The Sactown Weekend Update for Oct. 17-19
Smuin Ballet (Friday)
Begun by the late Michael Smuin, the former co-artistic director of the San Francisco Ballet, this Bay Area-based company known for its diverse stylistic range will present its “Untamed” program, which includes three works: Serenade For Strings, an interpretation of the composition of the same name by composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Frankie and Johnny, a tribute to legendary dancer Gene Kelly set to Latin music, and Objects of Curiosity, a modern ensemble piece with music by Phillip Glass and Gambian composer Foday Musa Suso. $25-$55. 7:30 p.m. Harris Center for the Arts. 10 College Pkwy. Folsom. 608-6888. harriscenter.net
Old Sacramento Magic Festival (Friday through Sunday)
Jump into a world of imaginative illusions, hypnotizing trickery and spellbinding sleight of hand at this inaugural event—the first major magic festival on the West Coast—which will bring together some of the country’s most celebrated magicians for a weekend of live performances and lectures. Attendees can look forward to everything from coin levitation and card teleportation to a straitjacket escape trick, during which a magician transforms two eggs that he keeps inside the straitjacket into live chickens. Performers will also delight diners with impromptu routines and acts at nearby restaurants like Round Table and Graciano’s. Prices and times vary. Delta King. 1000 Front St. 444-5464. jayscottberry.com/SMF
Folsom Blues Breakout (Saturday)
Run or walk the line at the Folsom Blues Breakout, a Man in Black-themed half marathon benefiting Elk Grove nonprofit Runnin’ for Rhett, which facilitates 5K training programs in local schools. Johnny Cash tribute bands will provide the soundtrack throughout the race, which begins at the Johnny Cash Trail Bridge and continues around Lake Natoma. The race finishes at the farmers’ market in Historic Folsom, with more Johnny Cash music and a beer garden, which will serve suds from Lockdown Brewing Co. If the thought of running a half marathon makes you hurt, you can take part in a Carter and Cash Relay, and kids can get in on the action during a free 1K Breakaway. $75 for marathon; $90 for relay. 8 a.m. Folsom Lake Crossing. Folsom. 983-4623. folsomblueshalf.org
Capitol Apocalypse 5K (Saturday)
When zombies attack, run for your life at the Capitol Apocalypse 5K at Miller Park. At this third annual race—whose proceeds will in part support the local chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society—each runner will be given three lives (represented by three red flags worn at the waist) and, while crawling under and scrambling over a series of obstacles, must evade zombies trying to snatch lives away throughout the course. After the race, join the Apocalypse Party featuring local rock band A Mile Till Dawn, food from late-night hot spot Ink Eats and Drinks and beer from Jackrabbit Brewing. Runners: $50 in advance; $60 the day of. Zombies: $25 in advance; $35 the day of. 9 a.m. Miller Park. 2710 Ramp Way. 668-9776. capitolapocalypse5k.com
Halloween Haunt (Saturday)
From exploring a hay maze to picking through a pumpkin patch, little ones can enjoy plenty of Halloween-themed fun inside the miniature 3.5-acre city of Safetyville. Other highlights include watching a magic show, strutting in a costume parade and playing games like ring toss. $6 (free for kids 2 and under). 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Safetyville USA. 3909 Bradshaw Rd. 438-3351. safetycenter.org
Monster Bash (Saturday)
In addition to grooving to DJed tunes and taking photos in their crazy costumes, kids can explore exhibits at the Sacramento Children’s Museum in Rancho Cordova and view its new installation: a creepy-crawly bug made from recycled materials by local artist Ben Newman. $15. 6-8 p.m. Sacramento Children’s Museum. 2701 Prospect Park Dr. Rancho Cordova. 638-7225. sackids.org
PlacerGrown Harvest Festival (Saturday and Sunday)
This festival of autumnal fun includes activities like pumpkin decorating, a family movie screening, a scarecrow building contest, and visiting a farmers’ market featuring the freshly harvested bounty of Placer County growers. As the afternoon fades, be sure to observe an illuminated display of almost 1,000 pumpkins decorated by local schoolchildren. Free. Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Johnson-Springview Park. 5480 5th St. Rocklin. placerharvestfestival.com
Mummenschanz (Saturday and Sunday)
The wordless, whimsical magic of the Swiss mime and theater troupe Mummenschanz has transfixed audiences for decades with their ability to create characters and skits out of objects like colorful tubes and rolls of toilet paper. Arrive 90 minutes early on Sunday to watch a free performance by the local drum and ukelele duo Musical Robot at the Mondavi Center’s Corin Courtyard. Tickets start at $27. Saturday at 8 p.m. Sunday at 3 p.m. Mondavi Center’s Jackson Hall. Mrak Hall Dr. and Old Davis Rd. Davis. 530-754-2787. mondaviarts.org
Sac-Con (Saturday and Sunday)
After nearly two decades of hosting comic book, sci-fi, and fantasy fans from around Sacramento, Sac-Con returns this weekend with an exposition featuring celebrities like Sons of Anarchy actress Kristen Renton and renowned comics artists like Glenn Fabry (winner of an Eisner Award, aka the Oscar of the comics world) and X-Men illustrator Art Adams. Guests can attend workshops and panels that range from storyboarding to a cultural analysis of comic-book cities like Gotham and Metropolis, while the convention also offers prizes for the best fan costumes, amateur art, Nintendo gaming and more. $8-$10. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Scottish Rite Center. 6151 H St. 452-588. sac-con.com
Mini Fall French Film Festival (Sunday)
The organizers of the annual Sacramento French Film Festival will rendezvous with cinema lovers at the Crest Theatre this weekend for its inaugural Mini Fall French Film Festival. The special day of screenings begins with a double feature of actor-filmmaker Daniel Autueil’s Marius and Fanny, a pair of movies released simultaneously as part of Auteuil’s attempt to recreate the classic work of French playwright Marcel Pagnol. Lauded by The Hollywood Reporter as “superbly performed and polished,” the films follow the love story of a sailor and a local businessman’s daughter in 1920s Marseilles. Immediately following the screening, attendees can further immerse themselves in the esprit français with sparkling wine and cream puff hors d’oeuvres. The evening will conclude with a screening of the classic 1964 musical The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, starring Catherine Deneuve. $15-$30. 1 p.m. Crest Theatre. 1013 K St. 442-5189. sacramentofrenchfilmfestival.org
