SF’s Wax Museum at Fisherman’s Wharf Decorates for the Holidays

www.waxmuseum.com

5 December 2011 – San Francisco, CA: The holiday spirit fills the Wax Museum at Fisherman’s Wharf (www.waxmuseum.com) with special displays decorating the exhibits of celebrities, presidents, royals, and historical and legendary figures. Holiday glitter starts at the front door, as President Barack Obama presides over a lobby filled with snowflakes, poinsettias, garlands, and a red, white, and blue-decorated tree. Throughout the museum, selected displays sparkle with thematic holiday decor, both traditional and edgy. Open daily from 10am to 9pm. the Wax Museum is located at 145 Jefferson Street, San Francisco, in the heart of Fisherman’s Wharf. For full information, visit www.waxmuseum.com

As you wander the galleries, see the Titanic exhibit draped with wreath and garland; world leaders gathered around a traditionally decorated Christmas tree; and British royalty gazing on a tree studded with old-fashioned candle lights. Other holiday displays are far from traditional and instead reflect the nature of the wax exhibits. Hollywood glamour girls surround a white tree decorated with disco balls. Even the ghouls and monsters in the Chamber of Horrors mark the holidays, their black tree lovingly adorned with skulls and barbed wire.

The Wax Museum also offers a great place to browse for fun holiday gifts. From Friday afternoon through each weekend, you can do your Christmas shopping downstairs in the Wax Museum shop with their unique selection of gifts and memorabilia related to the museum’s celebrity displays.

The Wax Museum features one of the foremost collections of wax figures in the world, where the magic of 50 years of wax artistry transports you through time. The Wax Museum is “home” to a legion of notorious characters, with over 250 internationally-known personalities past and present in fabulous scenes, representing a millennium of history and fantasy, from King Tut’s Magnificent Tomb to the Yellow Brick Road, from royalty and presidents to today’s pop celebrities.

The Wax Museum shows all aspects of life from the ignoble Chamber of Horrors to the inspiring Hall of Religion, including the historic Library of U.S. Presidents, the spectacular recreation of King Tut’s Tomb and the unique Palace of Living Art, where the world’s most famous masters and their masterpieces come to life through the magic of wax artistry. The most popular part of the wax museum tour is The Gallery of Stars, where a galaxy of brand new stars, such as Leonardo Di Caprio, Johnny Depp and Will Smith, join such classics as Humphrey Bogart, Marilyn Monroe and John Wayne.

Opened by Thomas Fong in 1963 as the largest wax museum in North America, the Wax Museum is one of the most popular landmarks in Fisherman’s Wharf. Many scenes were designed and sculpted by Fong’s son Ronald, who co-directed the family business in partnership with his father from its inception. Rodney Fong, representing the third generation of the Fong family, now runs most of the day-to-day operations of the family business. Like his father and grandfather, Rodney has the energy and vision to keep the museum a favorite of San Franciscans and visitors. In September 1998, the historic 100-year-old San Francisco landmark that for 35 years was The Wax Museum Entertainment Complex was torn down to make way for the current showplace, beginning a new era for the now 48-year-old attraction.

Media Contact: David Perry, DP&A, Inc. / (415) 693-0583 / news@davidperry.com

Catt Sadler of E! News & David Perry of 10 Percent to Host Red Carpet for Upcoming California Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

Ceremony televised live on Comcast Hometown Network Channel 104 starting at 6:00 p.m., Thursday, December 8

www.ComcastHometown.com

5 December 2011 — LIVERMORE, California: What’s an award ceremony without a Red Carpet? Adding more excitement and glamour to the California Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, taking place in Sacramento on December 8, Comcast has brought on two of their most recognized talents to host the event’s pre-ceremony — Catt Sadler of E! News and David Perry, host of 10 Percent.

“Catt and David are the perfect pair to bring this prestigious event to Comcast customers throughout California,” said Jeff Giles, GM of Comcast Hometown Network. “By broadcasting this event live, we’re able to educate, entertain and enlighten millions of people about the incredible contributions of this year’s Hall of Fame inductees.”

