The heat has arrived, school is almost out, and soon, kids will be posing the classic question, “What are we doing this summer?” Answer: Local summer theatre camp. Imagine a spotlight on a stage, the closed curtain buzzing with the excitement of another opening of another show. The music starts, the curtain opens, the show begins and the on walks a familiar face. It's none other than your kid, projecting with newly acquired skill and bursting with all the talent you knew he or she had. This vision comes to fruition at the hands of the dedicated, professional acting coaches of the many various Sacramento summer theatre youth programs. Here is a compiled list to help you and your child fi

It’s almost summer, and with the season comes the return of Concerts in the Park. Sacramentans of all varieties came out to Cesar Chavez Park on Friday for the first in the concert series that will continue through July. The crowd swelled in size as the sun set and music filled the air. Stage performers included bands Storytellers, Island of Black and White, and Arden Park Roots. DJ Shaun Slaughter provided dance beats and announcer Danny Secretion rallied the concert-goers between sets. Check out the free concerts every Friday from 5 - 9 p.m. this summer at Cesar Chavez park.

Get ready to fiesta down this Cinco de Mayo, Sacramento-style. On Saturday, the city will be bursting with activities targeted at a range of audiences. The 21-and-over crowd will be kept the busiest with an array of drink specials in honor of the celebratory weekend. Here are some upcoming Cinco de Mayo events: Ernesto's Mexican Food 1901 16th St. 441-5850 Ernesto’s Mexican food will be hosting a Cinco de Mayo celebration that lasts all weekend, which is a change from last year, manager Dani Pareja said. There will be mariachi music starting at 7 p.m. on Friday, 7:45 p.m on Saturday, and brunch-time music on Sunday Pareja said. Along with mariachi music on the fifth, Pareja added that

This Saturday, it won’t just be women strapping on their heels and strutting around town. At the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event, men will slip into high heeled shoes for a one-mile race around the Capitol Mall in order to raise money for Sacramento’s Women Escaping A Violent Environment (WEAVE) foundation and to raise awareness to put a stop to sexual violence and gender assault. “(This event) is so wonderful because it enables men to be part of a solution to ending sexual violence in our community and to really do something proactive while still having fun,” said Director of Development and Community Relations for WEAVE, Julie Bornhoeft. Bornhoeft said that she expects around 400 men wi

Vernal pools are rare, shallow bodies of water that fill with rain water in the winter, produce wildflowers in the spring, and are dried up by the end of summer. The word “vernal” means spring. The closest vernal pool reservation to Sacramento is at Mather Field off of the Sunrise Boulevard exit on Highway 50. Unlike ponds, which hold water year-round, vernal pools are seasonal and hold water until it evaporates in the summer,  said Volunteer Tour Docent Amanda Schmidt. The water comes from rain, not runoff from a stream or lake, so there are no fish, she added. Vernal pools are able to hold water until the sun dries them up because of the layer of hardpan that lies benath the surface o