People get gung-ho about repetitive dates, and so do we here at Sacramento365.com! In that spirit, we decided to get in the groove of 12/12/12 and round-up 12 fun things for you to do in Sacramento today. 1. See choirs from the Lodi Seventh Day Adventist Elementary School (11am) or the US Army Corps of Engineers (Noon) perform holiday tunes for free at the Capitol's annual Holiday Music Program. 2. Do a little shopping at Sacramento Downtown Plaza and then bring your receipt to the Downtown Sacramento Ice Rink for a free skate rental. 3. Learn about the local and regional impact of the arts at Pence Gallery's Art Grown Locally panel discussion. 4. Shop for wine while drinking wine at E

'Tis the season for holiday celebrations galore. This weekend arrives bearing holiday events of all ilks, from theatre and dance to concerts, kids' activities, local shopping, and more. Check out some of our picks below, and find even more options in Sacramento365.com's Holiday Events section. Celebrate with the whole family: Holiday Magic: Sacramento Zoo; Sat 10am-4pm See your favorite Sacramento Zoo animals receive their special holiday presents. Animals will get special treats delivered to them and staff will be on hand to share facts, secrets, and answer your questions. Christmas Memories: Governor's Mansion State Historic Park; Sat 10am-4pm Surrounded by docents in period costume,

What’s with the news: Maybe you’ve heard of this guy, Charles Manson? He’s one of the nation's most beloved murderous sociopaths. Also, he recently released an album. Okay, okay, he did not technically release the album. Manuel Vasquez, small business owner and part-time music producer, did. Using funds he raised on Kickstarter, Vasquez released 500 copies of never-before-heard Manson recordings. Surprisingly, despite Vasquez’s belief that Manson is a misunderstood man who deserves a retrial, he didn’t find a ton of support for the project. I guess some people just can’t get over a grisly rampage now and again. Yet the money was raised and the album released. Though the single track pre

There’s a new resident at the Sacramento Zoo, the 2-year old Masai giraffe named Shani. “She is a pretty special girl,” said zoo spokeswoman Tonja Swank. “There are only about 100 Masai giraffes in American zoos.” She added that Shani will eventually mate with the zoo’s other Masai giraffe, Chifu. Shani came to Sacramento from the Los Angeles Zoo in mid-August and recently completed her quarantine period so she can now explore the exhibit, according to the zoo blog. The blog also notes that the Masai giraffe is the largest subspecies, and it is native to southern Kenya and Tanzania. Shani is about 11 feet tall, and she is expected to reach between 16 and 19 feet in height when she is

photographs by Barry Wisdom / Street signage refers to Sacramento's wild-animal habitat as the "Land Park Zoo," but the 14.4-acre facility could have passed for a refuge in the South Pacific Saturday evening when the Sacramento Zoological Society hosted its "King of Feasts" fundraiser. The Polynesian-themed event, which showcased menu items from more than 50 Sacramento-area food-and-beverage purveyors, also featured 60 silent-auction items spread across a trio of tables. Auction items ranged from gourmet olive oil to kayak rentals, with proceeds earmarked to support the Sacramento Zoo's animal care, habitat improvements, and education and conservation programs. The $60 admission tic

Everyone knows that when your pet is sick, you take it to see the veterinarian, but at the Sacramento Zoo on Saturday, children and their families brought stuffed animals needing a patch up to the second annual Stuffed Animal Vet Clinic. Produced by Sacramento's chapter of the American Association of Zookeepers, this year’s vet clinic treated over 160 stuffed animal patients, twice as many as last year. Checkups cost $3 per animal. Children and families who did not have an animal friend of their own had the opportunity to adopt one lightly used pet for $1. The event raised $600, which will be donated to the Sacramento Police Canine Association, in order to assist the police dog, Bodie,

Does your teddy bear need fixing? Maybe your animal friend isn't feeling so well. A stuffed animal veterinarian will be available to help at the Sacramento Zoo's Second Annual Stuffed Animal Veterinary Clinic on May 26. Between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., children and their families may bring in their stuffed animals for an exam by zoo veterinarians or zookeepers to the Veterinary Hospital Lawn inside. Exams are $3 per stuffed animal. There will be six different stations and a reception area, according to Zoo Education Specialist Brooke Coe. Four of the stations are vet stations, where the stuffed animal will have its physical and check-up. A surgery center will be available for repairing injure