Comcast will air a live broadcast of the red carpet arrivals as well as the induction ceremony on Comcast Hometown Network (channel 104 on Comcast systems), from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. across the state. The broadcast will also be streamed live on The California Museum’s web site at www.CaliforniaMuseum.org. Satellite coordinates for the live feed will be made available for media interested in covering the ceremony.

This year’s California Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be the largest yet, taking place at Sacramento’s Memorial Auditorium. The California Museum, along with former First Lady Maria Shriver, created the California Hall of Fame to recognize legendary Californians who have influenced the state, the nation and the world.

The 2011 California Hall of Fame inductees, as selected by Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. and First Lady Anne Brown, are:

Moon explorer and astronaut Buzz Aldrin
Surf rock legends The Beach Boys
Nobel Prize-winning scientist Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn
Community activist Father Gregory Boyle
Entrepreneurs and philanthropists Doris and Donald Fisher
Basketball superstar Earvin “Magic” Johnson
Disability rights advocate Ed Roberts
Guitar visionary Carlos Santana
Celebrated contemporary novelist Amy Tan
Social justice champion and California Supreme Court Justice Roger Traynor

“The California Hall of Fame is honoring ten outstanding individuals who exemplify the creative and pioneering spirit of California,” said Governor Brown. “These men and women have enriched our lives and pointed the way to a future of unimagined quality.”

The 2011 California Hall of Fame inductees join 63 remarkable Californians who have made monumental achievements across a variety of disciplines including science, philanthropy, sports, business, entertainment, literature, technology, activism and politics. The California Hall of Fame highlights a broad range of California interests through honoring Golden State trailblazers who have broken barriers in not just one field or talent, but have impacted the world with the courage, determination and creativity of their achievements.

Catt Sadler is an Emmy-winning journalist who was recently named by the Los Angeles Times as One of the Top 10 Next Broadcasters of Our Generation. She can be seen on E! News and hosting a number of E! specials and high-caliber red carpet events. A graduate of Indiana University as a journalism major, Sadler got her start as the entertainment reporter for KBWB/KNTV in San Francisco, where for more than four years, she hosted a nightly lifestyle segment called “The Bay Beat” and traveled frequently to Los Angeles and New York to conduct celebrity interviews. In 2001, Sadler returned to her home state to host the Indiana Lottery’s Hoosier Millionaire, which became the longest-running syndicated lottery game show in the country. During this time, she also served as the official emcee for the NBA’s Indiana Pacers for the 2003-04 season. This Midwestern girl was bit by the acting bug at the age 11 after appearing in the film Hoosiers. In the years that followed, she acted in a number of school plays and musicals and also sang in an all-girl band. Sadler has since appeared on various soap operas including General Hospital and Night Shift as well as starring in the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus music video “You Better Pray.” Sadler is a mother of two handsome boys, Austin and Arion, and considers being a mother the hardest and most-rewarding job in the world.

With more than 100 shows under his belt, David Perry is the host of Comcast’s 10 Percent, now the longest-running LGBT talk show in California history. A long recognized face and voice in Northern California, Perry began his career as a journalist, writing for such publications as The Advocate, The Washington Blade, The San Francisco Examiner, Horizons Magazine and American Theatre, and was for many years a regular essayist on Northern California’s NPR station KALW Radio. A frequent lecturer on how technology is changing the face of communications, Perry also regularly speaks on the ethics of public relations. When he’s not on camera, Perry is the CEO of David Perry & Associates, Inc., a San Francisco-based corporate communications firm whose work has been represented at the Shanghai International World Expo, the 2008 Olympic Torch Run in San Francisco and the 34th America’s Cup. In 2006, his firm was honored as the “Exceptional Arts Related Business” by the San Francisco Business Arts Council. In his spare time, Perry is a maritime historian who sails regularly aboard ship as a lecturer. An avid traveler, Perry has visited more than 60 countries. He makes his home in San Francisco along with his husband, Alfredo Casuso.

ABOUT COMCAST HOMETOWN NETWORK Comcast Hometown Network (CHN) is a regional cable network produced by Comcast and available in the San Francisco Bay Area and Central California on Digital Channel 104. Available to more than 2 million homes in Northern and Central California as a part of Comcast’s commitment to the communities that it serves, Comcast Hometown Network is a 24/7 channel that includes original regional programming, Comcast Hometown Sports (CHS), and unique local content that you can’t get anywhere else. For more information, please visit: www.ComcastHometown.com.

