Annual 2012
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04/18/13Top Picks for This WeekendSpring has sprung! From UC Davis’ annual Picnic Day to an Oak Park street fair to a neon-lit fun run at Cal Expo, here are three fun ways to play outside this weekend. Picnic Day This annual UC Davis campus showcase—which, as the largest student-run event in the nation, hosts nearly 65,000 visitors each year—takes place this Saturday, starting with a morning parade and followed by everything from the popular Doxie Derby dachshund races to the battle of the bands. Plus, check out demonstrations from groups like UC Davis atmospheric scientists, who will be creating mini-tornados using air cannons, and the Physics Club, which will levitate objects using special wires. Free. Saturday. 9:30 a.m.- 5 p.m. UC Davis Campus. Davis. 530-752-6320. picnicday.ucdavis.edu... Posted at 03:34 PM | Permalink |
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04/11/13This Weekend's Top PicksA ukulele concert (featuring selections by everyone from Handel to David Bowie), two Broadway musicals (one beginning and one ending) and an Elk Grove gardening festival make up our eclectic list of ways to spend your weekend. The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain Known for its unusual genre-mixing performances—concerts often include pop hits by the likes of David Bowie and Stevie Wonder as well as selections by composers such as Handel and Saint-Saëns—the London-based orchestra will once again expertly blend classical works with modern songs this Friday night at the Mondavi Center. The Ukes will also invite members of the audience to join in for a play-along rendition of its Relentlessly in C based on composer Terry Riley’s seminal In C. $25-$75. Friday... Posted at 02:52 PM | Permalink |
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04/05/13Sactown's Weekend PicksEnjoy the sights and sounds of Sacramento this weekend by taking in a trio of events: a Bobby McFerrin performance at the Mondavi Center, the Sacramento Philharmonic’s season finale concert and a Roland Petersen gallery show opening at Elliott Fouts. Bobby McFerrin Don’t worry and be happy at tonight’s concert featuring the 10-time Grammy Award-winning vocalist (and Sacramento State alum) Bobby McFerrin. His program, which was inspired by the spirituals that his opera baritone father would sing, will feature improvisational renditions of classics like “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” and “Down by the Riverside.” $35-$82. Friday. 8 p.m. 9399 Old Davis Rd., Davis. 530-754-2787. mondaviarts.org Sacramento Philharmonic... Posted at 05:33 PM | Permalink |
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03/29/13Cool Things to Do This Weekend in SacramentoFrom the premiere of a play by George Bernard Shaw to the return of Easter playing at Fairytale Town, here’s a list of cool things to do around town this holiday weekend. Widowers’ Houses Debuting this Saturday is Widowers’ Houses by Nobel Prize-winning author George Bernard Shaw, which examines the social upheaval that occurred in post-industrial Europe as self-made, successful businessmen began to infiltrate England’s upper crust. Harry, an aristocratic but poor doctor, and his fiancée Blanche, a woman whose father acquired wealth through exploitative business practices, weigh idealism against pragmatism as they clash over the decision to accept corruptly earned family money. $25. Sat. 8 p.m. Sun. 2 p.m. R25 Arts Complex’s California Stage... Posted at 06:24 PM | Permalink |
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03/22/13Around Town This Weekend and BeyondFrom a balletic performance of a Midsummer Night’s Dream to symphonic concert for mini Mozarts, here are our top picks for what to do this weekend and how to start next week off with a bang. A Midsummer Night's Dream Love is in the air—not to mention miscommunication and mischief—this weekend as the celebration of Ron Cunningham’s 25th anniversary helming the Sacramento Ballet continues with his adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The lighthearted, light-footed romp features a cast of troublemaking fairies, nymphs, and sprites who manipulate and influence the romantic lives of the young lovers in a mythical forest. The program will also include a performance of George Balanchine’s Western Symphony, the... Posted at 10:29 AM | Permalink |
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03/01/13Things to Check Out This Weekend, from Shakespeare to UnderwearFrom the premiere of a play by Shakespeare to a charity race in your underwear, here are some of our top picks for what to do around town this weekend. As You Like It All the city’s a stage at this adaptation of William Shakespeare’s As You Like It by Big Idea Theatre’s artistic director Brian Harrower. Premiering this weekend, the play reimagines the classic comedy by trading the traditional setting of the mythical Forest of Arden for Sacramento’s own Arden Park and its surrounding urban landscape, and chronicles the adventures that follow when plucky young Rosalind flees for her life—with her cousin Celia and hilarious companion Touchstone in tow—and searches for her father, who has been ousted from the massive company he founded by a... Posted at 01:27 PM | Permalink |
