March 11

Champions of Hope One in eight people is affected by kidney disease, according to the National Kidney Foundation . You can support the work of the NFK, which educates the public about kidney disease and supports those who have it, by attending the Champions of...

March 9

A Novel Gift What do you get the person who has everything? How about a lawn full of flamingos? GetFlamingoed.com will decorate your friend’s front yard with a flock of pink plastic flamingos and a sign that reads, “You've Been...

March 6

Federico’s March Manicure Madness This month, Federico Beauty Institute is offering manicures at 50 percent off. You’d have to be mad to not like these prices: Classic manicure (30 minutes): $5 Therapeutic manicure (45 minutes): $7.50 Spa manicure (60 minutes): $10...

March 5

Hal Holbrook Comes to Town in 'Mark Twain Tonight' Watch Hal Holbrook perform as Mark Twain Saturday, March 6 at 8 p.m. at the Sacramento Community Center Theater. Holbrook’s first show as Twain, who’s best known for his books The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The...

March 4

Soup's on for a Good Cause With inclement weather on the way, doesn’t a warm bowl of soup sound comforting? How about a nice butternut squash, or tomato bisque, or a simple and hearty chicken noodle? How about all at once? On March 8 and 9, the River City Food Bank...

March 4

Try Improv! Think you’re funny? Friends say you always make them laugh? Hone your comedy chops at an improv class at the Sacramento Comedy Spot in the Marrs building at 20th and J streets. The class teaches an improv style used by many top comedians,...

March 4

California State Yo-Yo Championship Rock the Baby, Walk the Dog, Splitting the Atom . . . yo-yo enthusiasts past and present know all about these and other famous moves. On March 6, watch as yo-yo players from California and neighboring states compete in the California State Yo-Yo...

February 2010

City Sketch: William Ishmael Several years ago, William Ishmael took a class from watercolorist James Estey and brought some of his landscapes to show the teacher. The Placerville artist weighed in swiftly once he saw Ishmael’s precise perspective....

February 2010

Spotlight: Aaron Young Is Aaron Young the Next Big Thing? Considering the frenzy that’s been swirling around him lately, he just might be. Young’s single “Lips” burned up local radio airwaves last year, and his self-produced debut album, They...

February 2010

Go! Calaveras County and Beyond Numerous roads run from the Sacramento area into the Calaveras County foothills—map out your own route, depending on your starting point. We began in Folsom, cruising out through El Dorado Hills on Latrobe Road to Highway 16, then onto...

February 2010

Oh, Baby! Joshua (pictured above) —This simple-looking pose is hard to achieve. For safety, the baby must be sound asleep, and the dad must be strong enough to hold the infant in one hand, arm fully extended. “I’ll only do it if the...

January 2010

Ballet: Gregory B. Smith Q. You started college as a pre-med student. How did you make the leap to dance? Is that a pun? (Laughs.) Growing up, I never imagined myself going into the arts. When I was in high school, I took the Kuder (career assessment) test and scored...

January 2010

Musician: Heda Partovi When I showed my musician boyfriend a YouTube clip of Heda Partovi playing guitar, he couldn’t believe his eyes—or ears. “That guy plays at Tapa the World? Really? ” Yep. “That guy”—with the long,...

January 2010

Travel: Foothills Romance A short drive into the foothills takes you a world away and more than a century back in time. Communities and parks along and around Highway 49 beckon cou-ples to come for a morning of hiking, an afternoon of shopping, a romantic dinner and a...

January 2010

Art Therapist: Hannah Klaus Hunter As an art therapist for UC Davis Children’s Hospital in Sacramento, Hannah Klaus Hunter teaches young patients to use paint, clay and other mediums to express themselves as they grapple with life-threatening illnesses and injuries. Then she...