AOF Activities & Events
Each year AOF joins hands with HAGSA to bring you the HumanLight (slash) Winter Solstice secular celebration. Each year we invite all in the local community of reason to join us. All. No charge, no membership needed. Just show up, and party.
Especially come party if you feel crushed and suffocated by religious sentiment about now. And don't you? Be honest. All those chubby cherubs, the fake flocked trees, the chorales and churchbells, cherry candy canes tasting like sugared-up embalming fluid, that irritating drummer boy ... and, and, oh, the commercials, the sales, the catalogs, the spam ... don't you just want to screeeam? (...deep breath...)
But chill, find your happy place. Because HumanLight/Solstice is here. "HL/S" is a secular oasis in the wasteland of radioactive sugar-cookie mysticism, an escape from department store consumerism, and an opportunity to celebrate what's real: our reason, our common values, and the simple warmth of human kinship.
What can be better? So join us.
For a history of the humanist HumanLight celebration, please visit http://humanlight.org/. For images of a past HL/S Party, courtesy of our Sac-FAN friends, see below or click here. Never have you seen such a wondrous display of secular humanist squalor and profligacy. You must be part of it.
As ever, festivities will include music, camaraderie, reverie, fooderie, and much else. We will have games. We will have a raffle. We will have a charity drive. We will have poetry, maybe. A skit, maybe. Plans coalesce as you read this, so this is just a rough sketch of festivities. If you can help, or have ideas, please contact the event planners (emails below)!
The Luncheon. Potluck style. Bring something tasty and snacky, prepared, well-presented, ready to serve, with your own favorite beverage. Be aware, the hall kitchen has a microwave, sink and refrigerator, but no oven, no stove. We will provided plates, bowls, utensils, napkins and cups. Eating will begin at 1 pm, and continue until the end, or till you can no longer walk.
The Raffle. This pays for the hall! Tickets will be affordable, prizes spectacular -- including two (2) ticket-vouchers to the next Oregon Shakespeare Festival (value $100), a gift card to Hoppy Brewing Company restaurant, other toothsome goodies and a miscellany of delightful knicknacks. So yes, bring some spare change. And if you have a knick or knack to donate, some bit of freethoughtful bric-a-brac clinging to dust in a cupboard, please contact the event organizers.
People & Pet Charity Food Drive. Every year at HL/S, we gather goods for two food banks, one human (the River City Food Bank) and one animal (the Sacramento Pet Food Bank, aka Titanic's Pantry) -- both secular charities not associated with any church. So if you will, if you could, please bring a canned or packaged food item for either or both. Also accepted: toys, leashes, collars, cat litter, bedding and other pet supplies for our furry friends in need; and baby food & formula, baby diapers, baby wipes, soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, dental floss, razors, lotions in all sizes (travel or family size), paper or plastic bags and grocery store gift cards for our non-furry friends in need. Cash/check donation jars will also be there. We will deliver your donations, and your Grinch-heart will swell three sizes.
Entertainment. The event team is scheduling exemplary entertainment to keep you amused and bemused. Enjoy secular holiday music. Professional dancers Roger Zabkie and Pam Rivera will once again demonstrate eye-popping dance moves. A secular trivia contest, awards presentation and other games/activities will ensue, all decent, wholesome, secular, cerebrally nutritional and gluten free. Wait & see!
Children. HL/S is as always a family-friendly event. Do bring your smalls, they are welcome too. Just advise the event organizers (see below) so they can plan.
No charge to attend. Friends welcome. Parking as free as your thoughts! But if you plan to attend, RSVP to the event planners, as it would really help to have a head-count.
For a map to the site, click here.
