Looking for an explosive way to spend your Fourth of July? Well, look no further. We’ve compiled a list of some of the best Fourth of July events in the Sacramento area. Sacramento Cal Expo will once again host an Independence Day Celebration sponsored by Coca-Cola and Miller Lite at the Miller Lite Grandstand near the East Gate entrance. The festivities will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a performance from Mick Martin and the Blues Rockers. State Fair mascot Poppy will also be there to entertain the crowds. Cal Expo’s media partner, radio station 107.9 The End, will provide music to the spectacular fireworks show, starting at 9:30 p.m. Parking for the event is $10, and general admission to

The quadrupeds have taken over Cal Expo this weekend. The 12th annual Western States Horse Expo began Friday and will run through Sunday. This year features a new event, the Dog Expo. The expos are made up of demonstrations and shopping areas for a wide range of equine and canine concerns. Seven venues in Cal Expo are holding events throughout the weekend. Friday's demonstrations included equestrian training, nutrition discussions, cowboy poetry, music and first-aid training. Numerous guidance demonstrations included proper equine dentistry, choosing the right horse, train and ride like an athlete and desensitizing pack animals. More than 500 vendors and sponsors have filled Cal Expo's

Visitors to Cal Expo smell greasy food and fresh manure, which can mean one thing: The Sacramento County Fair is back. Fair manager T.J. Plew said that this year’s fair features some fun, new and exciting entertainment. “We have the safari theme and with that we’ve booked a camel show, an urban jungle bird show, an actual safari exhibit with some fun creatures from around the world, and a monkey show," she said. All the shows provide fairgoers with interesting animal facts and let them see unusual tricks. The camel show featured a demonstration on how to milk a camel. Observers learned that camels give milk for only 90 seconds at a time. Once it started flowing, the fun began. Children

The thrill of the rides is fun for everyone!     Safari Adventure Live: Featuring reptile touch tanks, birds, mammals and invertebrates from around the world, it’s a fast paced show with lots of audience participation and hands on opportunities.  and MORE!   Livestock are on display and auctioned during the fair. An exhibitor demonstrates how turkeys are carried. A goat is "prettied up".Pigs are herded towards the door. Kids get a taste of Boot Camp, thanks to the  Army National Guard. The folks in the Walgreen's booth were ready for rain or shine. The fair continues through Monday, May 31. Here's some upcoming fair activities: “The entertainment lineup is one of the b

Free Fair Fun! The Best Deal in Town for Exciting Entertainment is at     The 2010 Sacramento County Fair SACRAMENTO (May 10, 2010) – Spending time with the family is priceless, but during these tough economic times, everyone is searching for ways to cut back on expenses without sacrificing family fun. The Sacramento County Fair provides an affordable alternative for the entire family to enjoy.  Fairgoers can go on a summer safari right in their own backyard.  “Take a walk on the wild side and be amazed by what the Fair has to offer,” said T.J. Plew, Manager of the Sacramento County Fair.  “The entertainment lineup is one of the best ever with dancers, singers, variety acts and a whole

 Sacramento Convergence LLC Arena Proposal Tentative Timeline Arena developers, led by Gerry Kamilos of the Kamilos Companies and David Taylor of David S. Taylor Interests, have presented city and state officials with a preliminary schedule for their plan. Key dates include: • Arena Proposal, May 27, 2010 Developers must turn in the formal sports and entertainment complex proposal to city. The plan calls for developers and Australia-based investor Macquarie Capital to form a special-purpose entity to partner with city and state on performance-based infrastructure project. • State Exclusive Negotiating Agreement, June 15, 2010 Developers hope to start negotiating to buy the 350-acre s

