Ballet Folklorico’s Posada Navideña stage show at Luther Burbank Center celebrates the holidays in vibrant style. 

Many holiday cultural traditions have come down to us over centuries from Europe — Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah,” Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” — but one perennial favorite originated much closer to home.

For 400 years, Mexico has celebrated Posada Navideña, inspired by the pilgrimage of Mary and Joseph before the birth of Jesus Christ, with nightly processions for the nine days leading up to Christmas.

Everyone remembers their search for shelter in Bethlehem, repeatedly being told there was no room at the inn, ending with Christ’s birth in a stable.

A decade ago, the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts introduced its own annual Posada Navideña stage show celebrating the holiday tradition with authentic music and dance in a lavish, live production.

Dancers in brightly colored floorlength dresses swirl to the music, accompanied by a chorus of guitars and violins.

In December, the Ballet Folklorico de Sacramento — marking its own 40th anniversary this year — returns to perform at the LBC.

“Ten years ago, in partnership with our Latino Advisory Council, we presented our first Posada Navideña,” said Rick Nowlin, president and CEO of the arts center. “All of us with the center are thrilled and delighted that it has grown into a beloved holiday tradition that welcomes everyone, especially families, to the LBC.”

The show has proved a favorite, drawing a broad, multigenerational audience.

“One of the most rewarding parts of volunteering with our Latino Advisory Council has been helping produce the annual Posada Navideña,” said Santa Rosa City Councilman Ernesto Olivares, who also serves on the LBC board of directors.

“It is an important holiday tradition, as well as an important cultural tradition,” Olivares added, “and I’m proud that the LBC is able to provide this experience for the community.”

POSADA NAVIDEÑA

WHEN: December 9, 7 p.m.

WHERE: Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa, 707-546-3600, lutherburbankcenter.org

TICKETS:  $10 for adults, $5 for children, and $2 lap pass for children younger than 2 years old. tickets.lutherburbankcenter.org

The post Don’t Miss: Posada Navideña Holiday Show appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

Looking for a local urban-feel dance party to avoid the nighttime commute to the city, the extreme San Francisco hills and the competitive parking? Super Saturday, an event at outdoor bar-meets-Italian restaurant venue Campo Fina in Healdsburg, serves up killer cocktails to DJ beats — with a side of bocce ball to break the ice.

Last Saturday, Campo Fina DJs kept the crowd happy by bringing a mix of dance-disco nostalgia and contemporary electronica-hip hop to the deck. First time Super Saturday attendee and Healdsburg resident Kelsey Walsh enjoyed the atmosphere. “It’s a really fun thing for the community,” she said.

Although the Super Saturday crowd consisted of mostly locals, Marline Trevino, in town visiting friends, said she enjoyed the friendly environment. “So far, just being here in the last 15 minutes, it seems really cool…I love the atmosphere,” she said.

Part of Super Saturday’s appeal is that it offers a little something-for-everyone — a relaxed California-backyard-vibe, but with an urban edge. And the something-for-everyone extends to the drink menu: for a little sophistication in your shaker, try Campo Fina’s Moscow Mule — a pink vodka cocktail with angostura bitters and Fever Tree ginger beer, served in a tall glass — and for the down-to-earth brew crowd, its the $4 Pabst Blue Ribbon.

For more information about upcoming Campo Fina events, visit: facebook.com/campofinahealdsburg. 

Check out the weekend vibe at Campo Fina in the gallery below… 

The post Nightlife: Super Saturday in Healdsburg appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.