Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "bbq"

Mongo Mongo Mongolian BBQ opens in Midtown

2012-01-10T06:52:12Z

Mongo Mongo Mongolian BBQ restaurant at 19th and J streets opened Saturday, and owner Jonathan Ng said he is pleased with the customer turnout.

“It’s been good, we’re really excited to be open,” Ng said Monday.

Much of the interior design still needs to be finished, Ng said, but getting the restaurant open and focusing on the food was the top priority.

“It’s kind of barren, but we’re working on it,” Ng said, adding that interior décor details are being worked out.

In order to keep the garage doors installed when the business was Garlic Shack – which shut down after only three months – Ng said a unique setup had to be made to meet health department regulations that stipulate the kitchen can’t be open-air.

Customers walk in along the left side of the restaurant, go through sliding glass doors and prepare their bowls for the chef. The chef then cooks the food on the Mongolian barbecue – a circular device originating from the shields used by Ghengis Khan’s army – and customers can go to their tables, to have the food delivered when it is completed.

Dinner bowls cost $10.95, and lunch bowls – weekdays until 4 p.m. – are $7.95. The restaurant takes cash only, but an ATM is inside.

The enclosed kitchen allows the garage doors to be opened when weather permits, and customers can sit on the patio once the furniture is installed.

Jenifer Estrada, a 20-year-old Sacramentan who works in retail, said Monday that she enjoyed the food, and it stacked up well against other Mongolian barbecue restaurants she has tried.

“It’s my first time here, and I really liked it,” she said. “The food was very good, and I hope they stay around longer than the last places that were here.”

Estrada said she had pork with noodles, vegetables and teriyaki sauce.

Another Sacramentan, 35-year-old construction worker and musician Chris Orozco, agreed with Estrada’s take on the restaurant.

“It’s pretty good, and I think the fact that they stay open late is nice,” he said, referencing the 3 a.m. closing time for Friday and Saturday nights.

“It’s fresh, and everything was crisp,” he added. “People need to make it out here and support the new local eateries.”

Mongo Mongo, located at 19th and J streets, is open from 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. - 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

City Hall Garage to get new eatery: Big Joe's BBQ

2011-11-29T03:42:36Z

Flavorful barbecue and hearty sandwiches will be at the top of the menu at Big Joe’s BBQ when it opens its doors in January at the former Fog Mountain Café space at the City Hall Garage.

The City Council is set to grant a five-year lease Tuesday for Big Joe’s BBQ to open at 1000 I St.

According to the city staff report on the new lease, Big Joe’s currently has a successful catering business and plans to offer a variety of BBQ sandwiches – including pork, grilled chicken and tri-tip – with side dishes, and the restaurant will have an outdoor grill.

For five years, Joe “Big Joe” Dunlap operated Big Joe’s BBQ in Citrus Heights, and Dunlap’s partner, Angelo Negrete, has owned Fuddruckers, a family restaurant in Citrus Heights for the past eight years.

Big Joe’s has had a presence at the farmers market at Roosevelt Park at Ninth and Q streets on Tuesdays for more than a year, as well as at the farmers market at Capitol Mall on Thursdays.

This will be a new partnership venture for Negrete and Dunlap, who have known each other for close to eight years.

“We used to eat at each other’s (restaurants),” Dunlap said Monday, “and we became friends. I said I’d never (open another place again), but I guess I allowed him to talk me into it.”

Dunlap said he and Negrete wanted to be downtown where there are a lot of offices – and hungry workers at lunchtime looking for good food.

“We are big on lunch, and our target market is businesspeople,” Dunlap said.

Lunch at Big Joe’s will start with either a half-pound sandwich for $7.99, or $9.99 if a side dish and soda are added.

A 1-pound sandwich will cost $12.99, Dunlap said, and he expects some people will order the larger sandwich and split it to share with a friend.

Sandwiches at Big Joe’s are “just meat, bread and sauce,” Dunlap said. “It’s all about barbecue here.”

