US Travel Guide - Sacramento

Sacramento Entertainment

Sacramento is a city of many faces. Sprawling over hundreds of square Sacramento Valley miles, its a city of Victorian homes, identical tract homes, bistros, elegant restaurants, fast food joints and world-class entertainment venues. Practically in the shadow of sleek downtown office towers, Sutters Fort looks much as it did when pioneers lived there in the 1840s.

As capital of the largest state in the union, with a population of more than a million, you would expect to find a soaring metropolis here, complete with skyscrapers and malls. There are all these things in profusion here, of course, but Sacramento still projects small-town charm, much like most other towns across Californias Great Central Valley, the most fertile agricultural region on earth. While many entertainment choices around Californias capital city reflect Sacramentos rural origins, there is plenty of things to do in gleaming, modern venues. From Broadway-caliber theaters to museums boasting impressive collections to sports franchises that contend on the national stage to cutting-edge nightclubs and a brand-new concert amphitheater, Sacramento offers a vibrant and interesting entertainment mix for diverse moods and tastes.

Art

Nestled in the heart of Californias central valley, on a clear day Sacramento offers distant views of the Sierra mountains beyond miles of flat tomato fields. Closer to home, except for the meandering parklands along the American River flowing through the heart of the city, the natural scenery is unexceptional. Perhaps that is one explanation why there are so many varied venues in which to look at exciting art here. A diverse array of museums and galleries in the Old Sacramento, Downtown and Midtown districts feature everything from treasures of the Old Masters to cutting-edge examples of post-modernism. Occupying a Victorian mansion in Midtown, the Crocker Art Museum is the oldest public art museum west of Mississippi. Contemporary art by Californian Wayne Thiebauds rubs shoulders with works by Pieter Brueghel, Albrecht Daurer, Rembrandt and Jacques-Louis David among more than 9,000 pieces in the collection. You can witness the creative process in action at the Sutter Fort Museum, where artisans dressed in period costume re-enact such pioneer crafts as weaving and pottery making. Around the Sacramento metropolitan area diverse galleries provide unique settings for arts in all media. West of downtown, in the heart of Davis the 10,000-square foot John Natsoulas Gallery features a public rooftop sculpture garden, the only one in California, and the works of West Coast artists in natural light flooding in through floor-to-ceiling windows. The University of California at Davis is home to several galleries. The Memorial Union Gallery showcases the crafts of diverse artisans, the Nelson Gallery features classics and contemporary California works and the Design Gallery offers examples of new and commercial media. Other educational institutions around Sacramento feature galleries as well. The American River College Art Gallery emphasizes works utilizing computer interfaces while the California State University, Sacramento collection incorporates photographic and design works.

Downtown/Midtown is bursting at the seams with established and brand-new galleries. On the K Street Mall, the Artists Contemporary Gallery, founded in 1958, is Sacramentos oldest continuously running gallery showcasing works in incredibly diverse media by area artists. Taking its name literally, the Art Foundry Gallery includes a working bronze foundry as well as gallery space featuring artistic works of local artists. The Center for Contemporary Art is the centerpiece of the burgeoning Uptown art scene in formerly gritty North Sacramento. Ten years ago CCA was a lonely arts outpost along decaying Del Paso Boulevard. Today this non-profit gallery offering national contemporary art is a crown jewel in a string of galleries that have appeared in renovated abandoned buildings. MatrixArts includes multimedia works by nationally recognized artists, Michael Himovitz Gallery is a cutting edge contemporary work of art in itself and features sculpture and mixed media works. The Doiron Gallery showcases works by artisans utilizing natural media in a salon setting. Galleries featuring art in virtually any media and genre you can imagine can be found throughout the Sacramento metropolitan area. Over in the Fair Oaks district the Chroma Gallery keeps Impressionism alive by featuring works by contemporary area artists working in the challenging genre. The Darkroom Gallery in East Sacramento specializes in--you guessed it--experimental photography. Excentrique is an attractive loft space with crafts and fine arts in all kinds of media. And in Folsom, Fire and Rain Gallery offers original craft works such as jewelry and sculpture.