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02/22/13Things to Do, See, Eat and Drink This WeekendFrom syrah on Saturday to Tosca on Sunday, here are three different ways to have a great weekend in Sacramento. Eat, drink and be very merry for a good cause this Saturday at the Winter Wine & Food Fest, an annual Sacramento tradition benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation and boasting samplings from over 120 regional restaurants and vintners like Piatti, Aïoli Bodega Española, Blackbird Vineyards and Michael David Winery. A VIP ticket also gains you entry to a sit-down dinner and a live auction offering everything from a lobster meal for 20 people to a stay at Waikoloa Resort Hawaii. $85 in advance; $100 at the door (VIP: $185 in advance; $200 at the door). 5 p.m. Sacramento Convention Center. 14th and J streets. 692-3921. necannv.wish.org Feeling blue?... Posted at 10:17 PM | Permalink |
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02/15/13Three Fun Outings for this Three-Day WeekendThis weekend, good things come in threes. Here’s a trio of events worth getting out for during this three-day holiday weekend, from the opening of Legally Blonde at Three Stages to a fun (and funny) night with comedian Paula Poundstone and a family-friendly cultural festival at the Crocker. Legally Blonde The Musical Starting tonight, for three consecutive weekends, the El Dorado Musical Theatre will stage this hit musical based on the popular book-turned-film starring Reese Witherspoon. The story chronicles Elle Woods, a charming, seemingly ditzy sorority girl who gets into Harvard Law School against all odds. Looked down on by her classmates for her flaxen tresses and penchant for pink, Elle proves that she’s more than what meets the eye by becoming the... Posted at 01:47 PM | Permalink |
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02/08/13Four Colorful Things To Do This Weekend in SacramentoFrom a Roaring ’20s ballet bash to a Mardi Gras dance party and a pair of Second Saturday art exhibits, here are four fantastic ways to have a colorful weekend in Sacramento. The Great Gatsby The Sacramento Ballet presents the world premiere of co-artistic director Ron Cunningham’s adaptation of the classic F. Scott Fitzgerald novel this weekend. The one-act dance will feature period music by Boston-based jazz composer Billy Novick, who will be playing live with his Blue Syncopators band. The evening will also include another one-act ballet, Who Cares?, which is a tribute to the ’20s and ’30s by famed New York City Ballet founding choreographer George Balanchine with music by George Gershwin. And after the Sunday matinee performance, the ballet will host... Posted at 06:24 PM | Permalink |
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02/01/13Supersize Your Culture Intake on Super Bowl WeekendSacramento, are you ready for some football? No? Well, if you don’t know your Alex Smith from Torrey Smith, you can still keep this Super Bowl weekend action-packed and get some culture to boot with this trio of indoor outings. Bark! The Musical While the Puppy Bowl returns to Animal Planet this Sunday, the Sacramento Theatre Company lets the dogs out throughout the weekend for this musical about man’s best friend. Praised by the Los Angeles Times as “a paean to simplicity, loyalty and unconditional love,” the story portrays the lives of six canines in Deena’s Doggie Daycare—all played by actors—from a poodle that sings opera to a puppy that longs to have a powerful bark and an older dog that must say good-bye to its owner before being... Posted at 10:28 AM | Permalink |
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11/30/12Santa Parade Still on Track for SaturdaySome major winter weather may be bearing down on the region, but it will be looking a lot like Christmas in the Capitol City this Saturday with the annual Santa Parade. According to event organizer Ken Gross, the spectacular free yuletide tradition—which has been spreading Christmas cheer on the streets of downtown Sacramento with dozens of floats, bands and vehicles every year since 1983—will, barring extreme high winds, still take place as planned. This time around, for the first time, Santa Claus will be coming to town in plenty of style aboard the sleek, red Macy’s Santa National Tour Bus; he and his coterie of elves and helpers will then hit the streets aboard the massive Macy’s Make-A-Wish float. And youngsters, don’t worry if you don’t... Posted at 01:02 PM | Permalink |
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11/15/12Two new plays and an opera debut this weekendFrom a rock-and-roll twist on a Shakespeare classic to an Italian work featuring the powerful, enchanting voices of the Sacramento Opera, here are three brand-new productions taking center stage and proving that the play’s the must-do thing this weekend. Curtains will be going up tonight at 8:00 p.m. on Big Idea Theatre’s Love’s Labor’s Lost, a William-Shakespeare-meets-Rock-of-Ages take on the Bard’s 1598 comedy. The sexy, edgy tale follows a set of dissolute rock-and-roll musicians who, in an effort to focus on their music, swear off of their hard-partying ways for an entire year; their plans of celibacy and sobriety, however, are immediately challenged when they fall in love with some beautiful women they meet, causing the rockers to... Posted at 03:52 PM | Permalink |
