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Business & Tech

Gal-a-Palooza is Coming to Main Street

Grab your gal pal and spend Saturday downtown.

From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, presents the , a day to focus on the interests of women. This fun community event is an effort to attract people to Benicia from surrounding areas, while supporting local businesses.

 The one-day palooza has been designed for gal pals to enjoy together, with an emphasis on health, happiness, style, community and a balanced life. You can help the effort by inviting friends from out of town, and show off the best of Benicia. Organizers have ordered sunny weather.

Downtown cafes, salons and shops are offering deals for palooza attendees. Five of the 34 participating merchants have been paired with local nonprofits, which will hand out materials about their mission.

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Cafe will host Safequest Solano, which provides support services for victims of relationship violence and sexual assault. Support groups, victim advocacy, emergency crisis assistance and intervention are offered. Safequest also educates women about preventing violence and protecting oneself from harm.

will welcome Soroptimist International of Benicia,  a club for women to help women. Its mission is to improve the lives of women and girls in their communities and throughout the world with events and fund raisers for various programs.  

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Also at Benicia Bay Company will be Linda Lawless, author of How to Build and Market Your Mental Health Practice and How to Get Referrals. Linda is a mental-health professional who believes the future of psychotherapy depends on having diverse community-based practices. She runs her business from an office aboard her sailboat, Life Dancing, in the Benicia Marina.

Christina S boutique will host the . The BCAC is a partnership of citizens, volunteers and staff who offer guidance, resources and referrals to economically disadvantaged Benicians. Services include delivery of hot meals to homebound seniors and help with on-the-job training for low-income youths.

will feature the Benicia Library Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose goal is to create a $1 million endowment for the Benicia Library to support a variety of programs and projects. Our library is one of the best in the county, with a multitude of resources for our community, so it's worth checking out.

Bring your appetite because participating cafes, restaurants and pubs will have specials for palooza gals. Look for $1 lattes at , a champagne and cheese deal at , a spa salad at , samples at and menu specials at the and .

Mommies, leave those babies and Pampers at home, and pamper yourself instead. Get a mani-pedi at Arian Nail Spa for the price of a pedicure. will offer free 10-minute massages and will give $10 off a 30-minute chair massage. Check out the Piel Medical skin-care demos at and the Blow Dry Camp at . Campers should be there by noon for the demonstration.

Get your fill of downtown arts and crafts. Czech Bead Soup will be 25 percent off and you can make two fused glass jewelry pieces for only $15 at . Check out the live painting demos at and glass-blowing demos at .

Find your style, be it apparel, jewelry, handbags, accessories or home décor. A Jewel In The Sky  will offer 20 percent off jewelry and will have a bargain table. Find deals of up to 70 percent off at . will share movie-star secrets — skin-care tips and how to use Spanx and Hollywood Fashion Tape. Be aware that paparazzi may be present, so practice your best red-carpet pout.

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