Tequila, tacos, maybe some more tequila—these are but some of the tasty aspects of the quickly-approaching Cinco de Mayo. If you're lucky enough to spend this fifth of May in Sacramento, there's also comedy, music, and more to make your Cinco de Mayo celebration a festive one. In addition to the events below, find even more in Sacramento365.com's Holiday Events section. Laugh a lot: Sacramento Cinco de Mayo Festival: Sleep Train Arena; Sun 6pm Enjoy non-stop laughter on stage with the Latin Stars of Comedy, row after row of low rider cars on display, and Latin All-Stars Band playing all your favorite songs non-stop live. Cinco de Mayo Comedy Jam: Punch Line Comedy Club; Sun 7pm Come c

April and May are the perfect months for enjoying the Sacramento sun. Sure, you can drink a decent beer outside on many a streetside table, but this is about back patios, gardens and out-of-the-way spots to drink out of doors. A lack of car traffic is key, and both fountains and live music earn you extra points. Before long it will be far too hot to sit and bask with a beer, so without further ado, here are five excellent places in the area to enjoy a beer outdoors.  If you agree, disagree, or wish to share your favorite spot in the area, I invite you to do so – secret spots welcome! Bows & Arrows This collective has a nice, albeit generally minimal, selection of beers; excellent food

Think about it...  a dream job, a $10,000,000 wire-transfer into your checking account, fame, power, a place in history? This is the subject of the Actors Workshop of Sacramento's latest stage production Road to Nirvana (Arthur Kopit) starring 2012 elli award-winner Eason Donner. Eason plays Jerry, the ex-best friend of Al Sereno, played by critically acclaimed theater actor Stuart Campbell. Al invites Jerry to LA to discuss the possibility of coming on board to produce the life story of global pop sensation, Nirvana, played by local theater darling Nicole DeCroix. In a non-stop tale of friendship and sacrifice, Jerry is lead, inch by inch, down a dark and dangerous road...  the road to

We all love IPAs, but what else out there can ease us into the warm spring afternoons? The answer is the saison. On cool nights, get your last few sips of the beers that are going out – barley wines, porters and sweet stouts. These rich varieties tend to go out of favor after the temperature gets above 80. To be clear, there is no need to get rid of these beers. Strong, dark beers generally age very well. Find a dark, cool place to store them for the summer and they will be even better next fall. Heed the warning on storage though; both light and drastic temperature changes are dangerous for beer of any style. Now on to the saison, a farmhouse ale. Lately, I just haven't been able to st

Logsdon Farmhouse Ales Seizoen Bretta is a specialty organic farmhouse ale from Hood River, Oreg. For a saison, the beer is alcoholically strong (8 percent ABV) and slightly sour, owing to the use of wild Bretta yeast. The yeast that is used results in slightly sour undertones, countered by the ample use of sweet crystal malts. Together, the beer is incredibly complex, at the same time sweet, dry, sour and fruity. The color is a rich and unfiltered golden straw yellow. The large bottle is perfect for sharing; open a bottle with a couple of friends and drink it together while comparing opinions. Seizoen Bretta is so complex that everyone will notice something different, while someone will

Don your green and get into the St. Patrick's Day spirit this weekend! Sacramento celebrates everyone's favorite Irish holiday this Saturday and Sunday with a slew of entertaining events. In addition to the ones listed below, see even more selections in Sacramento365.com's Holiday Events section. Family-friendly fun: -17th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade: Old Sacramento; Sat 1pm Hundreds of colorful marchers dressed in green, along with Irish and Highland dancers, pipe and drum bands, historic re-enactors, and a variety of cultural organizations, will all join together to be a part of the 17th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade. -St. Patrick's Day at the California Automobile Museum: Ca

Saturday afternoon visitors from all over the region headed to the Capital Beerfest for beer, fun and food trucks. Like last year, there were tons of local breweries pouring, but unlike last year, the locals were the stars this time around. Move over Sierra Nevada. Highly enthused visitors streamed into Cal Expo starting at noon. At 2 p.m. when general admission opened there was a flood of new people and the exhibition hall was soon packed. The first two hours of the festival food was available, but it came with a price – a long line and precious pouring time wasted. Thankfully, there were also more than enough great food trucks, so no one went home hungry. The selection of beers poured

Don't let the party stop after you've had your fill of beer and fashion this week, Sacramento! How do tattoos, black face paint, and tight, black leather sound? Good? Then check out Hollywood rock band Black Veil Brides at Ace of Spades next Wednesday, March 6. While seemingly more known to some for their visual aesthetics than their music, these wild-haired bad boys in eye shadow are continually refining their musical style and have seen it evolve from screaming heavy metal to a more anthemic rock sound. They're making a play for the big time with their third album, "Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones," an ambitious rock opera à la My Chemical Romance's "The Black Parade.

Sacramento Beer Week kicked off on Friday, and since then our region has played host to plenty of fun and real social contact in the name of beer. Fests, happy hours, tap takeovers, brunches, dinners and exclusive tastings – it has all been happening and there is more to come. Some great local breweries have been featured and new collaborative brews released. The Knee Deep in Beer Week Track 7 collaboration, a really great Belgian double IPA, was both fresh and rich. Try it at Track 7 while it lasts, at Final Gravity on Thursday or at Capitol Beer and Tap Room on Friday. Remember that author and brewing scientist Dr. Charlie Bamforth of the University of California, Davis, will be at New

There is no more exciting time in the Sacramento craft beer scene than right now, a mere five days before Sacramento Beer Week. Starting Friday, SBW will consume bars, restaurants, breweries and tap rooms in the area and bring in new SBW brews, rare treats and more. The fourth annual week of fun will continue until March 3, when the week will conclude with a delicious brunch after a full Saturday at the Capital Beerfest on March 2 at Cal Expo. Come from noon to 5 p.m. for beer and food tasting and 2 to 5 p.m. for beer tasting only. Tickets are $75 and $45, respectively. Like last year, the number of events scheduled on the official SBW calendar is in the hundreds and continuing to grow. W