Side dishes such as macaroni and cheese, barbecue beans, potato salad or coleslaw will be available for $1.69 each.

Big Joe’s will also offer a portobello mushroom burger for what Dunlap calls “BBQ sinners” – vegetarians.

Dunlap said he expects to be able to open sometime in January if the needed build-up of the storefront can be completed in time. The restaurant will have a soft opening as soon as possible, followed by a larger grand opening later in the month.

Dunlap said a wrought iron fence will be installed around the storefront on both sides to enclose a patio seating area on one side of the door and a large outdoor grill on the other.

In addition to flavorful barbecue fare, fast service is a cornerstone of the operation, Dunlap said.

“We hope to set new standards for lunchtime sandwiches,” Dunlap said. “Everything will be smoked or wood-grilled, and a system (will be) set up to serve as many people as possible in an hour. We have to have fast service.”

At the farmers markets on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Dunlap said he regularly serves 300 to 400 people in three hours.

Dunlap said Negrete’s role in the operation will essentially be management and marketing, while Big Joe is the front man and grill master.

“I don’t know anyone that’s going to be doing what we do down there,” Dunlap said. “There’s going to be some good eating.”

In April 2008, James and Judy Harnish opened Fog Mountain Café in the space at City Hall Garage, and three years later, Harnish closed the business – still owing the city more than $133,000 in outstanding rent.

The Harnishes negotiated with the city to surrender all of the equipment in the restaurant to the city – valued at approximately $52,000 – in exchange for the city forgiving the remaining $84,000 of their back rent.

If the city elected to end the Fog Mountain Café lease through litigation, it could take a long time to resolve – time lost for another tenant to take over the space and begin paying rent to the city.

Instead, the city ended the lease and plans to immediately enter into a new lease agreement with Big Joe’s BBQ, Inc.

The city will write off the remaining amount owed from the Harnishes – roughly $84,000 – from the city’s parking fund.

Howard Chan, parking services manager for the city, said negotiating a lease termination that includes accepting equipment in exchange for writing off a remaining amount owed is not a typical situation for the city.

“This is the first time we’ve done this that I’m aware of,” Chan said.

In typical cases where tenants can’t make rent, the city would simply say, “Pay rent or move out,” Chan said.

But in the case of Fog Mountain Café, the state of the economy played a large part, and the city didn’t have a new tenant lined up to move in.

Chan said city representatives from the Economic Development Department and the Downtown Sacramento Partnership worked with Fog Mountain Café to restructure their business plan and to find a way to stay in business and maintain rent payments to the city.

“In the end, it just wasn’t possible,” Chan said. “It just wouldn’t work, and they had to throw in the towel.”

So, the city decided to negotiate the lease termination to free the space as quickly as possible.

“The benefits of having an open, viable business far exceeded letting (a retail space) go dark and not collecting any rent at all,” Chan said.

Fog Mountain Café was paying rent of $2.40 per square foot – the market rate at the time the Harnish family entered into the lease with the city.

Big Joe’s BBQ will pay the current market rent of $1.65 per square foot, making the annual rent to the city just over $40,000.

Chan said the decision to lease to Big Joe’s BBQ is a good one because the restaurant concept has a broad appeal, and it already has a following from the presence in local farmers markets.

“We are excited to get (Dunlap and Negrete),” Chan said. “They have worked well with us to get through the typical hurdles of opening a business.”

Chan said the equipment that the city will receive from Fog Mountain Café will stay on-site for Big Joe’s BBQ to use.

Chan said there had been one other offer for tenancy at the I Street location, but that business’ finance didn’t work out.

“One of the cool things (with Big Joe’s BBQ),” Chan said, “is that, during the lunch hour, he’ll have the BBQ going. It’ll be a pretty good draw. The more variety, the better.”

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Best French Fries in Sacramento

2011-04-17T03:33:54Z

Imagine the perfect french fry. For me, it’s medium-crispy on the outside, hot and creamy inside, generously salted and with a distinctive freshly-fried aroma.