Dance

Sacramento Community Center Theater at the eastern end of the K Street mall showcases traveling Broadway song-and-dance extravaganzas with dozens of high-stepping dancers. The Sacramento Ballet, a few blocks east on K Street is dedicated to bringing classical and contemporary ballet to Sacramentans. The award-winning California State University, Sacramento Department of Dance hosts diverse cutting-edge interpretations of contemporary dance works. In Davis, the Pamela Trokanski Studio offers the efforts of local dancers performing contemporary political/narrative works.

Film

You can always view Hollywoods latest blockbuster at huge megaplexes scattered around town. In Downtown Plaza the Century Plaza 7 offers current mainstream movies in no less than seven mini-theaters. The Regal Natomas has twice as many screens. From its south Sacramento Laguna 16 megaplex to the Century 14 on Arden Way the Century Cinedome off I-80 at Greenback, the Century corporations has dozens of screens to choose from in the Sacramento area. The Esquire Imax Theater on the K Street Mall shows adventure extravaganzas on its six-story tall screen. For viewers interested in more eclectic cinematic fare, the Crest, a lovingly restored 1920s era movie palace on K Street and Tower Theater on Broadway offer classics, art and foreign films as well as live events.

Museums

For those new to the River City the sheer variety of museums is staggering. In Old Sacramento, theres the Railroad Museum, in which restored locomotives and cars are featured along with all sorts of artifacts. A popular mobile museum exhibit are the six-mile-long steam train rides along the Sacramento River. Nearby the Discovery Museum Science and Space Center includes spectacular planetarium shows, a replica of a working gold mine and the popular heavy metal machinery exhibit. Over in Midtown the Sutter Museum and the California State Indian Museum offer exhibits that showcase two very distinct cultures that happened to co-exist when the Golden State was founded 150 years ago. Docents in period dress re-enact various crafts and other activities from those times. Twenty years ago the California State Capitol was bursting at the seams and marred by ill-conceived renovations. In its wisdom the State Legislature appropriated funds to strip the building down to a shell and completely renovate the old hulk. Craftsmen proficient in building skills no longer in demand, were called out of retirement to do the job right. Today, the Legislatures home is a living museum showcasing rare materials such as redwood and ebony worked with fine craftsmanship. Docents also provide tours the restored Governors Office and the State Treasury. Exhibits in the California Military Museum reflect the roles uniformed forces have played in the drama of the states history up to contemporary times. The McClellan Aviation Museum features 30 aircraft dating to World War II. And for those interested in a tour along memory lane, the Historic City Cemetery established in 1849, is the last resting place for 20,000 folks who shaped the River Citys early history. Guided and self-guided tours are available here.

Music

Classical music aficionados will find many venues in which to enjoy fine performances in Sacramento. The Camellia Symphony Orchestra is a nationally recognized community orchestra. Performances include programs such as world premieres, rarely performed and standard repertoire works. For popular music fans, The California Musical Theater offers Music Circus, a one of a kind tent theater for musicals and a Broadway Series featuring classics of the musical theater. Based in West Sacramento, the Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society preserves the music at monthly concerts as well as through its Jazz Jubilee which features performances by dozens of bands from around the world on more than 20 stages in Old Sacramento and other locations throughout the Sacramento area. A new option for contemporary music fans is the Sacramento Valley Amphitheatre, a state-of-the-art outdoor facility 20 miles north of downtown that features nationally touring bands.

Nightclubs

For all its workaday air during the day, Sacramento does like to play after the sun goes down. Old Sacramento contains more nightspots per square block than any other district in the city. Nationally known and local comedians lay them in the aisles at Laughs Unlimited. On board the Delta King, diners enjoy 'whodunits' at the Suspect Mystery Dinner Theater, complete with costumed characters planted in their midst. Old Ironsides, one of Sacramentos oldest nightclubs, today features musical entertainment by cutting-edge local bands on their way up. The Torch Club is where you go if you've got that urge to boogie on the dance floor to rhythm-and-blues and down-home blues. Strut your fancy duds on the dance floor over at Harlows, which includes a restaurant and cigar bar. Country music and line dancing are all the rage at In Cahoots in North Sacramento and The Graduate in Davis. Spend or make your day at the Cache Creek Indian Casino in Brooks, 15 miles northwest of downtown.