About Comcast Cable Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA – News) (www.comcast.com) is one of the nation’s leading providers of entertainment, information and communications products and services. Comcast is principally involved in the operation of cable systems through Comcast Cable and in the development, production and distribution of entertainment, news, sports and other content for global audiences through NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is one of the nation’s largest video, high-speed Internet and phone providers to residential and business customers. Comcast is the majority owner and manager of NBCUniversal, which owns and operates entertainment and news cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, local television station groups, television production operations, a major motion picture company and theme parks.

More than 50,000 Visit American Premiere of Global Winter Wonderland

Spectacular Giant Lanterns Create a Magical World of Holiday Light

Next to Great America in Santa Clara through January 2, 2012

www.globalwonderland.org

28 November 2011 – Santa Clara, CA: They came, they “oohed”, they “awed” and they got to visit the Eiffel Tower, Golden Gate Bridge, Statue of Liberty and, oh yes, even the Taj Mahal. The “they” is more than 50,000 people who streamed through the gates of the Global Winter Wonderland (www.globalwonderland.org) in its American Premiere next to Santa Clara’s California’s Great America during this past Thanksgiving Weekend. 


“We built it and they came, and they’re still coming,” said Lulu Huang, head of Fremont’s International Culture Exchange Group that produced Global Winter Wonderland. “Ever since I saw my first lantern festival near my home in China, I knew that I wanted to bring this unique cultural experience to my new home, here in California.”

A new take on traditional Chinese lantern festivals, Huang’s Global Winter Wonderland is the largest such festival ever presented outside of China. The lanterns, some as large as 50 feet tall and 100 feet wide, are illuminated by 30,000 low-voltage LEDs and fluorescent lights, with several of the structures powered by solar panels, all connected with over 13 miles of electrical wire. Global Winter Wonderland’s gigantic lanterns depict famous architectural landmarks from around the world, including the Eiffel Tower, Taj Mahal, Big Ben, Chichen Itza, and many others; animals real and imagined; a Dinosaur Maze; a Holiday Village celebrating holiday traditions and cuisines from around the world, and much more.

On Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, hundreds of people lined up hours before the opening to witness the traditional sunset lighting of the first lantern. In this case, the honor was given to Gao Zhansheng, Consul General of The People’s Republic of China, who pushed the button to light up a huge lantern replica of Beijing’s Temple of Heaven, which then triggered lanterns bursting forth with light throughout the Festival grounds.

The following YouTube interview captured the spontaneous reactions of some of the event’s attendees:

Earlier that day, Santa Claus and the 49er Gold Rush Girls boarded the VTA Light Rail, making 24 stops on their way to Global Winter Wonderland. At 3pm Santa and the Gold Rush Girls led a grand opening parade accompanied by local school children and a traditional Chinese Lion Dance to open the event.

“Global Winter Wonderland is ‘a dream come true’ for our City, hotels and local businesses,” said Steve Van Dorn, President & CEO of the Santa Clara Chamber of Commerce and Convention-Visitors Bureau who officiated at the opening ceremonies. “This is normally a slower time of year for meetings and leisure travelers. Global Winter Wonderland fills this void while also bringing different cultures together to experience this very special event”.

In addition to the economic benefit and cultural panache of Global Winter Wonderland, there is a decidedly “green tinge” to the spectacle. To construct Global Winter Wonderland, dozens of workers used 600 gallons of glue to stretch more than 30,000 yards of colored silk around the lanterns’ steel frames, built from over 80 tons of steel. Global Winter Wonderland showcases more than 40 amazing eco-friendly lanterns, designed by the same team of engineers who built lanterns for the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing, built from recycled materials that include over 14,000 plastic bottles, 35,000 glass bottles, beverage cans, bottle caps, CDs, porcelain dishes and metal flatware.