Sacramento is blessed with many such perfect fries and my Potato Posse and I set out on a mission to find them. We limited our search to casual eateries that are local to Sacramento. We focused exclusively on basic fries – no blue cheese topping, pungent garlic or dipping sauces to mask their essence. Just the potato and maybe a little seasoning. Size and shape didn’t matter in our survey– the fries could be regular, thick-cut, shoestring, curly (senseless mutations of perfectly good fries) or crinkled.

After much arduous research, we can reveal the top french fries in Sacramento.

#1. Texas West BBQ. The fries at Texas West BBQ (Arden Way location) top the “Best French Fries in Sacramento” list. These fries are hot, brown and crunchy on the outside and flavorfully fluffy on the inside. Their varying fry sizes allow for a nice range of textures and the special seasoning subtly elevates the flavor to the highest level.

#2. Jack’s Urban Eats. We sampled the taters at the Jack’s Urban Eats in Natomas and found them cooked just right and nicely seasoned with salt. I think one of the secrets to perfect fries is for them to be a normal size - not too big or too small - so that the ideal balance between crispy outside and creamy inside is achieved. Not only were Jack’s fries hot and tasty but they also stood up well to travel and were just as delicious after the ten minutes it took to get them home.

#3. Suzie Burger. We greedily gobbled an entire bag of fries at Suzie Burger (29th & P Streets). These fries are winners with their skin-on, crispy brown exterior and nice flavoring. Suzie’s fries are cut on location and then blanched to give them their crispiness. Cooked in canola oil and topped with kosher salt, they’re a fry-lovers delight. If you go to Suzie Burger, consider adding a cheeseburger, soda and a dark-chocolate dipped cone for a complete, classic and supremely satisfying meal.

Midtown's My BBQ Spot reopens as Luck's BBQ

2011-02-19T01:29:30Z

A Midtown barbecue restaurant that closed in late December has reopened with a new name, but customers might not notice a difference.

My BBQ Spot, 2502 J St., closed its doors Dec. 23 and reopened as Luck’s BBQ Jan. 7, but the core concepts of the restaurant didn’t change.

“We have new owners and the same cook,” said Manager Carlos Lopez.

The most popular dishes are the tri-tip and ribs, said John “John-John” McCarty, the restaurant’s cook, who also ran My BBQ Spot for the past two years. He recommends the brisket as well.

McCarty added that the menu and serving style are the same as My BBQ Spot.

“All of our meats are smoked for an hour, and then cooked,” he said.

Lopez said all the food is prepared from scratch, and the barbecue rub is McCarty’s own recipe, with different variations for pork, tri-tip, brisket and ribs.

At My BBQ Spot, there was a challenge in which a customer could order a very spicy sandwich, and if he or she could finish it, a small cash prize would be awarded, but that is no longer available, McCarty said.

Luck’s BBQ serves lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday and caters to the late-night crowd on Friday and Saturday nights, staying open until 2 a.m.

Lunch dishes go for $8-$9, and dinners are in the $12 range, McCarty said.

Hours are 11:30 a.m. - 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 11:30 a.m. - 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and the restaurant is closed on Sunday.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

