Enjoy the glorious sights and sounds this Labor Day weekend (September 4, 5, & 6th) as hundreds of sidewalk chalk artists and dozens of live music acts come together for yet another fun-filled, family-friendly Chalk It Up! festival.  Chalk-It-Up! is a nonprofit organization created to benefit children’s arts education and art activities.  The festival features over 200 sidewalk paintings created at the festival by local artists who donate their time, energy, and talent. These concrete masterpieces are left on the sidewalk for the public to enjoy throughout the month of September. The pieces are done with soft chalk pastel mixed with water.

During the festival local bands, musicians, and other performers entertain the artists and the public.  Since the aim of Chalk-It-Up! is to encourage children’s art programs, all children’s activities at the festival are FREE.  These include chalk drawing and a variety of other art activities.

We went last year and had such a fun time!  The kids were really impressed with the artwork and thought it was so neat to watch some of the artists in the process of creating their square.  They loved drawing with chalk themselves, painting, playing on the playground and listening to the bands.  This is a fun way to spend some time together over the long weekend!

Labor Day Weekend, September 4-6, 2010
10am - 6pm each day
Fremont Park, 16th & Q Streets
Click here for the Chalk It Up! website.

Yesterday morning, Sacramento Sidetracks was lucky enough to be featured on the KCRA Morning News!  I was interviewed by Deirdre Fitzpatrick about my Top 3 Picks for FREE things to do before the Summer comes to an end.  It was such a fun experience!  You can watch the interview by clicking here.

Here are the Top 3 Picks that I mentioned:

1.  Spraygrounds - local parks with great water features.

2.  Hagan Petting Barn - cute barn animals in a “real” barn.

3.  TrailMix.Net - Old Sac Scavenger Hunt and free art project.

[The winner of the Bounce Passes is Sheri J.!  Congratulations!  Thanks to all who entered.  More giveaways to come]

When you are looking for a place to wear your kids out indoors, Bounce Houses are ideal!

Bounce-O-Palace in Folsom has over 6,500 square feet of interactive inflatables perfect for toddlers to preteens…and parents can join in for free!  They now offer unlimited time so you can enjoy the facility until your child is ready to go home.  They also offer Pajama Night Mondays.  From 4:00 - 7:00pm, kids can show up in their pjs and get $1 off admission!  Click here to check out their website.

Bounce-O-Palace has generously offered to donate 2 FREE Bounce Passes to one lucky Sacramento Sidetracks reader!

It’s easy to enter!  Simply do the following:

• Click here to “Like” Sacramento Sidetracks on Facebook OR
• Click here to check out Bounce-O-Palace’s website
• Leave a comment on this post letting me know you did one of the first two things

You have until Sunday, August 8th at midnight to enter.  The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be announced on Monday morning.  Good luck!

The California State Fair at Cal Expo is here!  Kids Day is every Tuesday; all kids 12 and under receive FREE admission all day. Butler Amusements is offering $1 carnival rides for everyone until 11 PM.

Besides the cotton candy and rides, here are two new exhibits that I am excited about:

“Days of the Dinosaur” Adventure
Families are invited to embark on a prehistoric adventure at the world-renowned “Days of the Dinosaur” Exhibit, in its first US appearance. The all-ages indoor attraction will feature more than a dozen life-sized dinosaur robots, skeleton replicas, interactive areas and photo opportunities. The exhibit is FREE with Fair admission and includes hands-on activities like an paleontological dig site where children will have the opportunity to find their own fossils using authentic paleontology tools!

Jungle & Reptile Experience
This new interactive animal exhibit will be housed in a whimsical garden environment full of lush tropical plants. The jungle adventure will feature a variety of birds, amphibians and reptiles, including colonies of alligators and large tortoises. Fairgoers will be able to see and touch these wonderous creatures up close and personal in a family-friendly and educational environment. Located in the Floriculture tent.

Click here to see all the details and plan your day at the Fair!

The Placer County Fair starts tomorrow and they are offering FREE admission to everyone!  From Lawn Mower Races to Hot Rods, this fair sounds like fun with strolling entertainment, community theatre, medieval characters, live music, classic car show, pageants, livestock, an Extreme K-9 competition.  Headliners include hypnotist Susan Rosen, Chicago Tribute Authority, & Sebastian Sidi’s smokiin’ hot rock ‘n roll piano.  Grandstand Shows (need tickets) include Monster Trucks, Hot Rod Truck Pulls, Tuff Truck Racing, Motocross, and Destruction Derby.

Click here for the entertainment schedule.

When: Thursday, June 24th - Sunday, June 27th
Where: 800 All America City Blvd., Roseville, CA
Cost: FREE admission!  Fee for food, rides & some shows.
More info: Call (916) 786-2023 or click here for more info

“Take a Walk on the Wild Side” at the Sacramento County Fair!  Kids are FREE every day and general admission is only $3.00.  With two stages lined up with spectacular entertainment and exhibits throughout the fairgrounds, this means hours of entertainment for a very low price!  May 28th is Mommy & Me Day, and you can get in FREE before 3 pm with a coupon from MomsLikeMe.com.

