Midtown is alive with creativity and wonder with Midtown Association’s newest, most ambitious initiative yet, the Urban Dreams Art Experience.

The immersive art installation features 16 remarkable large-scale sculptures and art pieces. They transform rooftops, patios and public spaces into an open-air gallery.

Running through Sept. 14, the exhibition celebrates local talent with an eye toward whimsy and surprise. The project is monumental, with artworks ranging from 6 to 20 feet in height.

If you believe the old narrative that Sacramento is boring, oil your bike chain and join the next Cool Projects Bike Tour.

Organized by local planners and architects affiliated with Urban Land Institute Sacramento, the July ride was an eye-opening, uplifting experience. I tagged along with about 30 urban planning enthusiasts.

“It’s always a fun and informative ride,” says Tim Denham, a planner with the local firm Wood Rodgers. He and urban planners Bob Chase and John Hodgson, along with former mortgage broker Dean O’Brien, originated the rides in 2009.

The first thing I do when visiting another city is head to the farmers market. From Rome, Paris and Lisbon to Costa Rica, Mexico and Panama, I compare fruits, vegetables, cheeses, wines, olive oils and flowers.

Believe me when I say the Sunday Certified Farmers Market at Eighth and W streets stands tall among them all.

To learn more about this local treasure, I spoke with Dan Best, a Sunday market founder and manager. He explained the event “emanated from a regulation that allowed farmers to sell directly to consumers without packing, labeling and standardization requirements.”

Selland Hospitality Group is a juggernaut on the restaurant scene, from grab-and-go to Michelin stars. Most popular among the collection are Sellands Neighborhood Cafe and Bar.

With locations at H Street and Broadway, and another in El Dorado Hills, the casual restaurants combine high-end cooking and cafe accessibility.

But times change. While the food at Sellands stays consistent and delightful, the style and look of the Broadway and H Street locations have leveled up.

Here’s what happens when 100 or more women each donate $1,000 and pool the money.

They define “power in numbers.” And they make a difference with transformational grants.

The dollars, gathered by a group called Impact100 Greater Sacramento, support nonprofits in five focus areas: arts and culture, environment, health and wellness, education, and family.

“One thousand dollars helps, but when we collectively pool our resources together, we’re able to do even greater things,” chapter President Sarina Paulson says. “It’s really good to know as a member that yes, I donated $1,000, but 391 other women also donated $1,000, so collectively my $1,000 has morphed into $452,000 (with a matching campaign). I went to six site visits this year and I can tell you firsthand the good that is going to do.”

As a resident of Livermore, Kathy Nolan liked to visit Sacramento. When her daughter and family settled in North Natomas, Nolan felt the gentle pull to move closer to them.

Widowed and retired, she wasn’t in a rush. “My timeline was maybe five years out,” Nolan says.

But when a midcentury modern house in South Land Park hit the market, urgency struck. “I found it on Zillow and fell in love with it. There were multiple offers and luckily, I was the top bidder,” she says.