Sports

Sacramentans were thrilled last year when their instantly beloved River Cats, the new AAA minor league ball club. It had been more than 20 years since locals had a chance to root for a home team. The Cats drew record crowds at their plush new ballpark across the river from Old Sacramento and hopes are high they'll win the minor-league World Series next year. The NBA Sacramento Kings regularly draw sold-out crowds at Arco Arena who love the scrappy team, who slam-dunked their way to the playoffs last year. The WNBA Monarchs play at Arco also, and generate plenty of excitement with its aggressive style. The UC Davis Aggies, a Division II football team, always provide heart-stopping excitement, fueled in part by the world famous UCD Aggie Band, at Toomey Field. The UCD basketball team exceeded all expectations and won the national Division II title last year. Of interest to golf enthusiasts, Twelve Bridges Golf Club in Lincoln, northeast of Sacramento, sponsors a major yearly LPGA tournament. Twenty minutes east of Sacramento the Whitney Oaks Gold Club, designed by Johnny Miller, offers a challenging course for pros and amateurs featuring ancient oaks, wetlands and lakes. The fishing around the Sacramento area draws aficionados from across northern California. The Sacramento River Delta, a complex network of sloughs and wetlands extending to San Francisco Bay, brims with salmon, bass and giant sturgeon. Thirty miles directly west of downtown Sacramento, man-made Lake Berryessa offers excellent sportfishing as well. Weekend bikers and hikers appreciate the trails among The American River Parkway, a two mile wide preserve which meanders through the center of town. Further afield, the Yolo Bypass wetlands preserve, a major stopover on the Pacific Flyway for dozens of species of migratory birds, is a magnet for birdwatchers.

Theatre

Sacramento is home to a diverse and growing theatre scene offering drama and comedy along the spectrum from full-blown Broadway productions to cutting-edge independent productions. The 2,500 seat Sacramento Community Center Theater is Sacramentos largest and most prestigious theatrical venue offering Broadway productions, opera, dance and more. Thistle Dew Dessert Theatre and the B Street Theatre offer intimate settings in which actors stretch, playwrights critique their work and directors experiment. On board a 100-year-old paddlewheeler moored in the Sacramento River the Delta King Theatre offers 19th Century style dramatic and comedy productions. Across the river, the Woodland Opera House, an architectural jewel built in the 1890s, offers performances of musicals, classics and contemporary dramas and comedies. In Davis, the Varsity Theater, a former movie theater completely renovated offers musicals, drama, comedy, lectures and concerts.

Areas

Old Sacramento, with its dozen square blocks of vintage buildings housing several museums, whimsical shops, quality restaurants, a comedy club and exciting nightspots, is a great place to window shop and people watch. Characters in period costume and carriages rolling along the cobblestones behind clip-clopping horses add to the antique atmosphere. Through the walkway decorated with colorful native American tilework and murals under the I-5 freeway, you emerge on the threshold of Downtown Plaza. This open-air shopping mall features nightclubs department stores, dozens of restaurants, a movie megaplex and, at scattered cafe table, great vantage points to continue your people watching. Further east, the pedestrian K Street Mall also offers entertainment opportunities. The Crest Theatre, a converted vaudeville venue constructed in the 1920s, offers a diverse selection of art, foreign and classic films. The Esquire IMAX is a state-of-the-art facility in which to be amazed at nature and documentary films on six-story tall screen. Half a block east, you'll find the Sacramento Community Center Theater. Within a 30-square block area surrounding these attractions there are dozens of world-class restaurants featuring a bewildering diversity of cuisines, nightclubs, pubs, live theatres and movie theatres.

For a homier, laid-back stroll on which to sample a variety of entertainment venues, restaurants and night clubs travel 10 miles east to Davis. The downtown here is also home to the Davis Farmers Market, which was the first to be established in a Northern California suburban center. In addition to organic produce, you can also enjoy concerts year-round here.

Whether you prefer exciting urbane amenities or humble historic activities, there is always something to be in Sacramento - capital of the Golden State.

Brian Elsasser