The Sactown Weekend Update for June 6-8
Todd Ellison & Friends (Friday)
Acclaimed conductor Todd Ellison, who has served as music director for Broadway productions like Annie and Monty Python’s Spamalot, gathers four theater vets (including Sacramento native Teal Wicks, who starred on the Great White Way as Elphaba in Wicked) in Folsom on Friday for this concert entitled “The Romance of Broadway.” Ellison will introduce standards like “Maria” (from West Side Story) and “Some Enchanted Evening” (from South Pacific) with the songs’ backstories before accompanying the vocalists on the piano. $25-$45. Friday at 7:30 p.m. Harris Center for the Arts. 10 College Pkwy. Folsom. 608-6888. harriscenter.net
Sacramento Gay Men’s Chorus (Friday and Saturday)
Come together right now with the Sacramento Gay Men’s Chorus for its celebration of The Beatles and the 50th anniversary the Fab Four’s landmark Ed Sullivan Show appearance in 1964, which fueled Beatlemania and catapulted the group to superstardom. The shows will feature renditions of “All You Need is Love,” “Hey Jude,” “A Hard Day’s Night” and other classic Beatles songs. The performance will also incorporate dance sequences, swinging ’60s costumes and displays of historic scenes and footage drawn in part from the concerts’ beneficiary: the Sacramento-based Lavender Library, Archives, and Cultural Exchange, which maintains and archives LGBT books and artifacts. $25-$40. Friday at 8 p.m. Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. Crest Theatre. 1013 K St. 877-283-1567. sacgaymenschorus.org
Doggy Dash (Saturday)
Every dog has its day at this 21st annual event, which benefits the Sacramento SPCA and includes 2K and 5K walks open to both two-legged and four-legged participants. The event concludes with a post-walk festival where you and your pooch can watch events like the popular Running of the Pugs spectacle, as well as demonstrations by top dogs like the Sacramento Police Department’s K9 unit and the high-flying Disc Dogs of the Golden Gate. Plus, pups can put their best paw forward for prizes like Best Costume, Best Tail Wag and Most Magnificent Pup. $35 (free for dogs). Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. William Land Park. Sutterville Road and Freeport Boulevard. 504-2868. sspca.org
Grape Escape Presented by Save Mart Supermarkets (Saturday)
Make a meal of things on Saturday at Grape Escape, which will once again celebrate the diversity of Sacramento’s culinary and beverage culture with a gathering of the region’s foremost wineries, breweries and restaurants. This year, 44 vintners, such as Renwood and Wise Villa, will be pouring over 100 different wines to be enjoyed with bites from local eateries like Tequila Museo Mayahuel and the Fat’s Family of Restaurants. Ruhstaller and River City Brewing Company will be among those representing Sacramento’s booming craft beer culture, while local chefs will show off their gastronomical know-how in an Iron Chef-style cooking competition featuring all-local ingredients in honor of Sacramento’s designation as the Farm-to-Fork Capital of America. $50 ($40 in advance). Saturday from 4 to 7 p.m. Cesar Chavez Plaza. 910 I St. 808-7777. grapeescapesacramento.com
Cache Creek Lavender Festival (Saturday and Sunday)
Timed to coincide with the height of lavender’s summertime bloom in Yolo County, this 10th annual event celebrates the aromatic flowers at Cache Creek Lavender Farm, which will be open for visitors to pick as well as for educational field tours led by Charles Opper, the farm’s longtime proprietor. Other floral festivities this weekend include learning to make items like ribbon-wrapped lavender wands for scenting rooms, trying gourmet lavender-honey ice cream, and shopping for luxurious handmade products like lavender-infused soaps, creams and bath salts. Each day also includes live music and wine-tasting from nearby Capay Valley Vineyards. Free. Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cache Creek Lavender Farm. 3430 Madrone St. Rumsey. 530-796-2239. cachecreeklavender.com
OneRepublic (Sunday)
Pop-rock group OneRepublic, best known for smash hits like “Apologize,” "Secrets," “Good Life” and “All the Right Moves,” comes to Sacramento this Sunday night on its summer tour, during which the group will perform the popular single “Counting Stars” and other songs from its new album Native. OneRepublic will be joined by the Irish trio The Script (“Breakeven,” “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved”) and the New York-based alternative band, American Authors. $23-$105.50. 7 p.m. Sleep Train Amphitheatre. 2677 Forty Mile Rd. Wheatland. 800-745-3000. livenation.com