The second annual Art of Beer brought together great craft brews and art at the Fusion International Arts Center on Friday night. The event highlighted the more artistic aspects of beer – the fermentation tanks, the wort and simply the love of beer. This year 24 breweries were present, some of them serving up to five types of beer to the 500 guests present. Absolutely delicious bites were everywhere – as long as you came early. Tuli Bistro and Roxie Deli, in particular, were very nearly attacked each time a plate of sandwiches, apps or pizza was set out. The art on display ranged from crystal clear pictures of the brewing process by Rawi Nanakul to a piece by Eli Trujillo illustrating th

Friday evening, Feb. 1, the Art of Beer marked the start of what might be called beer season in the Sacramento area, and where better to get warmed up for the season than the bottle shops and tap rooms in the area. Taylor Ramos of The Davis Beer Shoppe and Capitol Beer and Tap Room’s Ken Hotchkiss weighed in on the beer scene and Sacramento Beer Week, coming up Feb. 22 through March 3. Before it all gets started, it might be advantageous to take a look at the last few years, and notice and appreciate how far the beer scene has come and just how richly it has developed. To name a few, New Helvetia Brewing Co., Ruhstaller, Track 7, Berryessa Brewing Co., Black Dragon Brewing Company, Loomis

The 15th State of Downtown Breakfast took place last Tuesday morning at the Sacramento Convention Center, with Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom as keynote speaker. Michael Ault, executive director of the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, opened the event and ran through a plethora of topics and issues. Public safety, K Street, the sale of Downtown Plaza and parks are just a few of the many that were highlighted. “Personal connection makes a difference,” Ault said, regarding the 26 new businesses that opened up in the district last year. Ault cited the executive committee’s efforts to get to know brokers, owners and storefronts as the difference. He was optimistic about the strides that have been

It's almost time for a new year again. Can you believe it? 2012 has been a bit longer than most (we're looking at you, leap day!), and it's finally time to ring in 2013. In addition to the myriad club and bar events (LowBrau, MiX, Dive Bar, District 30, Midtown BarFly, Bulls, Social Nightclub, KBAR, Pine Cove Tavern, R15, Fox & Goose, The Hyatt, The Hilton, and The Park all promise to keep you entertained as well as moving and grooving), we've rounded up some alternate New Year's Eve options for you. Enjoy fun for the whole family Noon Year's Eve Family Festival: Crocker Art Museum; Mon 10am-2pm At this fun and free celebration all ages will learn about New Year festivities from around

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

Celebrated author Anne Lamott spoke on Friday night as the third and final speaker in the Fall 2012 Moon Lecture Series at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church. Lamott spoke on her newest book, “Help, Thanks, Wow,” and becoming a Christian in her 30s, something she really, really didn’t want to do, she explained. The best-selling author, professor, lecturer, political activist, mother and grandmother has devoted her life to sharing her knowledge. For years, Lamott has taught writing courses, given lectures and travelled around the country simply trying to help others live their lives more happily and peacefully. For nearly an hour Lamott cracked jokes about bantering denominations, growing

On Wednesday the holiday season officially began at the UC Davis Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts. “An Nollaig in Éirinn,” or “Christmas in Ireland,” was the theme for the evening of entertainment by award-winning Irish ensemble, Danú. The performance was all about sharing Irish Christmas traditions – both those that include music and those that don’t.  Christmas in Ireland must be a whole lot of fun. The six-member group shared the stage throughout the night, each taking the mic on different occasions to introduce a song, story or joke to educate and amuse the Jackson Hall audience. Lead vocalist Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh had a voice that was powerful, smooth and entirely enchanting.

The Cosmopolitan Cabaret will have new tenants soon, as the California Musical Theatre has pulled out of the downtown entertainment venue. According to an article in the Sacramento Bee, local restauranteur Randy Paragary will take over theater operations to open a nightclub called The Assembly. At 10th and K Streets, the cabaret includes a 200-seat theater and shares the ground floor with Cafe Bernardo on K and the KBar, which Paragary operates. Local historian William Burg said this is good news for Sacramento, as it lacks many medium-sized performance spaces. "It's also a natural synergy with the growing number of dance clubs and live music venues around K Street like Marilyn's and She

A man on the phone doesn’t exactly sound like an entertaining night of theatre. A desperate theatre producer at the end of his rope, using everything in his arsenal to placate everyone involved, get the play produced and attempt to save lives (yes, save lives), all over the phone, makes for a very entertaining night of theatre. In “Mistakes Were Made” at Capital Stage, author Craig Wright delights his audience with this fast-paced, quick-witted comedy about a guy who just wants to put on a show. The 90-minute, one-sided conversation is funny, moving and downright entertaining to watch. Eric Wheeler, a veteran actor of Capital Stage, takes on the role of Felix Artifex, a people-pleasing t

Remember when TV dinners were the norm and Swanson’s became a household name? Time travel back to the mid-century with Verge Center for the Arts' TV Dinner event this Thursday, November 8, 6 p.m. - 10 p.m., where these pre-packaged meals are revitalized and transformed. The event—a brainchild of Mike Thiemann, executive chef at Ella Dining Room and Bar; Liv Moe, Executive Director of Verge; Becky Grunewald, Food Editor for Sacramento News & Review; and Ryan Donahue, editor of Edible Sacramento—will feature a three-course, sit-down meal plus dessert and art galore. Guests are encouraged to come dressed in period attire. Arrive at the start for a no-host cocktail hour before the meal, whic