Mother's Day is almost upon us and, while some people think it ends after giving mom breakfast in bed, the fun doesn't have to end there. Treat mom to the whole day by taking advantage of the many activities Sacramento has to offer. Scribner Bend Vineyards Mother's Day Brunch Location: 9051 River Road Event hours: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Scribner Vineyards is opening its doors for a brunch catered by Rayna's Gourmet Catering. There will be three brunch times available: 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. Located about 15 minutes from downtown Sacramento, guests get to sit and eat outside, surrounded by grape vines. "It's 15 minutes from downtown, but you feel like you're in a different world. It's got

William Land Park is eligible for listing as a historic district – making it the first Sacramento park eligible to be listed on its own merits, independent of its location within a neighborhood historic district. The eligibility finding is the result of a recent landscape cultural survey conducted by independent researchers between April and December 2011. City Councilman Rob Fong said the survey conclusions will be helpful in future planning for the city. “The city and Land Park are well-served by having a document that will live on to the future and inform decisions that we want to make around the park,” Fong said Tuesday. Researchers conducting the survey found that numerous feature

Sunday, February 12, Sacramento Teen Zoo volunteers transformed the Sacramento Zoo into a wonderland of free activities, lectures, and enrichment experiences for their 2nd annual "I Heart Sacramento Zoo" Valentine's Day event. Dotted around the park were booths which provided free activities and information about the animals in the zoo. Three Sacramento Teen Zoo volunteers, also known as Zoo Teens, manned each booth to provide an exciting experience for every guest. The Sacramento Zoo Teen volunteer group was started four years ago, with an interest in the earth, animals and the community at its heart. Ranging in ages 13-19 years of age, the Sacramento Zoo has opened its doors to the cur

Looking for a special way to turn your Valentine’s Day into a memorable holiday? There are myriad options out there, but here are a few highlights for the upcoming weekend: For the foodie (Fri & Sat 6pm): Let GrubCrawlUSA's Pre-Valentine's Sexy Singles Mingle & Consensual Couples Crawl take you on a taste-tastic tour of Sacramento's finest dining spots. Whether you’re single or paired up, there’s a spot for you—Friday is aimed toward singles & Saturday to couples (so, presumably, if you find someone on Friday you can make a return tour on Saturday!). For the single lady (Fri 9pm): Stroll Now 100.5’s Mile of Men at The Park Ultra Lounge and take your pick from the area's most eligible bac

Has it been a while since you’ve gone out on a date? Perhaps you are you looking for something different to do? However you would like to spend this Valentine’s weekend, let The Sacramento Press be your guide. Valentine’s craft day Thursday Sacramento Public Library 4235 Antelope Rd., Antelope 3 - 4 p.m. Free Children and teens are invited to make their own paper valentines with candy roses. The library will supply all the necessary materials. According to Teen/Adult Librarian Justin Azevedo, this event was organized by the teen volunteers. “They wanted to organize an event for other kids and teens,” Azevedo said. “It’s a fun and easy way to make unique valentines just in time for Val

Want to check out some of Sacramento’s wonderful museums but have not yet had the time or budget to do so? Mark your calendars for this Saturday and head out to the 14th Annual Sacramento Museum Day. A record 28 museums are participating this year, including newcomers the Center for Contemporary Art and the Sacramento Children’s Museum. 26 participating museums are offering free admission all day (10am-5pm; last admission at 4pm), and the Sacramento Zoo and Fairytale Town are offering half-price admission in order to offset parking control and security costs. Sacramento has a wide variety of Museums featuring everything from art, science, and history to children’s exhibits, wildlife, and