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11/14/12Head to the Hills for a Mandarin Festival This WeekendCome hungry and leave happy at this annual citrus-focused festival in the foothills. Now in its 19th year celebrating Placer County’s succulent—and healthful—Satsuma mandarins (an eight-ounce glass of mandarin juice has as much decongestant as one Sudafed PE tablet), the fun runs this Friday through Sunday at Auburn’s Gold Country Fairgrounds and includes cooking demonstrations, live music, over 200 local vendors and, of course, plenty of tangy, tasty treats like chocolate-dipped mandarin slices, mandarin flan, mandarin beignets and mandarin milk shakes. Take a break between bites and check out Saturday’s Peel & Eat contest, which will pit quick-draw peelers against the clock to see who can peel and eat five oranges the fastest; last year’s... Posted at 02:56 PM | Permalink |
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10/05/12A Modern Italian Festival Comes to MidtownCiao down and get the lowdown on all things Italian at this weekend’s outdoor Moderno Italiano Festival. Now in its third year, the annual event—which is hosted by Hot Italian and held at the midtown restaurant and Fremont Park across the street—celebrates different cultural aspects of the boot-shaped country, from food, fashion and film to furniture, cars and design. Friday night’s festivities begin at 6 p.m. At the eatery, there will be a chic installation curated by Lumens Light + Living, which will feature Italian housewares and furniture designers such as Alessi and Foscarini (the installation will also be on display on Saturday); a fleet of Fiats ready to be test driven; and a cycling-themed fashion show with jerseys, equipment and high-end bicycles... Posted at 09:53 AM | Permalink |
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09/07/12Free Baby Socks at Kids' Boo-tique Grand OpeningThe midtown boutique scene has struggled in recent years, but gets a boost this weekend when local children’s apparel company Trumpette—best known for its playful baby socks—hosts a grand opening for its new store on 20th and I streets in midtown (its only standalone retail location) during Second Saturday this weekend from 4 to 8 p.m. And for the occasion, the shop will be gifting its visitors a pre-Halloween treat for little ones’ feet, a pair of boo-tiful, ghost-printed socks to warm their toes (pictured). The Sacramento-based baby brand founded by Jon Stevenson has already gained a foothold in Hollywood, with its socks adorning the well-heeled tots of celebrity moms like Gwen Stefani, Jessica Alba and Hilary Duff. Trumpette has also teamed up with the... Posted at 09:09 AM | Permalink |
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08/31/12Gold Rush Days hit Old SacramentoSacramento’s Old West heritage is on display in all of its gun-slinging glory for this 13th annual free event. Over 200 tons of dirt now blanket 28 acres of Old Sacramento’s streets, with hundreds of costumed characters like cowboys, miners, soldiers and bandits reenacting everything from wild gunfights and Civil War artillery exercises to women’s rights parades and Pony Express relays. Want to see some living history? Meander through the Embarcadero Tent City, a makeshift mining encampment set up between Front and I streets, which has all of the Gold Rush essentials like a blacksmith, undertaker, justice of the peace and, of course, a saloon offering tipples for townsfolk. The weekend also includes a packed lineup of live music and dance... Posted at 05:00 PM | Permalink |
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07/20/12High-Flying and Deep-Frying at the California State Fair Through July 29Get ready for some gut-checking, gut-expanding fun at the 159th annual California State Fair, which continues this weekend through July 29, with a brand-new zip line ride, a possible new world record, epicurean competitions and everything from mac ’n’ cheese to Cap’n Crunch on a stick. Carrying out this year’s theme, “Fun That Moves You,” is the 600-foot-long High Fly’n Zip Line ride, which is making its State Fair debut and allows intrepid riders to get a leg up—or both legs up—on the traditional midway experience by soaring over it at 35 miles per hour. If you want to scale new heights but at a slower pace, for a $5 donation to the UC Davis Children’s Hospital, you can accompany Roseville’s Christina... Posted at 04:03 PM | Permalink |
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06/21/12Concerts, Cars, a Beard Contest(!) and More at the Placer County Fair June 21-24Looking for a fair to remember? Head to Roseville for the 76th annual Placer County Fair, which kicked off on Thursday and lasts through Sunday. The event will host two eating contests—pie (Friday, 5:30 p.m.) and watermelon (Saturday, 2 p.m.)—plus a hirsute one. That's right, back by popular demand is the fair’s second annual beard and mustache contest (Saturday, 6:30 p.m.), which will once again put its contestants in hairy situations in categories such as Full Beard Over One Foot, Full Beard Under One Foot, Business Beard, Natural Moustache and Styled Moustache. Those who have a need for speed can check out five NASCAR races on Saturday (starting at 6 p.m.) and the Enduro race on Sunday (also starting at 6 p.m.), which will feature cars slipping and... Posted at 04:41 PM | Permalink |
