From food festivals to fundraisers to the Celtic Faire, the 209 Magazine team was out and about capturing all the fun happening in the region. Want to have your organization’s event featured in 209 Magazine? Email sstafford@209magazine.com.
Gatherings and events may have been thrown a curve ball over the last couple months, but 209 residents are resilient and found safe ways to come together and enjoy the holiday season and start the new year.
The CAMMIE awards
The 2nd Annual Calaveras Arts and Music Awards was held on Jan. 15, at the Copperopolis Armory. With 180 in attendance and another 250 to 300 watching the livestream, the award show honored 51 of the Mother Lode region’s musicians, singers/songwriters, bands, events, festivals, venues and other professionals from the regions entertainment industry.
The CAMMIES Awards was co-produced by Copperopolis resident music industry executive Richard Varrasso of Creative Copperopolis and Nolan Apostle or EventCity.net.
The Calaveras Arts and Music Awards has become a popular, and also revealing, event that promotes the cornucopia of talent that exists in the tri-county region of the Mother Lode of Amador, Calaveras and Tuolumne counties.
“After two years of pandemic that has really hurt everyone on a global scale, especially the regional arts, music and entertainment, by making the decision to move forward with the Calaveras Arts and Music Awards, we really wanted to pay it forward and boost the morale of the community by acknowledging all of your artistic contributions to our communities,” Varrasso.
“We believe the recognition of these awards will improve and elevate the profiles and increase the awareness of the best talent out there so that it may be an asset to them booking more lucrative and high-profile gigs post-pandemic,” Apostle said.
For more information on the CAMMIES and a full list of winners, visit the Calaveras Arts and Music Awards page on Facebook.
Wreaths Across America
Several cemeteries around the 209 region were selected to participate in the national Wreaths Across America ceremonies on Dec. 18.
Wreaths Across America program strives to honor the service and sacrifice of deceased veterans during the holiday season. This year the national program helped place more than 2.4 million veterans’ wreaths on headstones of the fallen at cemeteries across the country. Wreaths Across America started as a simple gesture of thanks that has grown into a national movement of dedicated volunteers and communities coming together to not only remember the nation’s fallen and honor their service, but to teach the next generation about the sacrifices made for everyone in the country.
Christmas in the Park
The weather was chilly, but hearts were warm as the annual Christmas in the Park celebration in Gustine returned. Visitors were treated to hot cocoa, s’mores, lots of vendors, games and food and a showing of “Twas the Nightmare Before Christmas.”
