Miel Apothecary, housed in the old Pedroni’s Pharmacy building constructed in the early 1900s on Broadway and 34th Street in Oak Park, is a potpourri of healing salves, locally-sourced perfumes and vintage clothing.

As a teenager dominating on the basketball court almost a decade ago, Ryan Sypkens seemed in control.

A prep standout at Elk Grove’s Franklin High School, Sypkens earned accolades as one of the top players in the Sacramento area. Then it was on to UC Davis, where he became a starter at point guard as a freshman.

After staging a cattle drive across the Tower Bridge and a tractor parade down Capitol Mall, Mike Testa and his Visit Sacramento staff faced a huge challenge: How could they broaden the impact of Sacramento’s Farm-to-Fork Month kickoff?

A few weeks ago, Eventbrite posted a blog entitled 5 Unexpected Cities Experiencing A Music Renaissance, which is essentially a press release documenting the company’s ascension as the leading digital ticketing service. Sacramento tops the list at a growth rate of 177 percent.

While many supporters of local music may agree that Sacramento needs a homegrown music festival, this type of event isn’t easy to produce, and doesn’t always get the financial backing it needs.

“Farm to Fork” is not just an advertising slogan: It reflects a big part of the region’s identity, and that reputation is growing. Wine has become one of California’s most recognizable crops and production has grown tremendously over the last two decades. California is home to 4,700 wineries and produces more wine than any other U.S. state.​

Chris Barnum-Dann is meticulous, driven and creative. A little OCD with a rocker persona, those close to him say, but in a way that’s an asset for the man focused on shaking the Sacramento culinary scene. He’s unapologetic about his restaurant’s changing menu or pricey offerings. Barnum-Dann is making his mark, not pleasing the masses.

There was a moment leading up to 2013 when it looked as though the record store would join the dodo on the extinction list. Record sales were plummeting due to rampant pirating, digital sales became the primary metric and the major labels were scrambling to shut down the piracy, while appealing to the modern user. Then, reports began circulating that vinyl sales were up.

Nick Wimsett wakes at 6 a.m., brews coffee, grabs a first aid kit, gathers rafting paddles and applies sunscreen. This is a typical day in his 11th year guiding guests down the South Fork of the American River in the Coloma-Lotus Valley.

Traditional museums and old-school performance centers — with silent hallways and auditoriums where photography is forbidden — are being rethought in favor of interactive educational spaces. The Capital Region boasts a number of vital, enriching educational institutions that intentionally link the arts and education communities to create welcoming spaces that are both inspiring and accessible.

SactoMoFo, which had held regular events over the years that opened the door for food trucks in Sacramento, hosted its 10th and final central city gathering at the Railyards on April 29.

On Tuesday, Rubicon Brewing Company announced that after 30 years they are closing their doors at the end of the month. The news hit me much harder than it should have and I have been trying to figure out why. Finally it came to me. Rubicon wasn’t just another brewery. It was Midtown. To me, it was everything good Sacramento had to offer.

For sports fans, it’s not about wins and losses, but how you experience that game that counts. Brian Dombrowski learned this shooting videos for youth and high school sports events in the Bay Area. He was filming original content for coaches, but they weren’t the only ones interested in his footage.

The Capital Dance Project recently announced a partnership with the Sacramento Kings and the Kings Foundation to produce their inaugural Sensory-Friendly Dance Performance on Friday, Aug. 25 at Crest Theatre.

Patricio Wise spent more than a decade climbing the ladder in international finance, and he attributes his success to hard work and a belief in scientific methods. Last year, though, he started working with a different kind of formula: recipes, to be exact. He opened Nixtaco, a taqueria and craft beer spot on Cirby Way in Roseville, fully-equipped with a menu of cuisine inspired by his native Monterrey.

After losing an undisclosed sum both years, TBD Fest (otherwise known as The Bridge District Festival) has incurred blame from investors and rival music promoters for being underfunded. General consensus is that if a festival can’t pay for its talent before selling a single ticket, it’s under-capitalized.

Mike Testa, CEO of Visit Sacramento, offers his insight into what the city has to offer tourists. For more from Testa, check out “The Little Music Festival That Was” in our August issue. Sign up for our newsletter and we’ll email you when it’s available online.

Just off of the historic Lincoln Highway, Old Town Galt is getting a second chance at life as revival efforts bring new events and businesses to the downtown streets. The newest addition, The Coffee Shop Bakery, embraces small-town pride, classic cars and coffeecake.

During the economic recession and its aftermath, some restaurants and sweet shops in the region were hit hard by the rising cost of ingredients and cost-conscious customers, and forced to shutter their doors or scale back on business.

Comstock’s monthly look at the business news in the Capital Region. Here’s our run-down of news from June.