Second Weekend in January Events
There are several events and fundraisers planned this weekend, January 13th and 14th.
The Sonora Chamber of Commerce presents Second Saturday Art Night in downtown Sonora on the second Saturday of each month including this Saturday from 5 to 8 PM. This free event features art exhibits, music and more on both sides of Washington Street.
There is also a 2nd Saturday Aronos Club Dance at the Aronos Club in Sonora from 7 – 9 pm. The event features social dancing with a variety of dancing including Ballroom, Country, Swing, Latin, and even line dancing open to the whole family. The dance is $10 for adults and $5 under 18. Event organizers say, “if you’re new to town it’s a great way to meet new friends. We have a great music playlist and if you don’t hear what you want, just request it and Jim will play it for you.” All donations go to the renovation of the Aronos Hall.
The second Saturday of every month is Gold Rush Days at Columbia State Historic Park. You’ll get to see inside special exhibits, stores and residences in historic Columbia not regularly open to the public. There will be park docents interpreting what it looked, felt, and sounded like during the California Gold Rush. More details are in the event listing here.
Saturday at the Sonora/Tuolumne County Library there will be storytelling, puppetry, music, face painting and hands on art projects presented by Tuolumne County Arts & the Tuolumne County Recreation Department. Snacks courtesy of the Chicken Ranch Rancheria of MeWuk Indians accompany the event called Pebbles in a Pond from 1 – 4 pm.
In Valley Springs enjoy the Quilts of Honor Crab Feed dinner starting at 5pm on Saturday at the Jenny Lind Memorial Veterans Hall.
Copperopolis’ 37th Annual “First Taste of The Year” Wine Tasting Fundraiser is Saturday evening at the Copperopolis’ Historic Brick Church and Union Guard Armory. The event will help fund restoration and preservation efforts of the Copperopolis Community Center. Michael Kelly a local wine collector and aficionado, nationally and internationally published wine writer and wine judge, will be returning for the tasting as detailed in the event listing.
Sunday is the Motherlode Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, a free event for everyone to attend. The event marks 27 years of celebrating on what would have been King’s 95th birthday. The event starts at 2 p.m. in the Sonora High School auditorium with the theme “Unity in Diversity: Embracing Equality and Empowering Change.” Speakers Morgan Rain of the LGBTQ+ Rural Resource Center and Mark Dyken of Resiliency Village, for people facing homelessness, will discuss their services. Dr. Stephanie Beaver-Guzman, Counselor at Columbia College, will talk about local tribal community efforts, there will be musical performances and two community members will receive the Laurie Bailie Social Justice Award. The MLK Committee has presented annual programs, wholly supported by local donations, since 1996 in support of Dr. King’s stand on poverty, racism and social justice. A reception with refreshments will follow in the school cafeteria, get all the details here.
Also in celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Monday is one of six days where the entrance fee to National Parks is waived. Yosemite National Park will be fee–free on Monday January 15th.
