I can honestly say that I am proud to be a Sacramentan. Even more so since I began working on the events calendar for Sacramento at the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau! I have pretty much lived in the Sacramento area my whole life and never before did I realize that there are so many things going on- all the time! This weekend is packed full of Festivals, fundraisers, music & theatre and hopefully by reading this you are prompted to get out and have some fun! And please do note that there are many more things happening that I may not have mentioned...in order to keep these articles concise, I narrow them down to a few events. Feel free to add events in the Comment section at the bottom of the page if you would like to mention one I didn't add. Happy galavanting...

Thursday 6.4

Comedy: Paul Mecurio w/ Jason Downs & Laura Rosenberg -- $6/$4/$3
Where: Punch Line Comedy Club
When: 8:30pm (Showing thru June 7th-also @ 10:00pm Sat&Sun)
Why: He was a writer for the Daily Show with John Stewart. Not sure if he really needs more credits but heres a few others: Comedy Central Presents, The Late, Late Show with Craig Kilborn, Late Night w/Conan O’Brien, Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, Dr. Katz, NBC’s Late Friday…must be a pretty funny guy!
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Art: Sew What? Fashion Show--
Where: Social Nightclub
When: 7pm
Why: Local fashion from Gianna Couture, Marianno Ratto, Stephanie Lozano & more! Hair will be done by Suede Salon.
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Theatre: Hedwig and the Angry Inch -- $18-25
Where: Artisan Theatre
When: 8:00pm (Showing thru June 27th)
Why: This is New Helvetia Theatre Company’s first production at the beautiful Artisan Gallery on Del Paso Blvd. New Helvetia is rethinking theatre in Sacramento. Their goal is to “rediscover forgotten gems of the American Musical while re-examining classic musicals and plays”. Directed by Matthew Schneider, Hedwig is about a fictional rock and roll band fronted by an East German transgendered singer. This musical has become somewhat of a cult classic similar to The Rocky Horror Picture Show with a devoted following.
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Friday 6.5

Food & Wine: 7th Annual Celebrity Chef Challenge--$50 advance/$60 at the door
Where: California Auto Museum (formerly Towe)
When: 5:30-9:30
Why: Ladies & Gentlemen start your engines & drive on down to the 2009 Celebrity Chef Challenge!! Ride along side event emcees Edie Lambert of KCRA Channel 3 & Dennis Mangers of Darrell Steinberg's Office & your favorite local chefs as they whisk past the competition at the 7th annual Celebrity Chef Challenge.
Competitors will have 45 minutes to turn 5 secret ingredients into 3 power packed dishes right in front of your eyes!!! Fans will be treated to a VIP Food Show, Hosted Beer and Wine, Silent Auction, Raffle & 72,000 square feet of automotive excellence! And the Celebrity Judges are...Guy Farris & Melissa Crowley of Sacramento & Co. & Former State Assembly member Lloyd Levine, New This Year!!!
The finest culinary competition on the West Coast just got a little finer with the addition of the 1st Annual InAlliance Car Show that welcomes all makes and models!
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Music: Bucho! at Concert in the Park-- Free
Where: Cesar Chavez Park
When: 5pm-9pm
Why: Free music and family fun! In addition to Bucho, Righteous Movement & Happy Mayfield will be there too. Get there early and bring a blanket to check out the show. The beer garden gets really packed after awhile so its best to get there early- buy two while you’re at it to make it last longer. I haven’t tried the food but there are a bunch of options for eats if you’re hungry too. Afterward, your bracelet can score you discounts a local restaurants and bars.
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Music: Freekbass-- $15
Where: Marilyn’s on K (St)
When: 9:00pm
Why: The guys name is really Freekbass. Or at least that’s what he goes by. He studied bass at Cincinnati's School for the Creative and Performing Arts and never looked back. Influenced by the likes of Larry Graham, Sly Stone, Stevie Wonder, Parliament and Bootsy, you may expect this show to have some funk! Along with Freekbass the band consists of a guitarist, drummer and turntablist. Sounds like a show!
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Saturday 6.6