The sale of Cal Expo and the swapping of that fairground site for one in Natomas — proposed in a plan to build a new Sacramento arena downtown — are far from a done deal. While the Sacramento City Council agreed at its meeting Tuesday to enter an exclusive negotiating agreement with the developer, a detailed look at the feasibility and economics of such a move has just started for Cal Expo. On Friday, consultants will present the California Exposition and State Fair board with the first report in an analysis encompassing the arena proposal from developer Gerry Kamilos and the Sacramento Convergence LLC. The consultants will also come up with alternatives for upgrading and expanding the c

  A Cairn Terrier almost done with primping.   Dalmation adoration.   A Mastiff takes a break.   A Doberman Pinscher awaits commands before competing in the Working Group competition.   A Great Pyrenees competing in the Working Group.   Welsh Terriers competing for Best-in-Breed.   A Cardigan Welsh Corgi takes a cool break.    A Great Dane and his handler speak with audience members before competing in the Working Group competition.   Owners take their Schnauzer for a quick walk behind the Pavilion building.    A black Standard Poodle almost ready for show.   A Pembroke Welsh Corgi pup learns the ropes. More photos are available here in the original article'

Looking for delicious food and nonstop entertainment this weekend? The 19th annual Festival de la Familia will be taking place Sunday at Cal Expo. The day-long event is a celebration of family and all aspects of Latin culture, representing more than 20 cultures. There will be live music and performances throughout the day as well as many beautiful exhibits to observe. Also, there will be an open-air mercado where numerous vendors will be offering unique goods like handcrafted musical instruments to original pieces of turquoise and silver jewelry. New to this year's agenda will be two parades taking place at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. The parades will include performances by the Charro Associatio

In a win for Mayor Kevin Johnson and his arena task force, the City Council agreed to start talks with Sacramento developer Gerry Kamilos on a plan to build a new sports and entertainment center in the downtown railyards and develop two other sites. The City Council’s approval to begin talks with the Kamilos Group was unanimous. While an agreement between the city and Kamilos was not completed Tuesday, the council moved closer to a decision to work with Kamilos. In Kamilos’ multi-layered plan, the downtown railyards would be the location of a new sports and entertainment center. The plan also calls for the creation of a new state fairgrounds at Arco Arena and nearby property. Kamilos’ t

Dust off your walking shoes, collect donations and prepare to Race for the Cure. The annual 5K run/walk and one-mile fun run takes place Saturday, May 8, at Cal Expo. Breast cancer is a major killer in the United States, and 5 percent of all disease diagnoses are men. The Susan G. Komen foundation is a leader in breast cancer research and awareness. The foundation holds different fundraising events throughout the year, but the Race for the Cure is the main one. This year, the Sacramento Komen Foundation's goal is to raise more than $1.8 million. Seventy-five percent of all donations collected stay in the Sacramento region with the money going toward public education and awareness. The o

Cloudy weather did not keep more than 80 sponsors, 600 beautiful cars and 35,000 guests from this weekend's Kragen O'Reilly Sacramento Autorama at Cal Expo. This year marks 60 years of appreciation for customized, classic American muscle cars. The rods, which rolled in Wednesday for registration and early judging, still can be viewed Sunday, the last chance to catch the three-day show. This year's theme, Mardi Gras, lends a special flavor to the event with decoration and awards for cars that best depict the theme. The anniversary makes this a special year for event producer John Buck. Pictures of show winners all the way back to the first Autorama in 1950 are on display. The Capital Aut

Under a slew of military flags, banners and pictures of troops, volunteers at Cal Expo collected care package donations Friday. They were members of the Defenders of Freedom a local nonprofit organization that assists servicemembers and their families. Toiletries, games and DVD's were among the most requested items by troops serving around the country and overseas. The items were being assembled into care packages for troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. "Both my sons serve in the Army," said Maria Elena Szlachciuk, founder of Defenders of Freedom. "These items, combined with letters and cards, can lift a soldier's morale." The California chapter was founded in 2007 after a similar chapter s

