The plink of a ukulele and the beat of drums filled the air when the Pacific Rim Street Festival took over Old Sacramento Sunday. Despite temperatures reaching into the 80s, thousands crowded the streets and plank wood boardwalks from end to end of Front Street to enjoy the celebration of Asian and Pacific Rim culture at the annual street festival. The day included a long lineup of events including live music, taiko drum demonstrations, arts and crafts booths and activities just for children. A bevvy of pageant beauties paraded through the streets during the festival, each one a winner in the 2011 Miss Vietnam Sacramento pageant. The festival is an opportunity for people to experien

After a slightly flawed but excellent nonetheless One Scary Nite 2, expectations were high for the third annual installment of the "Deon Taylor Enterprises presents: One Scary Nite" Halloween party, which went down at the California Auto Museum Thursday night. Familiar attractions returning this year included "Mad Scientist" Jack Sparx with his Tesla coil, huge propane fireballs and deranged laugh, stilt walkers, fire dancers, go-go dancers and many bloody, gory "staff monsters" and zombies who shuffled around the venue with a vacant look in their eyes, grunting at passing partygoers. Absent this year were the red carpet and arrivals, the national musical act (last year it was Bell Biv D

Wednesday evening, the Department of Parks and Recreation presented plans to expand Old Sacramento’s excursion train and further explore the underground ruins to provide visitors a more exciting learning experience of the Gold Rush, commerce and river transportation. The preliminary general plan for Old Sacramento State Historic Park would span 20 years. The project is currently set to develop the Front Street area between J and I streets. Capital District Superintendent of Capital District State Museums and Historic Parks Catherine Taylor explained that the project will educate visitors on the Gold Rush era. The underground ruins will feature active archaeological digs and exhibits and

A night of burlesque dancing, live music and live art is happening Saturday at the Bohemian Ball in Old Sacramento. Mike and Natalya Wahba, owners of Café Americain, are hosting the event, which they said will be on the order of what you might expect to find in San Francisco.  The evening will include musical performances, Russian cuisine, absinthe and a fashion show of lingerie. The ball also will be a masquerade party, so don costumes and wear your finery. The after party will begin at 1 a.m., with performances by Black Kat Kabaret, Sizzling Sirens Burlesque, and fire eating and belly dancing by Leona. Musicians will include Jeff Stott, a composer and aficionado of the international

The viaduct that crosses I-5 from R Street to Front Street is largely completed. Though still not officially open, the lights are up and operating, and a new access to the Sacramento River is a reality.

It's been one of downtown bicyclists' (and skaters') favorite secrets—the old railroad viaduct that crosses I-5 at R Street, connecting the CalPERS neighborhood to the Sacramento River and the bike trail. Never fully converted from its old use as a railroad bridge that brought trains from the riverfront up R Street into the heart of downtown, the bridge will be a fully paved and lit bike and pedestrian bridge by August. Though the tracks were removed and the surface paved, the entrances on both sides were never finished, and remain loose gravel. And over the years, skaters have handcrafted some small skate ramps out of random curbs on the sides, as well as adding graffiti and an array of