(Not so) Red Hot Chili Peppers

2010-10-12T15:44:40Z

   Right now, I have 11 different hot sauces and a full pound of fresh jalapeño peppers in my fridge. It’s about par for the course. I incorporate chili peppers into almost every meal I prepare. For me, a really great meal is often a battle of attrition, from which I walk away sweating, with saliva flooding my mouth, tears welling in my eyes and endorphins coursing through my veins.
   To paraphrase the great George Costanza, I would drape myself in chili peppers were it socially acceptable.
   Sunday was the inaugural Roseville HOT pepper festival & chili cook-off. It is a rare event that can pull me away from the morning games on NFL Sunday Ticket, but a hot pepper festival and chili cook-off is near the top of that short list.
   What I found was equal parts street fair, classic car show, farmers market, carnival and cook-off.
What I didn't find, unfortunately, was anything that challenged my taste buds or my tolerance for pain. The "HOT" in "HOT pepper" stood for "Historic Old Town" Roseville, and little else. Although I was a bit disappointed by the misnomer, I still enjoyed the festival as a whole.
   At the heart of the festival was a beer and margarita garden that faced a stage featuring live music from local bands. While I was wandering the grounds, a two-piece band called "The Afterlife" was regaling the audience with a broad range of selections, from Stevie Ray Vaughn to Miles Davis.
Extending outward from the festival hub were four branches, each with its own distinct focus.
Pacific Street featured the classic car competition.
Church Street was chock-full of arts and crafts.
Main Street was farmers market-esque, featuring farm-fresh produce, baked goods, spices and a food court.
Lincoln Street was where the chili cook-off went down.
In addition to the four wings, the parking lot adjacent to Lincoln Street was turned into a carnival-like play area featuring a cornucopia of games and rides for the little ones.
   A few highlights:
   The Great Harvest Bread Company – from Yuba City, apparently it's a national brand with franchise opportunities, but I'd never had it before. I tried the cracked pepper and swiss, and honey whole wheat loaves, both of which were very good. I can't imagine a better base for a PB&J than the latter.
   Two Spicy Ladies – based in Roseville, they had an extraordinary selection of spices and spice blends. Plus Sher and Shane (One Spicy Lady, and her progeny) were a pleasure to talk with.
   Barbecued oysters – from Xochimilco restaurant, they were really good, and their selection of spicy toppers was to be lauded.
   The Placer SPCA – Kittens!

Snowy Peaks Christmas Tree Farm- cause it's gonna be here sooner than you think. They, more than anyone else, brought the hot. A small tree festively adorned with red and green peppers, and bags of roasted hot chilis. The chili peppers, from New Mexican seeds, were roasted on site, in a contraption that was part bingo cage, part torture device. Pretty neat.

The chili – for $5, festivalgoers got to try six different chilis, all of which were good. Unfortunately, the competition was not as fierce as it might have been. Four of the competitors chose to use ground beef in their chili. While this, in and of itself, wouldn't necessarily remove them from contention, it put them at a distinct disadvantage – a disadvantage which proved insurmountable.

   This left two contenders, both of whom had large hunks of uber-tender sirloin as the centerpiece of their respective chilis: California Transmissions, whose booth was adorned with ribbons and trophies galore from previous competitions, and, Randy, whose booth was adorned with, well, nothing.
   As much as I would have liked to vote for the unsung little guy, Randy's version, while very good, couldn't quite measure up to the tour de force bowl served up by California Transmission. They have all those awards for a reason. The meat in their chili was melt-in-your-mouth tender, and it was pretty much all meat.
   "We only put one bean in there, and you didn't get it" bellowed Gene as he served me up a heaping sample. (There was a competition requirement that the recipe had beans in it. Well, a bean, anyway).
   It was a near-perfect chili, although I would have liked the heat kicked up a notch. Or four.
My advice to Randy is to keep up the good work, but next time bring the heat. You aren't going to knock off the champ with subtle flavors.
   Overall, I'd say it was a solid freshman effort for the festival, but event planners certainly have room to improve and grow.
Diedre Trudeau, of Ezeeye Imaging, ~~organizer of the event~~, media liaison said she feels the same way.
"Our hope is to introduce the concept to the region this year and expand it from a one- to a two-day event, extend the hours and broaden the competition from just chili to barbecue, salsa, hot sauces, etc. in the years to come."
I, and my masochistic taste buds, are looking forward to the new additions. Hopefully next year will hurt a little bit.

.“BLUES ON THE GREEN 2” Concert Stars Chicago and Texas Blues Legends

2010-09-23T20:26:51Z

A double shot of the deepest Chicago and Texas blues--from the some of the biggest living legends of the genre are arriving in town this Sunday to play an afternoon all ages concert in Sacramento.“BLUES ON THE GREEN 2” stars The Blues Broads and the Nick Gravenites Band. Honored emcee is blues radio legend and harp man, Mick Martin.

