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Best Local Celebrity
Sara Bareilles
If we're being real, Ferndale-grown celebrity chef Guy Fieri seemed poised to make a run here. After all, his spikey haired mug is plastered across a billboard on the Las Vegas Strip, his flagship show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives turned 15, he'd launched a new show (Guy's Game Night) and expanded his restaurant empire to more than 85 worldwide, all while in the midst of a massively lucrative Food Network TV deal.
Eureka's Sara Bareilles clearly had to up her game if she wanted to keep her Best Local Celebrity crown. The Eureka native was not daunted, it turns out, and sauntered past the Eel River Valley, asking Fieri to hold her proverbial Donkey Sauce, on her way to an epic homecoming, throwing a massive, free concert that drew some 15,000 people to Eureka's Halvorsen Park, making it one of the largest events in the city's history.
And when Bareilles took the stage, she simply wowed with a 17-song set that included her biggest hits, played through a world-class sound system from a professional stage her crews had seemingly materialized out of nowhere. Perhaps more importantly, it was authentic. While her talent was on full display, so were her care, humility, kindness and strength, as she thanked everyone who'd had a hand in making the day possible, implored the crowd to be good to one another and urged everyone to fight for a woman's right to choose.
"It's my prayer for the world — that we not give up on each other," she said from the stage as the sun began to set over Humboldt Bay.
What could be better?
Thadeus Greenson
Best Local Sports Program
Humboldt Crabs Baseball
Ah, the old ball game. Sun shining, the aroma of grilled burgers, hot dogs and fried mini donuts. Smiling, sunglass-wearing beer stewards slinging frosty ones to regulars who've brought their reusable steel cups. Add to this scene a field of freshly cut grass surrounding a raked dirt diamond, a joyous crowd of diverse fans and an orange crustacean in a snappy white uniform shaking claws with fans and posing for pics. Yep, you're at a Humboldt Crabs baseball game at the Arcata Ball Park.
Humboldt Crabs games are the epitome of small-town, community baseball — that perfect blend of nostalgia, camaraderie and a genuine love for the sport. You're bound to run into half a dozen friends, neighbors, colleagues or that guy from the plaza whose face you've known for years. Strangers in the stands quickly become friends as the World Famous Crab Grass Band honks out "Sweet Caroline," tucked in with the hecklers and diehards on the first base line. Kids, decked out in Crabs gear from head to toe, race to and from the snack bar and run the bases on Sundays. It's no wonder Journal readers have voted the Crabs the Best Local Sports Program.
And let's not forget our house, Arcata Ball Park. It's got shiny new, sturdier bleachers and cap tips to the trailblazers — those wooden replicas of Crabs jerseys hanging on the chain link fence immortalizing Crabs founders and players. We're proud of our Crabbies, the oldest continually operated summer collegiate baseball team in America, doing the deal since 1945.
Kali Cozyris
Best Stand-Up Comedian & Best Vocalist
Calista LaBolle
Humboldt's best vocalist and stand-up comic walk into a bar, and they're both Calista LaBolle. Her last name may be familiar since her father is drummer Mike LaBolle. Her mother Brooke Exley sang with some bands locally in the '80s as well — a strong musical pedigree for the singer/songwriter. "I'm really bad about getting them recorded but I have a couple songs on Bandcamp," she says. There you can sample her clear, strong voice singing soulful ballads like "Last Night," "Believe" and "It Takes Work." Lately she's been playing piano and singing with guitarist Sam Borrello, and you can catch her singing at Living Doll Vintage in Eureka during Arts Alive in September.
Comedy came later, after about a year of sitting in the audience at stand-up shows and making her own notes, Calista LaBolle finally hit the stage herself in 2019. Initially, her material was "a way to make fun of my dating experiences," including the raunchy, awkward and sometimes depressing business of meeting people on apps and/or in our small social pool. Sex, she noted during one show, "is great foreplay for when he leaves." She produces a monthly show at Humboldt Bay Provisions each Thursday before Arts Alive — if you pick this up in time, she'll be there Aug. 3. — and is frequently on the bill at the Savage Henry Comedy Club. Don't be surprised if there's a little singing.