Global Winter Wonderland is located just east of US 101 in the Parking Lot adjacent to Great America, 4701 Great America Parkway, Santa Clara, CA 95054. The festival is open weekends from 4 pm to 11 pm, and will be open daily from December 16 through January 2. Dates and hours of operation are:

• Friday through Sunday, November 25–27, December 2–4, and December 9–11, 4 pm to 11 pm.
• Daily from Friday, December 16, through Monday, January 2; Friday–Saturday, 4 pm to 11 pm, Sunday–Thursday, 4 pm to 10 pm.

Admission at the gate is $12 for adults (13-61); $10 for children (4-12) and Seniors (62+); with children 3 & under admitted free. Save money and purchase tickets online at www.globalwonderland.org or by phone at 1-(888) 768-7469.

Ten Years of Tangerine

On Friday, December 2, San Francisco’s Acclaimed Pan Asian Restaurant Celebrates a Decade of Delicious Dining

www.tangerinesf.com

28 November 2011 – SAN FRANCISCO, CA: In an era of fast food and fast departures from the restaurant scene, Tangerine (www.tangerinesf.com), the iconic San Francisco restaurant made famous by Chef Sean’s acclaimed California and Pacific Rim cuisine, is celebrating an admirable benchmark: its tenth year of delicious dining at 3499 16th Street at Sanchez in San Francisco’s Castro District.

“Friendly food and delicious atmosphere are the key to longevity,” says Tangerine co-owner and Executive Chef Sean Pattanasuvoranun. “In restaurant years, two years is success: ten is a blessing.”

“Our guests treat us like their dining room, and we like it that way,” says Tangerine co-owner Peter Goss. “This proves that our loyal clientele and every day new customers appreciate quality food, creatively prepared at a reasonable price.”

To mark the occasion, Tangerine will revamp its menu and add a special section: “Ten Years of Favorites” bringing back some of the restaurant’s original favorites such as Drunken Duck, Sea Bass Edamame and Tempura Vegetables with Juniper Berry Broth. Throughout the day of Friday, December 2 – for both brunch and dinner – Chef Sean and Goss will be on hand to welcome and thank their friends, guests and neighbors. Complimentary “anniversary cake” and sparkling wine or apple cider will be served with every meal.

Over the last decade, Tangerine has won several awards, including CitySearch and Open Table notices for “Best Brunch” and from CitySearch for “Best Pan Asian Food.” The restaurant continues to work in partnership with the neighboring Sanchez College Preparatory School and support various programs for the children, including the Primary Intervention Program as well has health, nutrition and slow food events. During the filming of MILK, Oscar-winner Sean Penn dined regularly at Tangerine as did Director Gus Van Sant who called it one of his favorite restaurants in Passport Magazine.

Throughout the week, the restaurant features a number of popular discounts and specials for its loyal clientele.

“Locals Love It” weekday brunch discount: 10% off normal brunch prices Wednesday / Thursday / Friday.
“Wine on Wednesdays” when diners get a free glass of house wine with every dinner entre
“Thrifty Thursdays” with easy-on-the wallet $9.95 dinner specials.
“Two for One Sundays” with 2-for-the-price of one on all glasses and bottles of wine during dinner.

Tangerine is the San Francisco “neighborhood restaurant that will always do you right” (SF Examiner). “A Castro favorite for dinner and brunch, it’s conveniently located at 16th and Sanchez and offers outstanding and inexpensive Pacific Rim cuisine by Chef Sean,” (Bettyslist.com / David Grabstald). Featuring California / Pacific Rim cuisine, Tangerine’s “glorious” and “vividly executed food” (SF Bay Guardian) has made this “cool, airy, orange-hued eatery in the Castro” (Asian Week) a favorite with discerning Bay Area diners. Tangerine as “a well executed menu that conforms to a purist standard. The textured menu is full of surprises both subtle and spicy and is, in my view, worth repeated investigation.” (Teddy Valentine Witherington, Bay Times). This “casually attractive dining spot in a quiet corner of the Castro cooks up complex, delicious examples of Pacific Rim fusion.”(SF Weekly). “The food is superb here and the service splendid. This Castro neighborhood restaurant, brimming with the color tangerine, serves up food from the Pacific Rim. The scrumptious dishes will make your mouth water and have you returning for more. Gives me a good excuse to return.” (Liam Mayclem of CBS-5’s “Eye on the Bay.”)

