viewing area. The lawn slopes down towards the street, so lots of people gather there to watch. The Kelley House also serves food and drinks (including beer) all afternoon. Regardless of where you watch the parade, come on down to Kelley House after the parade — Kevin and the Coconuts (a very popular local band) will be playing, and people will be dancing.
The World’s Largest Salmon BBQ takes place down in Noyo Harbor, where there will be another 5000 people in attendance. The salmon comes from Alaska this year, because salmon fishing is currently banned off the California Coast. This BBQ has been happening for many years, and it’s a big deal. Local celebrities man the grills, too. (Debra DeGraw, CEO of the Chamber, once told me she had to burn the clothes she wore while cooking because she couldn’t get the salmon smell out.)
These are the biggies, but there are many things going on this weekend…. Summer is now in full swing, and there are events all along the coast. The Mendocino Music Festival starts in a couple of weeks for its 23rd season, and I’ll post more about that soon.
Docent Led Hikes at Jug Handle State Reserve
Join California State Parks for guided Ecological Staircase hikes every other Thursday this summer. Hikes are scheduled for June 18, July 2, July 16, July 30, August 13 and August 27. All hikes start at 10:00 a.m. and end at 2:00 p.m. Meet at the Jug Handle State Natural Reserve parking lot on the west side of Highway 1, about 3 miles south of Fort Bragg.
Summer Programs at MacKerricher State Park
California State Parks announces free, guided interpretive programs at MacKerricher State Park. These programs will be presented every week through September 6, 2009. All programs are led by park staff or volunteers.
On June 11 at 8 pm, the Mendocino Theatre Company opens Ken Ludwig’s hilarious farce “Leading Ladies” directed by visiting Bay Area guest Director Virginia Abascal. “Leading Ladies” is a comic romp in which two down-on-their-luck Shakespearean actors learn of an elderly, very rich dowager’s search for her two long-lost English relatives, Max and Steve, to leave all her fortune to. They decide to impersonate the nephews and snag the million bucks, only to discover that her heirs are actually nieces, Maxine and Stephanie! Undeterred, they decide to go “on with the show”, which gets even more zany when they meet Meg, a legitimate niece! What follows is a quickly paced, light-hearted scamper that will have you smiling from ear to ear and holding your sides in laughter. Leading Ladies features local favorites Rachel Archuletta, Mervin Gilbert, Henriet Roher, Paul Townsend and David Woolis, along with MTC newcomers Doug Waldo, Crystal Rowley and Bill Bjerre III.
“Leading Ladies” plays Thursday through Sunday, June 11 through July 19. Helen Schoeni Theatre, Mendocino Art Center. 707-937-4477
Cammie King Conlon is a well known local on California’s Mendocino Coast — a wonderful human being and a positive force in our community. But for people in the South — as in the Deep South — Cammie is a heroine of massive big screen proportions. When she was just 5, she starred as Bonnie Blue Butler, daughter of Rhett Butler, in the 1939 classic movie, Gone With The Wind. She is among those enshrined in four museums dedicated to the movie and has many times been celebrated in parades in Marietta, Georgia, a hot bed of movie fans, and elsewhere. Read the rest of this entry »
A 21-gun salute, readings, a prayer and the playing of taps were part of a Memorial Day gathering at Rose Memorial Park in Fort Bragg. About 50 people attended the event. The cemetery was ablaze with small American flags on veteran’s graves.
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Mendocino Outdoors, the premier guidebook for outdoor fun and adventure on the Mendocino Coast, has been completely expanded and revised for the 3rd Edition.