Jennifer Fumiko Cahill
Arts & entertainment
Art Exhibit
The Epitome Gallery 420 Second St., Eureka (707) 798-1541 theepitomegallery.com
Art Gallery
The Epitome Gallery 420 Second St., Eureka (707) 798-1541 theepitomegallery.com
Artworks: Mural
Murals under Samoa Bridge eurekastreetartfestival.com
Band: Cover Band
The Undercovers theundercovershumboldt.com
Band: Original Band
Object Heavy objectheavymusic.com
Beer Festival
Hops in Humboldt hopsinhumboldt.com
Bowling Alley
Harbor Lanes 2136 Broadway, Eureka (707) 443-4533 harborlanes.net
Casino
Bear River Casino Resort 11 Bear Paws Way, Loleta (707) 733-9644 bearrivercasino.com
Club DJ
DJ Gabe Pressure [email protected] instagram.com/gabepressure
Craft Artist
Mark Campbell Ceramics markcampbellceramics.com
Cultural Event
Fourth of July on the Arcata Plaza G and Eighth streets, Arcata
Dance Crew
Va Va Voom Burlesque Vixens vavavoomvixens.blog
Drag Artist
Tucker Noir instagram.com/tuckernoir
Filmmaker
Tracy Boyd linkedin.com/in/tracy-boyd-5b195069
Fundraising Event
High Heels for Healing soroptimistofhumboldtbay.com/high-heels-for-healing
Golf Course
Baywood Golf & Country Club 3600 Buttermilk Lane, Arcata (707) 822-3686 baywoodgcc.com
Holiday Light Display
Eureka Truck Parade rexandfriendstruckersparade.com
Humboldt Clothing Line
Humboldt Republic 535 Fourth St., Eureka (707) 497-6270
Karaoke
Richards' Goat Tavern & Tea Room 401 I St., Arcata (707) 630-5000 richardsgoat.com
Live Music Venue
Arcata Theatre Lounge 1036 G St., Arcata (707) 613-3030 arcatatheatre.com
Local Actor
Mathew Lewis TikTok.com/@MxMathewLewis
Local Artist
Margriet Seinen artsatheart.com/margriet-seinen
Local Celebrity
Sara Bareilles sarabmusic.com
Local Sports Program
Crabs Baseball Arcata Ballpark, F & Ninth streets, Arcata humboldtcrabs.com
Local Tour
Kayak Trinidad 322 Main Street, Trinidad (707) 329-0085 kayaktrinidad.com
Movie Theater
Minor Theatre 1001 H St., Arcata (707) 822-3456 minortheatre.com
Museum
Morris Graves Museum of Art 636 F St., Eureka (707) 442-0278 humboldtarts.org
Music Festival
Redwood Coast Music Festival rcmfest.org
Musician
Brian Swislow instagram.com/bswizlo
Place to Shake Your Booty
Arcata Theatre Lounge 1036 G St., Arcata (707) 613-3030 arcatatheatre.com
Place to Shoot Pool
Logger Bar 510 Railroad Ave., Blue Lake loggerbar.com
Places to Play Games
Hatchet House Arcata 737 G St., Arcata (707) 630-5203 hatchethousethrowing.com
Pumpkin Patch/Farm
Organic Matters Ranch 6821 Myrtle Ave., Eureka instagram.com/organicmattersranch
Stand-Up Comedian
Calista LaBolle instagram.com/calistabobista
Tattoo Artist
Ashlie Franks at Sangha Tattoo 527 F St., Eureka (707) 476-8282 instagram.com/sanghatattoostudio
Theater Company
North Coast Repertory Theatre 300 Fifth St., Eureka (707) 442-6278 ncrt.net
Vocalist
Calista LaBolle instagram.com/calistabobista
Weekend Getaway within 150 miles
Benbow Historic Inn 445 Lake Benbow Drive, Garberville (707) 923-2124 benbowinn.com
Wine Festival
Fieldbrook Art and Wine Festival 4241 Fieldbrook Road, McKinleyville (707) 839-4140 fieldbrookwinery.com