Outdoors enthusiasts rejoice: The 23rd Annual International Sportsmen's Expo is happening at Cal Expo this weekend. A highlight of the Expo, is the Adventure Base 100, a celebration of the 100-year anniversary of Scouting. The base spans 9,000 square feet and contains a 360-degree movie dome, rope course, interactive museum and a store for everything Scout related. Local Scouts and adult leaders are there, ready to answer questions. This is the only Northern California stop for the Adventure Base. Friday night, the base was bustling with people watching the charity Pinewood Derby. Assemblymen Roger Niello and Ted Gaines joined "The Capitol Hour" host Eric Hogue and local Boy Scout leader

Fishing, hunting, camping, hiking or hang-gliding, the International Sportsmen's Exposition will have it all this weekend at Cal Expo. Exhibits and demonstrations will stretch four buildings, as hands-on activities cover outside. Casting competitions and fishing tournaments will be available. Casting tarps stretched 100 feet across the floor of building C, will provide the forum for fellow anglers. A large fish-filledaquarium will be featured for live demonstrations. Prizes include new fishing equipment. Clinics with professional anglers and hunters will be held for the home amateur to learn tricks of the trade. Classes include camouflage, duck calls and hunting laws. DockDogs will perfo

Mayor Kevin Johnson’s “Sacramento First” task force announced Tuesday it received seven new proposals from the private sector for a new sports and entertainment center. Prospective developers were required to turn in their proposals to the 12-member task force by Dec. 24. Johnson announced Nov. 10 that the task force would consider proposals. Members of the task force are not paid. The proposed locations for the sports complex from the private sector include the Railyards, Westfield Downtown Plaza, the Docks area, Cal Expo and the site of Arco Arena in Natomas. Descriptions of the proposals are posted at the end of this article. The seven private sector proposals will be analyzed along

This weekend, more than 250 artisans from throughout the country will display more than 24,000 arts and crafts at Cal Expo. From Nov. 20 - 22, the Sacramento Harvest Festival will offer the community shopping and entertainment. "We have people that come specifically for a vendor," said Liz Stigge, festival communications officer. "It's great to have that community interaction." The Sacramento Harvest Festival began 37 years ago in San Francisco. According to Stigge, individual artists, who were part of a national crafting movement in the 1970s, created the festival as forum to collectively display their work and interact with the community. Since then, the festival has expanded to eig

"Wildly Successful!" said Stacey Castle, president of Castle Communications and producer for the international show, when I spoke with her moments after the gates closed, in response to what may have been the most successful auto shows in Sacramento history. The weekend-long Sacramento International Automotive Show had something to offer for every level of car enthusiast. With the auto market climate as it is, the changing economy and a need for good family entertainment, the event's coordinator, Castle Communications set out to make great strides with this year's Sacramento International Automotive Show in spite of odds that seemed to be stacked against them. Though numbers are not yet a

At a news conference Thursday, Mayor Kevin Johnson introduced his "Rules of the Game" plan to build an arena and entertainment complex in Sacramento. It was held on the 25th floor of the US Bank building downtown, featuring panoramic views of the skyline with Cal Expo and the Sacramento Railyards in the background. Johnson's "rules" include coming up with a plan that doesn't depend on taxes, making sure the city is not a "stalking horse" for a deal elsewhere and utilizing experienced community members. He also announced that a task force will be established and that there will be an open call for proposals, with guidelines coming in the next few days. "I think it's time to reinvigorate a

Mayor Kevin Johnson brought up the possibility of a new sports arena in Sacramento at a press conference Tuesday. Johnson announced his top-three priorities are public safety, education and economic development, the latter of which a new sports arena could positively impact. Johnson reiterated that a new arena would be crucial not only in keeping the Kings in Sacramento, but also in terms of creating a "world-class" downtown. Currently, Arco Arena holds more than 200 spectator events each year. "We got a wake up call with the NCAA when they said we are no longer going to hold big-time college basketball in Sacramento because [we] have an outdated arena," Johnson said. Last week, after