SANTA ROSA, CA – JUNE 4, 2022 – SONOMA COUNTY PRIDE The older I get, the more I enjoy smaller. Prides. They seem to be one of the big trends right now too – beyond the big cities, we are gradually seeing many smaller communities hosting their own home-grown Pride events. Sonoma County Pride was like a cross between a small-town July 4th parade and a mini-Mardi Gras. De and I headed out early for the two-and-a-half hour drive from […]
SACRAMENTO, CA – MAY. 14, 2022 – BANS OFF OUR BODIES MARCH On Saturday, I headed down to shoot the Bans off our Bodies March & Rally. It was organized by Planned Parenthood in response to the release of the U.S. Supreme Court draft. If the decision is finalized, it will overturn Roe v. Wade, the historic 1973 case legalizing abortion across the U.S. Because I had another event later in the day, I could only witness the first part […]
NASHVILLE, TN – JAN. 2022 – U.S. FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS What a trip out to the 2022 U.S. Figure Skating Championships! It was 2018 when I headed to San Jose to shoot Adam Rippon and other greats at the U.S. World Championships. This year, I booked for Nashville and looked forward to some great live music and Southern grub. However, I ended up flying into the worst snowstorm of the winter, with the roads barely open. After a no-show shuttle […]
AUBURN, CA – DEC. 4, 2021 – FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS PARADE It turns out I just can’t get enough of these holiday events! Last night’s Festival of Lights event in Auburn was amazing! For such a small town, this was a super well-done event, with nearly 100 entries. Here was some of the information the Auburn Journal (Gold Country Media) shared about the event, that I’ve modified for today: Auburn’s Festival of Lights Parade always featuresa number of unique and […]
SACRAMENTO, CA – DECEMBER 2, 2021 – CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING After a year’s hiatus, Governor Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom hosted the 90th Annual California State Capitol Tree Lighting Ceremony last week. This year’s 65’ white fir is decorated with approximately 500 hand-crafted ornaments made by children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The event came just one day after Newsom’s announcement that the state had detected the country’s first omicron case. The celebration’s emphasis on […]
AUBURN, CA – NOV. 11, 2021, “Salute to Veterans” These images come from today’s Veteran’s Day Parade. This was the 103rd year of the event, held in downtown Auburn. The parade is one of the largest in the country. The theme this year was “Honoring All Honor Guardsl” and this year’s Grand Marshalls were Terry Crouson, Commander Auburn Area Honor Guard and Gene Freeland, CoFounder Auburn Area Honor Guard * * * All photos are copyright Chris Allan 2021 and cannot […]
SACRAMENTO, CA – NOV. 3, 2021 Last week, the 84-foot white fir nicknamed “Sugar Bear” made a stop downtown on its cross-country trip to the nation’s capital. This was only the fifth time since the tradition began in 1954 that the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree has come from a California forest, in this case Six Rivers. The tree was harvested from the Mad River Ranger District in Trinity County. Just last year, a little over 50 percent of the total district […]
KAMLOOPS INDIAN RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL, B.C., CANADA – OCT. 30, 2021 I could not visit the North Shuswap area in British Columbia without seeing the Kamloops Indian Residential School (KIRS). Last summer, Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc (the Salish Indian band) announced that ground-penetrating-radar was used to locate the human remains of over 200 children. The remains were detected in the orchard area of the campus, south of the main buildings. The revelation rocked the country, and shook many out of their apathy […]
AUBURN, CA, U.S.A. – OCTOBER 17, 2021 What a treat! A fundraiser for the Sierra Native Alliance, today’s Big Time Pow Wow was a special experience. I was only able to stay for a few hours, but what a rich cultural experience it was. Razzle Dazzle The event began around 10am, with California Native Dancing and M.C. Razzle Dazzle. “A ho!” he told the crowd, is the only way to show appreciation for California Indians – no clapping allowed! In […]
AUBURN, CA, U.S.A. – SEPT. 11, 2021 Here in Auburn, we had a special ceremony commemorating the September 11 20th Anniversary. The event actually celebrated the planting of the Liberty Tree 20 years ago by then-Supervisor Harriet White. The disease-resistant elm was planted at Fire station 180, where this year’s service occurred. The Service Hosted by Supervisor Jim Holmes (District 3), the program began with an opening prayer by Chaplain Boon. It was followed by the pledge of allegiance. Several […]