Sunday, Sept. 26 The Green @ Capital Public Radio/ southernmost corner of Sac State University

7055 Folsom Ave./Sacramento Doors: 1 PM Showtime: 2 PM

With a wall of soul sound that could tumble Jericho, four powerful women singers stand at the front of the stage and make believers of every audience member. Rocking, scolding, testifying and torching, the Blues Broads are legendary singers Tracy Nelson (Mother Earth), Annie Sampson (Stoneground), Dorothy Morrison (Edwin Hawkins Singers) and Angela Strehli. Each one of them have had successful careers and led their own bands for decades. Nelson wrote her classic “Down So Low” which has been covered by Linda Ronstadt, Etta James, Maria Muldaur and Cyndi Lauper. Nelson, along with Janis Joplin and Lydia Pense have forever been noted as the three greatest voices that were discovered in San Francisco during the 1960s.

National Public Radio recently ran a “Weekend Edition” feature piece on Nelson on July 31, and she is set to release her 25th album in 2011. Morrison is the Grammy-winning lead singer of “O, Happy Day,” the only traditional gospel song ever to cross over and become a bone fide pop hit. Sampson starred in the long –running production of “Hair” and has recorded with Elvin Bishop, Taj Mahal, Buddy Miles, Maria Muldaur, Eddie Money and Country Joe MacDonald. The “Queen of Texas Blues,” Strehli worked with Stevie Ray Vaughan and every other Austin and Chicago blues player of note through her decades of guiding work with Antone’s –both the famous club and the record label. Now, as a vocal team with an all-star Bay Area backing band, including Nancy Wright on sax, these four women are having some of the most fun of their lives.

According to author and pop music critic Joel Selvin, Nick Gravenites is "the original San Francisco connection for the Chicago crowd." He was born in Chicago, but not in 1941, as the first lines of his classic blues manifesto, “Born in Chicago,” punch out in the legendary Paul Butterfield Blues Band’s signature song. The original white blues man of the rock era, he was hanging out in south side blues clubs in 1957. Singer and songwriter of other classics such as “East West” (with Michael Bloomfield), “You’re Killing My Love’ (Otis Rush), “Groovin’ is Easy” (Electric Flag), “Work Me Lord” and “Buried Alive in the Blues” (Janis Joplin). He sang lead in Bloomfield’s ill-fated super band, Electric Flag, an American Music Band, which made it much-hyped debut at the 1967 Monterey International Pop Festival.

His Columbia Records debut of 1969, My Labors, exhibits a batch of his best songs (“Killing My Love,” “Holy Moly,” and “Gypsy Good Time”) and some of Bloomfield’s most lyrical playing. With Bloomfield, he produced Otis Rush’s “Mourning in the Morning” in Muscle Shoals in 1968, James Cotton, and assembled Janis Joplin’s solo debut, The Kozmic Blues Band. He produced the debut Quicksilver Messenger Service album and Brewer and Shipley’s “One Toke Over the Line.” He replaced Joplin for a short stint in Big Brother and the Holding Company. Has recorded seven solo albums including, Animal Mind and Live in Athens with Quicksilver guitar god John Cipollina. Gravenites is as deep and as personal a blues songwriter and performer as there is, shouting the blues with the best of them. When Gravenites steps on stage with his band, all the gravitas and legacy of the great Chicago blues masters step on stage with him.

For details about the show and ticket information, visit the Swell Productions website at www.swell-productions.com.

Blankets and low back chairs only. No outside food or drink-there will be quality beer/wine and soul food catered by The Drooling Dog BBQ from Auburn, California.

FAQ at www.swell-productions.com and http://www.capradio.org/events/2010/09/26/blues-on-the-green-2

~~ Mindy Giles is co-owner of Sacramento's Swell Productions and is the co-promoter of this event.

