Sunday, the giant Midtown block party known as the Rainbow Festival, came to its celebratory end. The three-day event held to raise money and awareness for local lesbian, bisexual, gay, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI) charities in Sacramento as well as celebrate community pride has raised over 500,000 since its inception according to the 2009 website. Vendors lined 20th and K Streets, offering everything from jewelry to T-shirts to rainbow-hued paraphernalia. Local LGBTQI institutions such as the Lavender Library and Sacramento's Gay Man's Chorus hosted booths, handing out fliers and pamphlets with information on events, clubs and volunteer opportunities. Sacramento State's Qu

On the corner of J and 2nd Streets, a man with a sheriff's star and gun holster slung around his waist cupped his hands and loudly announced, "Citizens of Sacramento! The mayor of Sacramento has an announcement!" If you were expecting Kevin Johnson to address the growing crowd of bystanders, you were sure to be disappointed. Saturday's Gold Rush Days hosted plenty of important Sacramentans, circa 1850. The free four-day event took over Old Sacramento with 200 tons of dirt and about 200 reenactors in 1850s-style garb. Attendees milled around the Embarcadero Tent City, a field of canvas tents that featured 1850 institutions such as a blacksmith, lace-maker, tinsmith, dentist, Mormon batta

Sunday, approximately 75 hungry guests took over Grange Restaurant for Slow Food Sacramento's Celebration of Summer event. The luncheon was organized around a fruit whose flavors reach a peak in the summer season: the tomato. Event organizer and member of Slow Food Sacramento chapter member Jim Mills told the group that "a tomato is not always a tomato," and that the fruit should really only be enjoyed fresh during its season, which ranges from about June 15 through the end of October. Grange Restaurant's head chef Michael Tuohy reinforced that tomatoes are best consumed during those four and a half months. "You'll see tomatoes in the stores in January," Tuohy said, "and it's like 'Why

Last Saturday, the SacAnime Convention kicked off with the highest number of attendees in its five-year existence. Anime, the pop culture term for animation that is distinctly Japanese, was celebrated by fans from all over northern California at the Radisson Hotel. Security official Peter Kraus said that in his four years working the convention, he has never seen a crowd this large. "Last year we were at the Scottish Rite Center, and it moved to this location, which is significantly bigger. It's pretty incredible, the way it's grown each year," Kraus said. "I just asked the folks up front what the official number was. They said they are low-balling it at three and a half to four thousand

This Saturday, come celebrate a Sacramento institution's 50th anniversary with Fairytale Town's Crystal Rockin' Royal 50th Anniversary Bash. The park's annual fundraising celebration got a vintage makeover to celebrate its 50 year landmark, said Fairytale Town's Theatre Arts Educator and Community Relations Coordinator John Lee. "Traditionally it has been called A Midsummer Night's Dream. Crystal has been sponsoring it for several years and has always supplied all-you-can-eat ice cream," Lee said. "What we have done this year, because it was our 50th anniversary and we opened in 1959, is make it '50s-themed." According to Fairytale Town's website, the park was dedicated as a gift to the

This weekend Sacramento fans can get their fill of everything anime during the 5th annual SacAnime Convention at the Radisson Hotel. The event has increased in popularity since its inception in 2004. In an e-mail interview director of console gaming and press liaison Jason Dube said last year's event was attended by several thousand people. This year the numbers are expected to be even bigger. According to SacAnime's website the convention began as an extension of the Sac Con show, an event geared more toward comic books, toys and collectibles. In 2004, the manager of Waldenbooks at the Sunrise Mall store approached founder and convention organizer Dan Houck and his Sac Anime volunteer s

 What made TwinSoup's Stiletto Crawl different from its fellow pub crawls? "No men!" "It's prettier." "I don't think I have seen a single pair of flip-flops." Last Wednesday three Sacramento hot-spots got hit with 75 well-heeled ladies courtesy of the Stiletto Crawl. The traditional beer-and-batter-drenched pub crawls were disbanded--participants sipped champagne and white wine as they were chauffeured by Luxury Limousines from destination to destination. TwinSoup.com is a local lifestyle guide with daily tips about fashion, events, hot-spots and culture in Sacramento. Sarah Campbell, who co-founded TwinSoup with sister Rachel, said the initial idea for the event was born when TwinS