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06/08/12Second Saturday (and Friday) Art PicksIf it’s Second Saturday in Sacramento, the streets and galleries of the city will be filled to the brim. And while there are many great exhibits to catch, here are a few of our faves. Skinner Howard Contemporary Art’s Saturday reception will run from 6 to 9 p.m. debuting Cody Lane Functional Art (more on this exhibit below). Sadly, this will be the final show in the gallery’s 5,000 square-foot industrial space, which will close later this month as the gallery adjusts its operations. At East Sacramento’s Archival Gallery (3223 Folsom Blvd. archivalframe.com), you can get a glimpse of 16 rare prints from Sacramento painter Mel Ramos, who will be on hand from 7 to 9 p.m. tomorrow to meet and greet admirers. Ramos also has an extensive... Posted at 10:46 AM | Permalink |
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06/03/12Monthly food and design market debuts todayInspired by San Francisco’s Ferry Building and other eclectic marketplace events around the country, the new “GOOD: street food + design market” kicks off today and will continue on the first Sunday of each month through November. Organized by the Del Paso Boulevard Partnership and events group Unseen Heroes, the market will take place in a vacant warehouse building and will be filled with food, design and other vendors including the Popcycle Creamery which makes hand-crafted artisanal ice cream push-up pops, the celebrated cookie shop Goodie Tuchews, Mama Kim Cooks with chocolate-covered strawberries, Local Kine Hawaiian Shaved Ice, Phono Select Records and many others. Dj’s and live music will also be part of the mix. And the Gypsy Mobile... Posted at 12:08 PM | Permalink |
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05/18/12Beer & Ballet Runs Through May 27Grab a beer with the Sacramento Ballet, who will be brewing up edgy, never-before-seen pieces, all of which are choreographed and directed by the dancers themselves. Presented in the company’s intimate studio at 1631 K Street, this will be the last of three weekends with 7 p.m. shows on Thurs, May 24, Fri, May 25, Sat, May 26 and Sun, May 27 (the Sunday performance is at 2 p.m.). The performances range from neo-classical solos to modern, interpretative duets and ensemble pieces, and will be topped off by a meet-and-greet with the dancers, with plenty of wine and locally brewed Ruhstaller Beer on hand. Tickets are $35 and include two drinks. But hurry -- some shows have been selling out, and there are only a few more chances to drink up some culture this weekend. More... Posted at 12:13 PM | Permalink |
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05/17/12Rancho Cordova Hosts International FestivalAll the world’s a stage tonight in Rancho Cordova. And no, iFest isn’t a new Apple gadget. It’s the city’s fifth annual celebration of international cultures in our region, complete with music, dancing and tasty global fare. Bring the kids to Village Green Park to take part in a Filipino fiesta, experience electrifying performances from the likes of Sacramento fire dancers Obsidian Butterfly, and watch local groups perform Korean martial arts, Ukrainian songs and Mexican Folklorico dance. Plus, popular local food trucks like Star Ginger (serving up Vietnamese and Thai fare) and Chando’s Tacos will be on hand to offer a true taste of the world right in our own backyard. Other iFest highlights include craft-making stations, magic acts from Elk... Posted at 11:33 AM | Permalink |
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04/20/12Meet Yeardley Smith of The Simpsons Saturday, Apr. 20Voulez-vous Marchez Vous? Well, tomorrow is your lucky day. Marchez Vous (“you walk” in French) is the name of the exciting new shoe line by Yeardley Smith (aka the voice of Lisa on The Simpsons.) The Emmy-winning, Paris-born actress will be coming to Pavilions Salon Shoes at the Pavilions shopping center to show off her fancy footwork. With her, um, sole mission to “marry beauty with comfort,” Smith’s collection, which includes everything from seductive suede pumps to fun polka-dot wedges, features a “ridiculously cushy,” heel-to-toe insole inside every single pair, and strives to embody the following five qualities: timelessness, sexiness, surprise, wit, and, yes, comfort. For more information on Marchez Vous, click here. For your... Posted at 12:21 PM | Permalink |
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04/13/12Cambodian New Year celebration in Stockton this weekendWant to get enlightened? Make your way to Stockton—yes, Stockton—this weekend. That’s where Wat Dhammararam, a Cambodian Buddhist temple, will be celebrating Cambodian New Year with an all-day (8 a.m.-8 p.m.) outdoor cultural festival. Famous for its colorful, larger-than-life statues (pictured is a 50-foot-long reclining Buddha) that Huell Howser on his PBS show California’s Gold said will “literally take your breath away,” the temple will up the ante this Saturday and Sunday with bands performing traditional Cambodian music, jewelry (check out the new bling in booth 61, which features baubles that came directly from the Southeast Asian country just a week or so ago), toys, and traditional Cambodian food and drink, from angel wings (stuffed... Posted at 05:40 PM | Permalink |