Summertime is the Time for BBQs!

2009-08-10T01:14:40Z

It's August 8, 2009, Saturday and the day is hot. When the days are hot like this, people have an itch. They have an itch for doing a barbeque. I head over to William Land Park with one of my paranormal investigators Chantal Apodaca. Preparing hotdogs, sausages on the BBQ pit was Shannon 'Ms. Macabre' McCabe. Members of HPI all brought a variety of dishes and we were able to feast and socialize throughout this whole day. One investigator brought baseball gear and everyone was involved in good social conversation and had no time to play the American sport of baseball. Plus, most of us had our dogs with us. I had Pika and HPI (pronounced Hi-Pee) with me. Pika and HPI had a great time socializing with the other dogs. Dogs with names like Luke, Suzi and Rocket.

After this BBQ was finished, I had another BBQ to go too. Chantal and I headed over to 2330 Juanita Lane, Sacramento, California. At this BBQ, the occupant Sandy was celebrating her son's birthday. There was a Mariachi Band, there was a Hawaiian hula dancer. Sandra hired a DJ that played a mixture of R&B, disco, Salsa, Hip Hop. Many people hit the dance floor and we all conducted a soul train on the patio floor. There was a huge table of delicious Mexican food and a non-stop flow of margaritas from the Margarita machine!

Yes! Summertime is fun; it's truly a time for celebration, social fun and interaction, comradery and bonding.

To see pictures of both BBQs, please visit this link:

http://s643.photobucket.com/albums/uu157/PaulDaleRoberts_2009/HPIBBQ/

Paul Dale Roberts, HPI General Manager
www.hpiparanormal.net
www.jazmaonline.com

Lots of free (and cheap) events this Weekend!!

2009-06-17T23:55:20Z

It has never occurred to me that Father's Day weekend always happens at the same time as the summer solstice. Is that by coincidence? The longest, sunniest day of the year falls on the weekend that we celebrate our Dad's. That's kind of cool! At least for those of us who celebrate them. Otherwise, think of it as an extended day for you to be having fun! This weekend is packed with family friendly events for the whole family to enjoy at budget friendly prices. There are a few things I've mentioned that are a little more pricey... but they sound so fun! Whatever your budget is and whomever you'd like to spend your time with, check out what this weekend has in store.

Thursday 6.18

Class: Small Business Forum: Going Green -- $FREE
Where: SHCC Offices (1491 River Park Dr)
When: 9am
Why: Every month a different topic is featured in these workshops. From accounting practices, legal issues, buying new technology and creating a business plan—they’ll teach you all you need to know to be more efficient in your business. This month will focus on the latest trend in business…Going Green. It won’t cost you any green to come so check it out!
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Food & Wine: Wild West Cheese Adventure -- $45
Where: C’est le Cheese (Penthouses at Capitol Park)
When: 6:30pm-8:30pm
Why: “Artisan cheese makers are pushing the frontiers of flavor into an entirely new world by using the sweetest, creamiest milk from locally raised cows, goats and sheep to create an exquisite array of stupendous artisan cheese. Join Laura Martinez, author of "The Everything Cheese Book", in a tasting adventure of these wild and wooly cheese creations paired with wine and beer from pioneering vintners and brewers. This class is guaranteed to transport you to the best of the Wild West!”~ C’est le Cheese
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Music: Third Thursday Jazz Summer Concert Series -- $10 (FREE to Crocker Members)
Where: CSUS Capistrano Hall
When: 5:30pm-8pm
Why: The Garrett Perkins Project will entertain with their versatile range of Jazz from bebop to modern contemporary jazz. The Garrett Perkins Project is dedicated to promoting music that is at once educational and entertaining. Garrett has had a Quartet since the age of fifteen as an avenue for playing his beloved alto saxophone.
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Friday 6.19

