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Health & Fitness

Grab Your Paintbrushes! Let's Paint the Town Red

One of the most anticipated annual events in town, the Paint the Town Red affair, marks Novato’s official birthday and celebrates those who contribute to local history. Might as well toss some confetti in the air and blow a horn once in a while to give kudos to our achievements, right?

The 2014 Paint the Town Red gala, which comes as Novato celebrates 54 years as an incorporated city, is coming up on Jan. 24 at the Margaret Todd Senior Center, and tickets are on sale now.

Let’s break down the reasons why this is a must-attend event: Great fun, great food, great drink, great music, great camaraderie and a great purely local reason to high-five back slap and hug each other. The driving force behind the celebration is a dedicated group of volunteers and sponsors that truly love Novato, so add great local spirit to that list as well.

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“Paint the Town Red isn’t just a birthday party for a city, it is a celebration for the birth of an entire community,” Mayor Eric Lucan said. “Whether you are a third-generation Novato citizen or a new resident of just a few months, you won’t want to miss this year’s event.”  

The Citizen of the Year Committee anoints its coveted annual award at Paint the Town Red, and it’s an epic secret until Committee Chair Dietrich Stroeh makes the announcement. Last year, super volunteer Patty Bennett was crowned in an extra-emotional surprise; her late husband Chuck had been bestowed the same award in 2001. Who will it be this time?

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In addition, the Novato Chamber of Commerce rolls out the red carpet for the city’s large and small businesses of the year to hearty standing ovations. The reining champs are Moylan’s Brewery & Restaurant (large business) and Continental Jewelers (small business).

Taste of Novato, the delicious part of the event menu, is a bevy of hors d’ oeuvres, wines and craft beers from local businesses. The participants include: Catermarin, Forks and Fingers, Wildfox, Hiltop 1892, Tavola, Toast, Whole Foods Novato, Red Boy Pizza, Hopmonk Tavern Novato, Chianti Cucina Atria Senior Living, The Key Room at Homeward Bound of Marin, Rickey's, Cline, Jacuzzi, Trek, Larson Family Winery, Paradise View, Moylan’s Brewery & Restaurant, Muscio's and Left Coast Bistro.

“We really believe having tastes from all these amazing local restaurants, wineries and microbreweries in one location makes Paint the Town Red worth the price of admission on its own,” said Taste of Novato coordinator Irene O’Brien. “Every year we get more compliments about how much fun people had, and we know the food and drink are a big part of that experience.”

Local favorites Swing Set will jazz it up for your dancing and listening pleasure. Rob Sundberg (upright bass, vocals), Mike Zalkaske (vocals, guitar), Bob McBain (keyboards), Alex Peters (saxophone, clarinet, flute) and Roland Tolosa (percussion) play tunes from a long list of best-loved and timeliness standards.

The volunteer-run Paint the Town Red Committee makes a donation to a Novato nonprofit chosen by the Citizen of the Year. Other proceeds are used to subsidize the following year's event.

The event goes from 6:30-10 p.m. at the Margaret Todd Senior Center on Hill Road. Tickets are $50. Learn more and purchase tickets at paintthetownred.org.



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