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Six Days in Sacramento

This spring, hundreds of people took to the streets to protest the fatal shooting of Stephon Clark by police on March 18. Though the rallies were largely peaceful, emotions flooded churches, freeways and City Hall as Sacramento became the latest American community to struggle with a high-profile death of a young, unarmed black man. For six of the days that immediately followed the incident, photojournalist Max Whittaker chronicled the clashes and conversations that unfolded.

Done Wanderin'

It’s been 16 years since Jackie Greene’s album "Gone Wanderin' " was named one of the best releases of 2002 by "Rolling Stone." Since then, he’s made eight more records, trotted the globe as lead guitarist of The Black Crowes, and toured with Lyle Lovett and B.B King. And now, after a decade away from his hometown, Sacramento’s prodigal singer-songwriter has returned with a wife, a daughter, and, yes, new music on the way. It’s time to shake, (baby) rattle and roll.

Chef Jeremiah Tower

He’s been called the “father of American cuisine” by Martha Stewart and he’s credited with starting the farm-to-fork movement in the 1970s as a chef at Berkeley’s Chez Panisse, where he gained wide acclaim for his use of regional ingredients, including those from Sacramento. Over 40 years later, it’s a full-crop-circle moment for Jeremiah Tower, as he comes to the capital city in September to oversee the Tower Bridge Dinner, which will cap the monthlong Farm-to-Fork Celebration. The food pioneer steps out of the kitchen to talk about the accidental birth of the modern locavore trend, his longtime friendship with local grocer Darrell Corti, and what it feels like to be back in the culinary spotlight.

Raising the Barre

Amid a contentious transition, Sacramento Ballet alumna Amy Seiwert returns to the company as its new artistic director. Building on what her former mentors created over the course of nearly 30 years, she begins the delicate dance between respecting the troupe’s long-held traditions and pushing it in a decidedly bolder, more modern direction.

Homes Away From Home

Want to get away without going away? Whether you dream of a house on the water, long for the simple pleasures of farming life, wish to be whisked to Middle-earth, or yen for some Zen, we've got the perfect Airbnb abode for the ultimate staycation. So go ahead, relax—in a Hollywood-worthy country cottage or an opulent Mongolian yurt—and make yourself at home.

Special K

After decades of blight, one of Sacramento’s most critical blocks—linking the Golden 1 Center to the rest of K Street—is about to become an instant neighborhood, bursting into existence with hundreds of new residents and the city’s most concentrated collection of local retailers and restaurateurs. Here’s how a small group of visionary developers may have created the blueprint for how to design, build and curate the downtown of our dreams.

Best of the City 2018

A totally awesome ’80s cafe, a Delta cider that’s pear-rific, a Princely garden plant, an ice cream parlor with a deliciously dark secret, the first human-powered gym, the last typewriter repairman, groovy cherry blossom groves, teddy bear slumber parties, edible beer, imbibable cakes, and more. To borrow from Greta Gerwig’s description of her placemaking movie "Lady Bird"—which also made the list—here is our annual love letter to Sacramento and to the people, places and things that make it home.

The Whole Earth Cataloguer

UC Davis professor Harris Lewin is about to launch one of the most audacious scientific ventures in human history—to map the DNA of every living thing on Earth. The 10-year, $5 billion quest could result in a tsunami of medical cures, solutions for global hunger, and the creation of a new “Silicon Valley of agricultural science and biotechnology” right here in our backyard. Oh, and it might save the planet too.

The Last Straws?

A bill to curtail plastic straw use in restaurants could hit the governor’s desk this summer. But some environmentally conscious eateries already have a message for the plastic industry: Suck on this.

Great New Places to Eat 2018

It's a good time to be a foodie in Sacramento. As the city's culinary reputation expands, restaurateurs are stepping up their game. Some are longtime locals looking to raise the bar on regional cuisine, some are returning home after working in Michelin-starred kitchens elsewhere, and others are moving here to take part in our gastronomic gold rush. Wherever they're from, they're pushing our dining scene forward in exciting ways, from duck confit tacos to shiitake mushroom doughnuts that taste like maple. Here's our look at 10 shiny new local restaurants—the oldest ones opened in the fall—that are worth going outside your comfort food zone for.

All Americans

On Feb. 22, just over 1,000 immigrants from 81 different countries gathered at Memorial Auditorium to take the oath of allegiance to become our country's newest citizens. It was, ironically, the same day that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services agency removed the description of the U.S. as "a nation of immigrants" from its mission statement. We spoke with 15 of the proud new Americans who were sworn in about this milestone moment in their lives and what it meant to them. "I was born today—reborn, actually," said Tunisian native Gaith Ben Younes after the ceremony. "It's something I've been dreaming of for a long time."

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