Festival: Sacramento French Film Festival—Opening Night -- $10/ $9 students (single ticket)
Where: Crest Theatre
When: 6pm (Movie at 8:30pm) ***The festival runs through Sunday, June 28th***
Why: Opening night and reception! You cannot see the film tonight without going to the reception. Enjoy an open wine bar and catered hors d’oeuvres by local restaurants and music by DJ Christophe. The Sacramento French Film Festival is an annual event held in July. It celebrates the present as well as the rich history of French cinema featuring new releases and rarely seen classics. It is the only festival dedicated to French cinema in Northern California and one of only two on the West coast. The Sacramento Bee described the Festival as “the Cinematic Highlight of Sacramento's Summer”. All of the films are in French with English subtitles. (Psst! Check out the website for more fun events like the fashion show on Saturday the 21st!!)
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Festival: All American Tattoo Festival--$15 at the door/$30 for the weekend
Where: Sacramento Convention Center
When: 2pm-11pm (also Saturday, 11am-11pm & Sunday, 11am-7pm)
Why: Tattoo lovers unite! Tell all your ink loving friends to come over to the CC this weekend. There will be tattoo contests for prizes in addition to the artwork and music. Whether you’re a seasoned (or should I say fully decorated) tattoo lover or a novice, this is the place to find what you’re looking for. Even if you’re not much of a tattoo fan, you got to come if only to see George the Giant. He is himself a complete sideshow performance- known for his fire breathing, sword swallowing, glass walking stunts and many more, he is sure to entertain! Plus...the world wide debut of SHIGE a book by Horitaka from the Yellow Blaze Tattoo Studio in Japan.
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Kids & Families: Wet 'n Wild Family Night @ the Y! -- FREE
Where: Sacramento YMCA
When: 6pm-8pm
Why: Join the Sacramento Area YMCA for a free Wet n' Wild Family Night with musical guests, Prima! Bring your swimsuit, flip-flops & towel, there will be plenty of wet n' wild games including a fundraiser dunk tank! This is a free community event where everyone is welcome so don't forget to tell your family & friends! Jamba Juice and Yogurtagogo will also be on hand selling their tasty juices and yogurt to help beat the heat!
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Kids & Families: Disney Train Comes to Sacramento! -- $FREE
Where: California State Railroad Museum
When: 9am-7pm (also Saturday, 9am-7pm & Sunday, 9am-4pm)
Why: Bring your family and friends to Old Sacramento to see the Disney Train on the tracks near the California State Railroad Museum. Disney is pulling out all the whistle stops and taking its show on the road with a spectacular immersive and interactive 40-city train tour, including a 3D sneak peek of film footage from the upcoming movie “Disney’s A Christmas Carol.” Enjoy a snowy backdrop in June in Old Sacramento, complete with all of the sights and sounds of Christmas including carolers, decorations, giveaways and many more surprises. This Disney family event is for guests of all ages and is free to the public. Starring Jim Carrey and directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Robert Zemeckis, “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” opens in theatres November 6 in Disney Digital 3D and in IMAX 3D.
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Music: A Classic Rock Tribute with “ATB” -- $
Where: Double Tree Hotel
When: 8:30pm-11pm
Why: After the Beatles, music has never been the same. Or so believes ATB, which stands for After The Beatles. They are a classic rock tribute band keeping the Beatles alive by playing the music that the Beatles made, after the Beatles.
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Music: Les Claypool -- $25 adv/ $30 at door
Where: Radisson Hotel
When: 7:30pm
Why: Legendary Bassist from the popular band Primus. Back in their heyday (aka the 90’s), Les was recognized for his inventive, funky style. Advance tickets can be purchased at any Dimple Records store, The Beat and R5 Records.
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Saturday 6.20

Art: Stellar Studios’ Summer Solstice -- $FREE
Where: Stellar Studios (23rd & C St.)
When: 5pm-12am
Why: Celebrate Summer Solstice and support some local artists while you’re at it! Stellar will be featuring new work in glass, ceramics, metal & mixed media from all local artists. Get a glimpse into the future of art spaces. Also, it’s a great excuse to peruse and shop around with music & fire to compliment the atmosphere on the longest day of the year.
Details: http://sacramento365.com/event/detail/38873