As always, Sacramento steps up to the plate with holiday events of all sorts. At Sacramento365.com, we see a lot of events come through the site every day. Though there are myriad options in our Holiday Event section, we've narrowed down the list to 10 to get help you pick your Christmas Eve & Christmas Day festivities. Christmas Eve Events: Sure, the night before Christmas should be spent snuggled in bed waiting for Santa Claus, but why not get out and about during the day. Here are some options to keep you entertained around town: 1. Free Admission at Fairytale Town & Sacramento Zoo: FTT 10am-2pm; Zoo 10am-1:30pm Treat the kiddies to a day out while both Fairytale Town & the Sacramento

I visited the Sac Zoo today to check out the re-opened Panda exhibit. Three were hanging around sleeping and scratching. They are "foxy" looking. Only one was being photogenic for me. The other two were hidden on tree limbs.While at the Red Panda Exhibit be sure to stop by Greater Sacramento chapter of the American Association of Zookeepers (Greater Sac AAZK) booth where you can create a Red panda craft or purchase “lucky bamboo”. All proceeds from the bamboo will go towards the conservation and education efforts of Red Panda Network.  While there I checked out Jingaa, the Sumatran tiger born March 18, 2010. She weighs about 100 lbs and will soon be the same size as her mom at 190 lbs! I

The Sacramento Zoo will be hosting King of Feasts - Wine & Food Luau which will take place at the zoo 6 - 9 p.m. Saturday. Escape to a tropical paradise where you’ll be surrounded by exotic animals as you taste diverse cuisine from Sacramento-area restaurants, wineries- and breweries. Enjoy walking around the zoo, listening to the sounds of Hawaii, watching traditional hula dance- and partying at the Tiki lounge. Participating restaurants, wineries- and breweries include: 4th Street Grille, Chops Steakhouse, FatCat Scones, Kru, Mochii Yogurt, Zócalo, Hoppy Brewing Company, Pyramid Alehouse, River City Brewing Company- and many more. Presale tickets are $50 per person, and $45 for zoo mem

If you’re a fan of Hula-Hoops and a variety of local food, wine and beer, then the Sacramento Zoo’s 10th annual King of Feasts Wine and Food Luau – which will be held Saturday at the zoo – is for you. “The luau is held all over the zoo,” Tonja Swank, public relations coordinator for the Sacramento Zoo, said of the 21-and-over event. “We line the different restaurants, wineries and breweries along different areas of the zoo. Some will be lined along Big Cat Row where the hyenas, snow leopard and where the larger cats are.” Participating restaurants include local favorites such as Zocalo, Taylor’s Kitchen, Kru and Chops Steakhouse. Swank said attendees can expect to find sample-serving siz

Sutter’s Landing will not be the future site for the Sacramento Zoo. That determination was made during a City Council workshop Tuesday afternoon. The workshop was called so the council members could be brought up to date on the current status of the zoo – currently located on 14 acres in Land Park – and where it will be in the next 40 years.  The workshop was called by Councilman Rob Fong following a feasibility study released last July. For now, the council has decided to keep the zoo in Land Park. “I think it’s pretty obvious that we’re not going to be looking at putting the zoo anywhere else in the short term,” Fong said, adding that the “short term” means anywhere in the next 20 y

Over 25 museums participated in the annual Sacramento Museum Day this Saturday February 5. On the first Saturday of February for the past 13 years Sacramento has opened many museums to the public free of charge. Some places are always packed while other museums don’t experience such problems. I chose two locations to visit this year. One of them I knew would be packed (the Sacramento Zoo) and the other I wasn’t sure (Crocker Art Museum). As I was getting off Interstate 5 I knew the Sacramento Zoo was going to be packed. Traffic going west on Sutterville Road was backed all the way to the freeway. I ended up going to the zoo the back way from Freeport Blvd. It didn’t really matter traffic

Give Smart Sacramento promotes waste free experiences in place of traditional holiday gifts What was your favorite holiday gift of the past? Was it a sweater from J.Crew three years ago? Or maybe it was the CD-Man you got in ’95? I’m guessing it was something that hasn’t gone out of style or become obsolete. My favorite gift in recent memory was a family membership to Fairytale Town. I will always remember the time spent with my children and my family at Fairytale Town, because the memory will never go out of style, be shoved in the back of the closet or go in the "Goodwill" pile. This year, the City of Sacramento Department of Utilities is challenging you to replace at least one out of