Friday marks the beginning of the 76th annual Sacramento County Fair, featuring everything from a carnival, local bands, hot rods and food trucks to a demolition derby and bull riding. Thirty fun and thrilling carnival rides will be located in the midway for those seeking a thrill, while livestock pavilions will showcase the best of what the county –long an agrcultural powerhouse – has to offer. Tickets are $5, with children 12 and under getting in for free. Parking is $10. The fair is located at the California Exposition and Fairgrounds, 1600 Exposition Blvd. Click for more information about the Sacramento County Fair.

The Del Paso Boulevard Partnership is hosting its 3rd annual Spring Carnival on The Boulevard from Wednesday, April 4, to Sunday, April 8. It will be held in the Rite Aid/O'Reilly Auto Parts Lot at Del Paso Blvd. and El Camino Ave. in North Sacramento from 3pm to 10pm Wednesday-Friday and 10am to 11pm Saturday and Sunday. Carnival attendees can enjoy rides, games, corn dogs, cotton candy, and other fun. Proceeds of the event go to the Del Paso Boulevard Partnership Foundation. Their website (with information on the carnival and other events) is http://dpbpartnership.com.

Spring is nearly a month in, and as April turns into May, the forecast promises warmer weather and plenty of outdoor activities, especially this weekend, as Easter is Sunday. There are plenty of ways to celebrate Easter, whether you’re looking for a traditional egg hunt or a nice place to eat Sunday Brunch. What: Southside Park Spring Egg Hunt When: Saturday, 11 a.m. - noon Where: Southside Park, 2107 Sixth St. Cost: Free With help from the Southside Park Neighborhood Association and St. John’s Baptist Church, Vineyard Church, the city of Sacramento will host the Southside Park Spring Egg Hunt, which will have a plethora of activities for the kids, including an egg hunt, face paintin

The Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro is a world-famous festival held before Lent every year, featuring elaborate floats and parades, street festivals, music and dance. Sacramento held its own scaled-down version Saturday night, the first annual presented by the Brazilian Center for Cultural Exchange of Sacramento. Held in the very chilly McCulley Brothers parking garage on 1616 I St., the inaugural event featured performances by the Fenix Drum & Dance Company and SambaDá, drumming and capoeira demonstrations by Agua de Beber, and several food and product vendors. Vendors in attendance were a hodgepodge not restricted to a Carnaval theme, including natural skin cream product-makers Love Down

Celebrating Halloween is now a month-long occasion. Here are some spooky activities to get your skin crawling and set your nerves on end all the way through the 31st. All events are in Sacramento, unless noted otherwise. Trash Film Orgy Halloween 2010 Crest Theatre, 1013 K St. Oct. 31: 8 p.m. (doors open) 9 p.m. (show begins) All seats cost $10 ($1 discount for those wearing costumes) Ages 18 and older only More information: www.trashfilmorgy.com or call 916-44-CREST Trash Film Orgy presents “Heavy Metal Halloween” at the Crest Theatre. Live bloody stage shows, audience participation, games and costume contests will accompany a showing of the 1986 film “Trick or Treat,” featuring cameo

Visitors to Cal Expo smell greasy food and fresh manure, which can mean one thing: The Sacramento County Fair is back. Fair manager T.J. Plew said that this year’s fair features some fun, new and exciting entertainment. “We have the safari theme and with that we’ve booked a camel show, an urban jungle bird show, an actual safari exhibit with some fun creatures from around the world, and a monkey show," she said. All the shows provide fairgoers with interesting animal facts and let them see unusual tricks. The camel show featured a demonstration on how to milk a camel. Observers learned that camels give milk for only 90 seconds at a time. Once it started flowing, the fun began. Children

This four-part series features very different itineraries to celebrate 2010 downtown. Whether your idea of a perfect New Year’s Eve involves funky beats, bottles of bubbly, a caravan of kids, or haute cuisine, the Central City is the place to be! Downtown is home to some of Sacramento’s coolest bars and clubs, with many venues offering VIP services that can take your night ‘to the next level.’ Part two showcases these hotspots and their VIP amenities like private booths, bottle service, dedicated staff and complimentary champagne.  Part Two: Party like a rock star! Over at 10th and K, Cosmo Café, Cosmopolitan Cabaret and Social Nightclub are partnering to offer something for all ages th

Celebrate the coming of spring with the Fulton El-Camino Recreation and Park District at their Egg-O-Rama event at Howe Park. This event will feature an Egg Scramble (aka Egg Hunt), various carnival games, face painting, story-time, bounce house, snack bar, and opportunities to win great raffle prizes (donated by local merchants). Make sure that you bring your camera as you will have an opportunity to meet the Easter Bunny. Bring your entire family to this fun-filled event on Saturday, April, 4 2009 from 8am to 2pm at Howe Park located at 2201 Cottage Way in Sacramento, 95825. Event Schedule: 8am-10am:  Pancake Breakfast 10am-12pm:  Registration for Egg Scramble 10am-2pm:  Carnival Games