Food & Wine: 7th Annual Raley’s Grape Escape -- $40 advance/$50 day of
Where: Cesar Chavez Plaza
When: 4pm-7pm
Why: If you like to mingle with friends and meet new ones while sipping on wines and tasting delicious food from local restaurants all while enjoying the sounds of live Jazz…you gotta check this event out! Over 60 wineries (= 200+wines!) and 40+ restaurants will be serving up tastes of their yummy goods for you to enjoy. There’s also a “Chef's Challenge” presented by the Institute of Technology where 4 local chef’s will compete in two rounds to win. They get 25 minutes and a market basket of fresh produce and a cut of meat to come up with the winning recipe.
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Festival: Sierra Stampede Rodeo & Festival -- $10 ($25 for weekend pass)
Where: Central Park Horse Arena
When: 8am (Sat & Sun)
Why: If you've never been to a gay rodeo before, you don't want to miss Steer Deco, Goat Dressing or Wild Drag Race…this amateur rodeo attracts cowboys & cowgirls from across the United States! There'll be horse events, roping, steers, and bulls. The Festival's vendor area will include a beer garden, entertainment food & goodies for sale. Rodeo proceeds benefit Saddle Pals, a division of United Cerebral Palsy that uses horses for therapy. This event is brought to Sacramento and produced by Capital Crossroads Gay Rodeo Association. In addition to the rodeo, there will be kickoff events Thursday & Friday nights and afterparties both Sat & Sunday- A whole weekend of same-sex fun!
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Music: Jackie Greene in Concert-- $25 advance/$30 at door (subject to availability)
Where: Fairytale town
When: 6pm-10pm
Why: In celebration of Fairytale Towns 50th Anniversary of bringing “musical merriment” and wholesome family fun to Sacramento Jackie Greene and AKALive will be playing on the Mother Goose Stage. Your ticket is for the music only, however, there will be food & drinks available for purchase. This is a great night to bring the kids out- fun for the whole family! Kids can play and adults can enjoy some great music at the same time.
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Family: Pops in The Park Concert Series Kickoff-- $Free
Where: East Portal Park
When: 6pm
Why: The Q-Balls will be entertaining the friends & families out this week at East Portal Park. This six man band plays covers of music from the 60’s-80’s- fun, upbeat music great for both kids & adults. Deidre Fitzpatrick from KCRA3 will be the emcee. More than just a fun night out, Pops in the Park raises money for our under-funded neighborhood parks. Since 1995, proceeds from sponsorship, advertising, as well as the food & beverages sales during the events have been used to enhance our neighborhood parks, bring improvements to the neighborhood, provide youth athletic scholarships and make these events possible. Feel free to bring your own food & drink but do know that if you buy there, your money spent is going to a good cause.
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Sunday 6.7

Festival: Fiesta Filipino & Health Fair -- $Free
Where: Jose Rizal Community Center
When: 10am-5pm
Why: The Fiesta Filipino is an annual free event that attracts up to 6,000 people from all over Sacramento and surrounding counties. The event features all-day entertainment, food vendors, arts & crafts, local businesses, career fair and a health fair. Community-based health organizations participate in the health fair and offer various health services to the fair-goers for free.
Details: http://www.sacramento365.com/event/detail/38063

Music: Sunday Jazz Concerts in the Park -- $Free
Where: Grant Park
When: 6pm-8pm
Why: The sounds of Jazz are magical in the summer, especially when they are paired with Sacramento's beautiful parks! These concerts are brought to you by the Traditional Jazz Society of Sacramento and will be held at various parks located throughout Sacramento. Each concert will offer the community a chance to come together and listen to a musical form steeped in history and feature some of the best Jazz for miles. All entertainment is courtesy of the Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society, with children's activities provided by the Department of Parks and Recreation.
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Festival: Nike Women's Fitness Festival-- $35
Where: CA State Capitol Park
When: 8am~3pm
Why: Ladies only! This is the largest women’s only event in the region. My understanding is that men can participate, they just can’t compete. So fair game ladies! This event is designed to promote women's fitness and health, along with raising money for critical programs for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. There will be a timed-run for women and a non-timed run/walk for teams and families. Following the races, participants are welcome to listen to live music, visit booths that include salon services, check out the Nike expo, loosen your muscles with message therapists and much more!
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Sports&Rec: World Extreme Cagefighting-- $42.50+
Where: Arco Arena
When: 3pm
Why: Sacramento’s very own Urijah Faber, from Ultimate Fitness downtown, is going up against featherweight champion Mike Brown for the title. This is a rematch of their previous clash in 2008. Many claim this fight to be the most anticipated fight in WEC history. I am not much of a fight watcher (I’m a lover! Not a hater…) but I am a big supporter of local people doing big things. Urijah has really made a name for himself in the world of Cagefighting and is known around the world for his lighting-fast hand speed & strong takedowns. Good thing you don’t have to be tall for this sport!
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Keep in mind that all of these events and many more can can be found on Sacramento365.com, the year-round source for Sacramento events.