This Thursday attendees will get a preview of back-to-school looks during Fresh Dispenser, a fashion show event whose proceeds will go to Invisible Children, a non-profit organization devoted to ending institutions of cruelty and subjugation in Uganda. The idea for the event was birthed about eight months ago by local event-planning group First Dirt, said Tim Morales, one of the group's founders and event coordinators. The group wanted to promote the business of local clothing stores that they know and love, Morales said. "We've [First Dirt has] been involved in planning events for local underground hip-hop for the past four years." Morales said. "We wanted to do something different, lik

This Sunday will mark the first ever SacShows Local Music Awards Show at Empire Club. The event, which will have a "Red Carpet Walk" for nominees and VIP guests, will begin at 7 p.m. SacShows.com began in 2004 as a music information site that offered show listings for all of Northern California, said local promoter and founder Justin Nordan in an e-mail interview. Nordan's relationship with Sacramento music runs deeper than four years, though. He recalls his "first love" moment 14 years ago. "I was instantly transformed by my first local show in Sac when I was 18," he said. "I saw Cake and Daisy Spot at Crest Theater in 1995. I was hooked." After two years of heavy travel, SacShows abr

"Pelt her, pelt her, all the way down!" A lively crowd chanted their intentions as they pelted a wig-wearing bingo winner with crumpled paper score cards. The ritual was repeated with all ten of the winners during last Wednesday's first ever Drag Queen Bingo at Hamburger Patties. Approximately 75 prize-hungry people showed up to the 7:00 p.m. event produced by Outword magazine. The night's proceeds went to Women Escaping A Violent Environment (WEAVE), an organization that provides crisis intervention services for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. The idea for Drag Queen Bingo came about a year ago, said Hamburger Patties co-owner Richard Borill. Borill and fellow owner

Due to the immense popularity of The California Museum's With Malice Toward None: Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Exhibit, visiting hours will be extended to 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from the original 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The extended hours apply to the last 10 days of the exhibit, from Aug. 13 to Aug. 23. When museum staff observed the high turnout, they wanted to give potential visitors more opportunity, so the extended hours and the extra day of Aug. 23 were added. "No one's complained about lines or overcrowding—we just noticed that crowds were gathering at 9:30 a.m. to get in, and people have stayed in the museum right up until we close the door at 5 p.m," said California Museum Communication Man

The Sacramento Area Regional Theatre Alliance (SARTA) will announce the nominations for the most outstanding theater performances of 2008-2009 at its Elly Nomination Party, said SARTA office administrator Benjamin T. Ismail. Sacarmento City College will host the celebration on Aug. 9 from 6 to 10 p.m. Held and named in honor of the late Eleanor McClatchy, a devoted patron of local arts, the Elly's are in its 27th year. On Sept. 20, SARTA will honor the winners with a ceremony at the Crest Theatre. Tickets are $25 general admission, $20 for group rate and SARTA members. They go on sale Aug. 10 and can be purchased by calling SARTA's office or the day of at the Crest box office. There are

The second installment of the six week, 12 salon hair competition "Hair Wars" took place last Thursday with runway performances from Allure and Canvas Salon. Each week two Sacramento salons go head-to-head, showcasing their best in avant-garde hair styling. The runway, constructed specifically for the event, stood in the middle of the Park Ultra Lounge's outdoor patio. Approximately 200 people piled on top of benches and stood on chairs to get a glimpse of the action. Allure was one of the finalists in last year's Hair Wars. Owner Missy O'Daniel said the competition offers her stylists an outlet by which they can show not only their patrons, but also the community as a whole, what they a

