Can you belive 2011 is practically over? New Year's Eve is this Saturday and if you're still searching for plans, we here at Sacramento365.com have gathered up some activities for you. If you're looking for a great, family friendly New Year's Eve experience, complete with fireworks, be sure to head to Old Sac for the New Year's Eve Sky Spectacular. But, for those of you who are looking for some adult celebrations--no kids allowed--here're a few options to greet 2012 (see even more in our Top 10 & Holiday Event Section). Sacramento nightlife is kickin'! 1. New Year's 2012 Bash with Mickey Avalon: Ace of Spades, 7pm Hailing from Hollywood, Mickey Avalon is known to the world as one of the

The holidays are ending, and so is 2011. As celebrations wind down, we brace ourselves for a new beginning in 2012. As we look back at what this year has brought us, The Sacramento Press asked those in Sacramento how they’ll be remembering this year. David Cruz, 32, lives in Marysville. His first New Year’s resolution is to not break the following resolutions: stay healthy through more bike riding, “put himself out there” at work and to spend more time with his kids. Cruz said this was the first year his family had a Christmas tree, and called it his “first real Christmas in five years.” On New Year’s Eve, Cruz said, he plans to try and keep his kids awake at midnight so that they can wa

On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, when most folks are sitting down to enjoy dinner with family and friends, public safety officers, doctors and nurses and others in service industries still have to work. It’s not always easy – crime and accidents don’t take a break on holidays. The Sacramento Press asked some of them to share their holiday work experiences. These are their stories. FIRE DEPARTMENT: “(Christmas) is a pretty loaded day,” Doug Bruce, an engineer with Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District, said Friday. “There is a lot of last-minute things going on, so there is a lot of traffic out. We keep busy.” Bruce said calls to the fire station can be strange no matter what the day,

Sacramento starts 2011 with a new governor and many projects in the works. With the new year comes the opportunity for a fresh start, and many make New Year's resolutions to avoid past mistakes or better themselves in some way. We asked Sacramentans to share their resolutions with us. If you have one you'd like to share, add it to the comment thread below.  Janet Whalen Zeller, founder and co-director of Soil Born Farms: "To remember, moment by moment, that the life I want to live is the life I am creating now. To create positive change in our community by participating in the creation of a local food system that makes healthy food accessible to all."   Gerald Celestine, (pictured rig

You should be just about mended back to health from your New Year’s hangover, so come to Harlow’s on Jan. 2 for another night to party and stave off that post-holiday depression for a few more hours.   Call it ska, call it reggae, call it jazz, call it what you will: The Slackers are bringing it all to Harlow’s on J Street Sunday night. This year makes 20 that the Brooklyn-born sextet has been rocking-steady both the east and west coasts, and now we get a taste of the slackness here in Sacramento.  Tickets are $12 at the door. Show starts at 8 p.m http://www.theslackers.com/ http://www.myspace.com/theslackers  

Theater has always been a form of art native to children. Watching them play and create their own games and stories has been a staple of the family tradition, and more than a few parents have taken the opportunity to canonize these moments on YouTube. Cynthia Speakman, a local actor and teacher with the Sacramento Metro Arts Commission, has been in the game for over a decade, working with children to improve their performing skills and ability to be outgoing and expressive. "I think it's very natural for kids to act because they have an enormous need to communicate to others," says Speakman. "Even the kids who aren't extraverted want to be more confident, and for parents it's a remedy of

Looking for a place to go for New Year's Eve? The Sacramento Press would like to break down the most appealing dance parties for those who like to get their groove on. Paragary Restaurant Group, who put on the ball drop last year, will be hosting what they bill as the "largest party of 2010." What: Dinner at Cosmo Café. The Spazzmatics playing 1980s hits at the Cosmopolitan Cabaret and DJ Pat Allen spinning dance hits at Social Nightclub. The cafe and cabaret are all-ages and Social Nightclub is 21-and-over. Where: The Cosmopolitan Building, 1000 K St. When: Dinner from 5 - 11 p.m., dancing from 8 p.m. - 1 a.m. Cost: $50 for access to Social Nightclub and the Cosmopolitan Cabaret. Pu

Monday, Jan. 26th is Lunar New Year's Day, so whether you are following the Lunar Calendar or just would like to celebrate, here is a list of events in the area that you can attend, as well as some additional information about the first day of the Year of the Ox. Here are some random facts. The Chinese Calendar is actually Lunisolar, which means it is calculated based on the positions of both the sun and the moon. Those born in the Year of the Ox are people who were born in: 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997. According to the Chinese zodiac, Oxen tend to be persistently hard workers, and are most compatible with Rats. Famous Oxen include Bach, Handel, Van Gogh, Dvorak, Walt Disney,