Tangerine is located at 3499 16th Street, at Sanchez, in San Francisco’s Castro District. Tangerine is open Wednesday – Sunday: 10am ‘til 3pm for brunch; 5pm ‘til 10pm for dinner. The restaurant is closed Mondays and Tuesdays except for special events and private parties. Reservations phone: (415) 626-1700 / info@tangerinesf.com / www.tangerinesf.com

Santa Claus and the 49ers Gold Rush Girls lead the parade to Grand Opening of Global Winter Wonderland

California’s Great America Parking Lot, Santa Clara

November 25 – January 2, 2012


Travel the World this holiday season at U.S. Premiere of Traditional Chinese Lantern Festival with Spectacular Lanterns, Live Entertainment, and International Cuisine

www.globalwonderland.org

23 November 2011 – Santa Clara, CA: Ho! Ho! Ho! The holidays are here, and Global Winter Wonderland invites you to kick them off with an official parade and lighting ceremony led by Santa Claus and the 49er Gold Rush Girls! On Friday, November 25, the Merry Old Elf with his escort of cheerleaders will board the South Bay’s VTA light rail for transport to the magical site of Global Winter Wonderland (www.globalwonderland.org) on Great America Parkway in Santa Clara. From November 25 – January 2, gigantic illuminated lanterns depicting the world’s greatest architectural achievements — such as the Taj Mahal, the Eiffel Tower, Chichen Itza, and the Golden Gate Bridge — will light up the sky from the parking lot adjacent to California’s Great America in Santa Clara. Covering more than nine acres, the festival showcases hundreds of amazing lantern displays, some of them more than 50-feet tall and nearly 100-feet wide, all lit by 30,000 energy-efficient lightbulbs. The centerpiece of Global Winter Wonderland is a 33-foot tall Christmas Tree Lantern. The tree and all the lanterns will be lit with Santa’s arrival on Friday, November 25, the day after Thanksgiving. Advance tickets can be ordered online at www.globalwonderland.org or by phone at 1 (888) 768-7469.

On Friday, November 25, at 1:30pm Santa Claus and the 49er Gold Rush Girls will board the VTA Light Rail at the Campbell/Winchester station, making 24 stops along the way, arriving at the Great America/Tasman Station in Santa Clara at 2:45pm, across from Global Winter Wonderland. At 3:00pm Santa and the Gold Rush Girls will lead the parade to Global Winter Wonderland accompanied by local school children and a traditional Chinese Lion Dance. Then at sunset history will be made when the Consul General of The People’s Republic of China, Gao Zhansheng, pushes the button to light up the lanterns throughout the Festival Grounds.

In additional to iconic landmarks, highlights of Global Winter Wonderland include the Holiday Village and Chinatown exhibit, featuring more than 40 eco-friendly lanterns made from recycled materials such as beverage cans, bottle caps, CDs, porcelain dishes and metal flatware, designed by the same team of engineers who built lanterns for the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing. Other features include a dinosaur maze, carnival games, international cuisine, arts and crafts, live entertainment, and celebrations of holiday traditions from around the world.

Created by the International Culture Exchange Group, the U.S. debut of Global Winter Wonderland offers a fun and entertaining opportunity to experience the rich cultures and holiday traditions of the world, right here in California. Major sponsors of this family holiday event include the San Francisco 49ers and Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA).


Located in the parking lot adjacent to Great America (4701 Great America Parkway, Santa Clara, CA), Global Winter Wonderland is open weekends beginning Friday, November 25, from 4pm to 11pm, and open daily from December 16 through January 2. Dates and hours of operation are:

• Friday through Sunday, November 25–27, December 2–4, and December 9–11, 4 pm to 11 pm.
• Daily from Friday, December 16, through Monday, January 2; Friday–Saturday, 4 pm to 11 pm, Sunday–Thursday, 4 pm to 10 pm.

Admission at the gate is $12 for adults (13-61); $10 for children (4-12) and Seniors (62+); children 3 and under are admitted free. Save money and purchase tickets online at www.globalwonderland.org or by phone at 1-(888) 768-7469.