Needing to fill a void in your life? With two-for-one cat adoption specials, Sacramento County Animal Care and Regulation's Kitty Palooza could be the event to help you do that. This Saturday and Sunday will be an opportunity for Sacramento cat-lovers to find one, or two, new friends. The third annual Kitty Palooza will be held at the Sacramento County Shelters on Bradshaw Road August 2. Sacramento County Animal Care and Regulation Communication and Media Officer Annie Parker said the two-for-one cat adoption option is the main draw. "We like to extol the benefits of having two cats; they keep each other company, they take care of each other, they don't get too bored and ruin your furni

Sacramento resident Robert Lee Grant will screen his documentary Nourishing the Kids of Katrina Wednesday at the Shepard Garden & Arts Center in McKinley Park. The film focuses on Alice Waters' Edible Schoolyard program in two New Orleans schools: Green Charter and Arthur Ashe Charter Schools. It will feature commentary from First Lady Michelle Obama and President Barack Obama regarding the installment of the White House's own organic garden and concerns about America's obesity epidemic. In 1995, The Edible Schoolyard was established at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School In Berkeley, Calif. by the Chez Panisse Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by Waters. In an article in NR

One of the true gems of Launch, a Vchle Magazine event that took place Saturday, was the innovative stylings of both the fashion designers and those in attendance. The event, dedicated to Sacramento's fashion and design talent, explored the question: What is Sac style? "Who knows?" Mel Eligon, store manager of Cuffs, asked. "Style has everything to do with the individual, and there are a plethora of individualities here. This sounds generic, but the D.I.Y. thing, seeking out unique pieces, is really big. In big cities like L.A. and San Francisco, certain things are put in your face for what is fashionable. But because we are a small town, it's easy for us to make an extra effort to look

This Friday Marilyn's on K Street gets a dose of good old-fashioned American Rock 'n' Roll courtesy of The Donnas. The 8 p.m. event is part of a string of headlining shows incorporated into their 2009 Summer Tour. The Donnas also open for Blondie and Pat Benatar on this summer's Call Me Invincible Tour. The girls will be joined by Aroarah and Triple Cobra (click links for band websites).  The band got its beginnings in Northern California at a Palo Alto middle school. Influenced by groups such as KISS and The Ramones, in 1993 the four 13-year-old self-described "dorky preteen girls" formed The Electrocutes.  Toward the end of high school the girls decided to form another band that would

The first annual Sacramento Zine Symposium delivered what it promised in the program: it breathed new life into the Sacto D.I.Y. & alternative press scene. A fluctuating 100 zinesters, collectors, authors, writers and people without titles gathered in the Brickhouse Gallery for a day of workshops, networking, and discussion. Tables lined the main room of the gallery and came alive with colorful displays of zines, literature, pamphlets and fliers. Event-goers perused the selection of alternative publications and, in most cases, were able to discuss their purchases with the authors. Outside, a D.J. spun live music all day. Adjacent was a food table that served free lunch and dinner. Event-

The goal of the vigil held to protest Laura Ling’s and Euna Lee’s 12-year labor reform sentence was clear: bring them home. The vigil commenced at 6:30 p.m. where approximately 400 of Ling's and Lee’s friends, family and community members banded together on the Capitol West Steps in support of the two American journalists who are charged by North Korea's high court for illegal entry and engaging in "hostile acts." Supporters donned “Free Lisa and Euna” buttons and pinned yellow ribbons to their shirts. Many held signs with pictures of the women’s faces and pleas that said “Free Laura and Euna” and “Amnesty Now.” The vigil was opened with a prayer by Laura Ling’s cousin, Brandon Yip. Fol

On June 8, American Journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee were sentenced to 12-years of "labor reform" by North Korea. This Thursday a candlelight vigil will be held on the Capitol west steps in peaceful protest. On April 27 a vigil was held for Laura Ling and Euna Lee to raise awareness for the two journalists' detainment in North Korea. This time it is in support of the two women who face the notoriously harsh conditions of North Korea's labor camps. The two American journalists were on assignment for Current TV, a cable and web network co-founded by Al Gore, when they were detained on March 17 and convicted of illegal entry and engaging in "hostile acts" after a four-day trial North Kor