Art/Class: Figure Drawing Marathon for Adults -- $65 ($45 for Crocker Members)
Where: Crocker Art Museum
When: 10:30am-4:30pm
Why: Back by popular demand! This workshop is for beginners and advanced students looking to learn or improve drawing skills. Draw from nude models while exploring the figure through warm-up exercises, gesture drawings and long poses. Note that this is an adult class! You must be 18 years or older. Drawing materials will be provided. Make sure you call to reserve your spot because reservations are required.
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Festival: 8th Annual Juneteenth Festival-- $FREE
Where: William Land Park
When: 11am-6pm (also Sunday, 11am-5pm)
Why: A Celebration of Freedom and the Emancipation Proclamation. What a way we’ve come! This is a two-day event featuring two stages of live musical entertainment, vendors, children's activities, spelling bee, fishing derby, The Juneteenth Educational Theater, essay/poster contests, theater, cultural dance performances, and more on Saturday! The Juneteenth Talent Show is probably the highlight of the event where local aspiring talent takes a stab at the stage. Nearly 8,000 people attend Juneteenth annually. On Sunday check out the 3rd annual Juneteenth Golf Tournament, the Juneteenth Gospel Extravaganza featuring Sacramento’s best gospel artists, food/ware vendors, and all kinds of children’s’ activities. Be there!
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Fundraiser: Round ‘em Up Barbeque -- $10 adults/ $5 kids
Where: Swanston Park
When: 3pm
Why: Grab the kids and head to the park for a family friendly BBQ! The Sacramento Children's Chorus will be performing an informal concert for entertainment. All of the proceeds for this event benefit the Sacramento Children’s Chorus. With all of the funding cuts happening with children’s programs, makes sense to support them in family fun ways such as these…
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Music: Pops in the Park Concert Series -- $FREE
Where: Bertha Henschel Park
When: 6pm-10pm
Why: This week is featuring the George Bruno Big Band. I don’t know much about the band- and couldn’t find any information on them other than they play at all kinds of family friendly events- but I do know that the Pops in The park Concerts are a great night out for families. Bring your lawn chairs, blankets and picnic baskets and prepare to have some fun!
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Sunday 6.21 (Dad’s Day!)

Film: IMAX Father’s Day Package -- $Varies
Where: Esquire IMAX Theatre
When: 11am, 12:15, 1:15, 2:15 (Start Times)
Why: Take your Dad to see an IMAX show this weekend- or dad’s, take your kids out and save. In addition to the Stimulus Deal IMAX has been promoting, this Sunday Dad’s get in Free! You still need the receipt from a restaurant though. So the Stimulus Package Deal goes like this: Visit any Downtown/Midtown Sacramento Restaurant and spend $20…then bring your receipt to the Esquire IMAX Theatre and purchase any ticket to see Dinosaurs Alive 3D, Under The Sea 3D or African Adventure 3D for $5 or get a $5 discount off the full price admission ticket to Monsters vs. Aliens 3D, Star Trek, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian or Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. (Subject to availability) Up to 4 Tickets can be purchased with receipt.
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Music: Father’s Day BBQ Train -- $49 Adults/ $25 Kids (plus taxes & Service charge)
Where: Sacramento River Train
When: 11am
Why: Why not? When’s the last time you rode the train? This 3.5-hour trip includes a 28-mile train ride with a stop for a barbecue lunch at Elkhorn Park. The Sacramento River Train, which has three open-air cars and three enclosed air-conditioned coaches, operates between Woodland and West Sacramento.
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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. If you have an event you would like to add to Sacramento365.com, visit the website. Its easy and free to add your events! Also, if you want to mention an event that I didn't squeeze into my little article- add it to the comments below! Have a great weekend!!