Sacramento, CA ----Summer has finally arrived in California's capital city and we're celebrating with numerous exhibits, events and activities.
You've been to Old Sacramento, the State Capitol and Sutter's Fort? Well, there's plenty more to experience. Admire a live mermaid or merman swimming in a huge aquarium above the bar in a hot new downtown spot! Check out Sacramento art galleries on Second Saturday! Explore the city's culinary scene on the new food tour!
Have you ever considered wine tasting in a refurbished sugar mill or hardware store? Probably not, but that's exactly what you can do at the Old Sugar Mill or Husick's Hardware Store-just 20 minutes from downtown Sacramento. Sip luscious Zinfandel at one of the 200 wineries within a 60 to 90 minute drive from downtown- we've just updated the Sacramento Regional Wine Guide to point you in the right direction. Experience the thrill of whitewater rapids in one of the best rafting seasons in memory-just 45 minutes from downtown Sacramento!
Exclusive Sacramento exhibits and events give new reasons to visit. Cost-saving hotel packages and the Sacramento Gold Card make an overnight stay even more attractive.
Hotel Packages
Many Sacramento hotels are offering summer packages and the Sacramento Gold Card is an exclusive benefit to guests staying at Sacramento-area hotels. The Sacramento Gold Card provides discounts to more than 30 attractions, restaurants, retailers, theaters, and sports venues throughout the region. Visitors can now choose from more than 30 hotels that offer the card. To receive a Sacramento Gold Card, guests simply need to request one when checking in at a participating hotel. For a complete list of benefits visit www.discovergold.org/visitors/goldcard/
Exhibits-Events--Activities
"Summer of Impressionism"
The Crocker Art Museum presents a series of exhibitions this summer showcasing the journey of Impressionism from France to the U.S. With a strong emphasis on landscape paintings, the exhibitions collectively feature works by renowned French and American artists alongside masterpieces of California Impressionism.
The Crocker's Summer of Impressionism comprises:
• "Transcending Vision: American Impressionism, 1870-1940," exploring the dissemination of French Impressionism in American painting from the Bank of America Collection;
• "Landscapes from the Age of Impressionism," an exhibition of 40 mid-19th through early 20th-century French and American landscapes from the collection of the Brooklyn Museum;
• "Gardens and Grandeur: Porcelains and Paintings by Franz A. Bischoff," featuring 40 exquisite works by the Bavarian-born artist who moved to California in 1906. The Crocker opened a $100 million expansion in October 2010.www.crockerartmuseum.org
2010 California Hall of Fame at the California Museum
The 2010 inductees are: Governor Edmund G. "Pat" Brown, filmmaker James Cameron, Silicon Valley visionary investor John Doerr, father of modern banking A.P. Giannini, country music legend Merle Haggard, author and activist Anne Lamott, former Secretary of State George Shultz, historian Dr. Kevin Starr, businessman and philanthropist Levi Strauss, screen and music icon Barbra Streisand, artist Wayne Thiebaud, comedienne Betty White, tennis champion Serena Williams, and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.
The 2010 inductees join 51 California Hall of Fame inductees who have made great achievements in science, philanthropy, sports, business, entertainment, literature, fitness, technology, activism and politics. www.californiamuseum.org
158th Annual California State Fair
July 14 - 31, 2011
The Fun Just Got Bigger! is the 2011 State Fair theme. Poppy, the State Fair mascot, has been scouring the California landscape identifying BIG and amazing attractions for the public to enjoy at this annual summer event. Exciting new exhibits include "Big Bugs" "Rock-U" and "Kangaroo Joey's Big Adventure". 100 Golden Deals- The Ultimate Coupon Book, contains 100 coupons that can save State Fair visitors as much as $3,000 over the course of this year's 18-day fair. www.bigfun.org
Gold Rush Days
September 2 - 5, 2011
Experience a step back in time as living history characters re-enact the Gold Rush era in Old Sacramento. The streets are closed to automobiles and then covered with dirt, while horse and carriages are the modes of transportation and period costumes prevail. Learn the ways of early ancestry life from diverse nationalities as entertainment, food, drink, arts and crafts demonstrations make for a great family outing. www.sacramentogoldrushdays.com
California Capital Air Show
September 10 -11, 2011
Audiences will be captivated by the Patriots Jet Team debuting their new six jet performance, the explosive live 3-D museum, Tora! Tora! Tora!, and a thrilling array of military jet demonstrations, world-renowned aerobatic performances, wing-walking pirates and warbirds! www.californiacapitalairshow.com.
Music Circus
The Wells Fargo Pavilion is home to the renowned Music Circus, a 2,200 seat arena-style ‘tent' theatre that showcases musical favorites. A Sacramento institution for 60 years, the 2011 season features The Producers, Oliver, Camelot and Miss Saigon. For a complete schedule visit www.californiamusicaltheatre.com
Sacramento River Cats Baseball
The Sacramento River Cats, the Triple A affiliate of the Oakland A's, are the 2008 Triple-A & PCL Champions. The 2011 season is the team's 13th at Raley Field.www.rivercats.com
Sacramento River Cruises
Hornblower Cruises & Events is offering historic river tours, brunch and dinner cruises from Old Sacramento. www.hornblower.com
Old Sacramento Underground Tours
Hidden beneath the city for nearly 150 years, Old Sacramento's underground has long been the capital's best-kept secret. Today, you can join thousands of residents and visitors in uncovering the facts behind the legends that lie below our buildings and sidewalks. Explore excavated foundations and enclosed pathways while your tour guide recounts the tales of the devastation, perseverance, and determination that led to California's only successful street-raising project. www.historicoldsac.org
Sacramento Walking Tours Offer Glimpse of California History, Art and Architecture
These unique tours through downtown Sacramento introduce visitors to the people, places and events that shaped California history. From John Sutter to Cesar Chavez, these tours cover more than 150 years of state and local history. Topics range from art and architecture to cultural, religious and urban history. All tours are guided and last approximately one to two hours. www.downtownsac.org
Please visit www.sacramento365.com for a complete list of events in the Sacramento region.
