University of California, Davis Picnic Day 2012 came and went, and for the most part, both Davis and outside participants “handled their shit,” much to the pleasure of the Davis authorities. While much of the Picnic Day coverage focuses on crime statistics, it is well worth noting that for the vast majority involved, Picnic Day was a lovely day spent out-of-doors. Events were spread around the town and on campus this past Saturday and included enormous variety in terms of entertainment. The day started off with crowds flooding into Downtown Davis for a morning parade. From there, locals and visitors spread throughout the area looking to get their fix of sunshine, music and food. The UCD

Grammy Award-winning Bon Iver played for a sold-out crowd at Freeborn Hall on the University of California, Davis campus on Tuesday night. Throughout the night it became clear that this group is one to be seen live. Creator and lead vocalist Justin Vernon led the group in a full night of indie folk rock enchantment - much to the satisfaction of the eclectic crowd gathered at Freeborn Hall. The evening’s opening band was All Tiny Creatures. The four-member band from Madison, Wisc. started out a little slow but managed to get the crowd going by the end of their set. They had CDs and merchandise for sale, and played songs from one album in particular which was said to include the voice of t

The Sacramento Brewers showcase took place this past Saturday, Feb. 25 from noon to 2:30. Already at noon, beer enthusiasts were lined up at the gate ready to taste beers from the nearly 20 local breweries located within an hour's drive. This year, visitors were pleased to see a lineup of food trucks outside of the Cal Expo Pavilion, Wicked ‘Wich, Mama Kim’s, Frickle, Drewski’s and the new Willie’s Burger truck, included. Local beer enthusiasts thoroughly enjoyed the event. The intimate and community feel allowed attendees to visit with friends, brewers and food truck owners alike. The Old Hangtown Beer Works El Camino was the first sight for most visitors. Likewise, their IPA was a welc

The third annual Sacramento Beer Week (SBW) is nearing, and the week will start off with a bigger bang than ever. Friday marks the official start of SBW and already Saturday, beer enthusiasts from all around will gather for the Sacramento Brewers Showcase and the Capital Beerfest at Cal Expo. The Brewer’s Showcase, previously held at the Crocker, will be held at the Cal Expo Pavilion this year and will begin at noon on Saturday, Feb. 25. Tickets are $20, or $55 when paired with the Capital Beerfest. The Beerfest, also located at Cal Expo, will begin at 3 p.m. and will feature over 80 breweries. Tickets can be purchased online or at various businesses in Sacramento, at Samuel Horne’s in Fo

Earlier this year, Woody Allen allowed all those who desired to take a step back into Paris in the 20’s with his hypnotizing film, “Midnight in Paris.” This New Year’s Eve at midnight, an underground speakeasy in Sacramento will play host to another world as well. The Crescent Club Speakeasy in Old Sacramento will host a Roaring 20’s party from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Upon entering the concealed back door through the Firehouse alley, visitors will enter an enchanting underground world complete with prohibition era cocktails and appetizers. Music for the evening will be the Crescent Katz. The six-piece group has performed in the past at events such as the New Orleans Jazz Festival and the French

Dirndls and lederhosen on men, women and children of all ages were abundant this Friday and Saturday at the Sacramento Turn Verein (STV). Friday evening and all day Saturday the organization, founded in 1854 as a gymnastics club, hosted its 44th annual Oktoberfest. The Turn Verein is a place “where folks with German ancestry and people with an interest in German culture congregate.” From the atmosphere this weekend, the STV has made it easy for families in the Sacramento area to keep their German heritage alive and thriving. Surrounded by Bavarian blue and white, nearly every moment was filled with great German food, entertainment and company. Differing from typical Oktoberfest celebrati

Who gives a shout out to the Central Valley? Well, someone from the Central Valley. This week, Cake played twice for eager Central Valley crowds. The local band performed for happy Cakesters at Freeborn Hall on the UC Davis campus on both Thursday and Friday nights. Friday night, the Memorial Union hall was at capacity, 1,775 people deep. On Thursday, nearly 1,300 people came out to sway and nod with Cake. An hour before the show on Thursday night, fans were already lined up outside, ready to vie for a good spot in the community center hall. Thursday night drew a devoted crowd with one (especially) veteran fan who declared she’s been to over 20 Cake spectaculars over the years. The alt

Cake. Simple, home-baked, yet such a delicacy. The five member band will start the academic year off right for UC Davis students. The local favorite will perform at University of California, Davis’ Freeborn Hall this Thursday and Friday, October 6 and 7. While the band's tunes are so rollicking and varying that they are essentially without genre, Cake is known for a number of hits including, "The Distance" and "Rock 'n' Roll Lifestyle." "Never There" and "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" also function effectively as cult classics for the current twenty-something generation. (Even if some have now reached their thirties.) The band's newest album, "Showroom of Compassion," was released in Januar

This weekend, Fairytale Town was transformed into a menagerie of creative writing and reading. Fairytale Town hosted the 11th Annual ScholarShare Children's Book Festival this past Saturday and Sunday. Arts and literacy organizations were on hand, most of them providing information to parents and interesting literacy activities for children. Mother Goose Stage was the centerpiece of the day. Authors and presenters sat in a giant and rather royal-looking throne at the center of the stage and the children crowded around. The weekend’s events included readings by eleven different authors including Olympic gold medal figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi. Trevor Wyatt was the MC and resident magici

This weekend, Fairytale Town will host the 11th Annual ScholarShare Children's Book Festival. The festival will include hands-on literacy activities for children, dramatic performances and readings and presentations by numerous authors and illustrators. The event will feature a special appearance by Olympic figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi will read her first book, "Dream Big, Little Pig!" on Saturday on the Mother Goose Stage at 3:00 p.m. The 2011 release by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky debuted at No. 2 on the New York Times Bestseller List. "Dream Big, Little Pig!" was illustrated by Tim Bowers. Fairytale Town will host the book festival this Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 24 and 25. O