The fair will display hundreds of 4-H and FFA livestock exhibits, host a fair-time agricultural scavenger hunt, and they’ve created a 14,000 square foot hands-on ranch-life exhibit “Sunflower Saddle Ranch”.  Each year the Sacramento County Fair features competitions showcasing talent from our region, arts and crafts displays, agricultural exhibits, a carnival with 30 thrilling rides, and of course, an assortment of yummy food!

Some of the acts and entertainment this year will be:
• Wild About Monkeys, featuring animals from “Evan Almighty”
• Hypnotic Comedy by Tyzen and Spike’s Extreme Juggling
• County Fair Demolition Derby, Saturday, May 29, 6 PM
• Youth dance groups, local vocalists, choirs and athletes

When: Thursday, May 27th - Monday, May 31st
Where: Cal Expo, 1600 Exposition Blvd., Sacramento
Cost: General admission $3.00, Kids 12 and under FREE; Parking $10.00; Discount carnival tickets and demolition derby tickets are available if purchased before May 27.
More info: Click here for the Sacramento County Fair website or call 916-263-2975.  Be sure to check out the entertainment schedule!

If you are looking for something to do this weekend with the kids, here are 10 ideas to help you out.  There is such a variety of events to choose from and they all look fun!  Click on each link for details.

Happy Friday!

1.   The Little Mermaid and the Yellow Submarine at Fairytale Town Saturday & Sunday.

2.   Story Time at Barnes and Noble Saturday.

3.   Healthy Kids Day at the Sacramento Area YMCA Saturday.

4.   Indians Arts & Crafts Market at the State Indian Museum Saturday and Sunday.

5.   Toys R Us’  Thomas Playdate Saturday.

6.   Dinosaur Stamp-A-Rama at Discovery Museum Saturday & Sunday.

7.   Jazz in the Park at Robla Community Park Sunday.

8.   Sacramento Dog Show at Cal Expo.

9.   Artomotive Photography Class at The California Automobile Museum.

10.  Apple Blossom Festival at Apple Hill

We love St. Patty’s Day!  Yes, we happen to have some Irish heritage (which you may have already guessed from all the red hair and freckles in my posts!) but it is just a fun holiday for everybody.  We start off the day with green pancakes, pick out our favorite green clothes and enjoy Old Sacramento’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

This year, the 14th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Festival will be held a little early on Saturday, March 13th.  They have changed the date, time and parade route this year…so even if you’ve gone before you’ll want to check out the details.

My family loves this event!  We bring snacks and have a great old time watching the parade go by!  The kids dance to the music and giggle at all spectators that have dyed their hair green.  Here are some pictures from the 2008 parade.  (We were sad to miss last year’s.)

There will be Tartan-clad Highlanders, bagpipers, Irish dancers, school bands, military regiments, police and fire representatives, costumed marchers and many other cultural organizations.

There’s plenty to see and do before and after the parade, as the streets of Old Sacramento come alive in a family-friendly event appropriate for all ages.  Live Irish-themed music, Celtic dancers in elaborate costumes, and the wildly popular Ophir Prison Marching and Kazoo Band, will all perform. During the evening many restaurants feature Irish menus or specialties.

The Celtic festival in Waterfront Park (1000 Front Street) will be from noon - 6pm and the parade steps off from a new location (2nd and L Street) promptly at 1pm and proceeds throughout the district.  Click here for more info.

This event is FREE but be prepared for a flat parking fee in Old Sacramento’s garages.  It is cash only and usually runs between $10 - $12.00 for special events.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

The Sacramento Ballet is celebrating their 500th performance of Ron Cunningham’s dazzling production of  The Nutcracker!  This magical show is a wonderful way to feel the holiday spirit with your kids and make wonderful memories.

Over 200 costumed characters enthrall the audience to the majestic Tchaikovsky score played superbly by the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra.  Magnificant dancing, sumptuous scenery, and spectacular choreography combine in festive celebration.  Ron Cunningham’s production includes nearly 500 children, from Teeny Tiny Mice to swirling Candy Canes, making it the largest cast of children in any Nutcracker in the world.

Click here to see show times and prices.  If you are hoping to buy tickets, get them ASAP!  I spoke to the box office and found out that the first two weekends are already heavily sold out.  Your best bet is to try for the December 22nd or 23rd shows.  It was recommended that you do not purchase from a broker site as they are selling tickets for outrageous prices.  Order from www.tickets.com if you are just buying a couple of tickets (they charge a fee per ticket), order over the phone for multiple tickets (they charge a $7.00 flat fee), or order in person at the 1301 L Street box office (no extra fees).  All ages can attend The Nutcracker, even infants, but every one  must have a ticket.

Start a new holiday tradition!

There is no reason to be bored this weekend!  If you are looking for somewhere fun to take the kids, Sacramento has Witchapalooza and many other incredible activities to choose from this weekend!  Happy Friday!

Witchapalooza

When: Saturday, October 11th and Sunday, October 12th; 10am - 8pm
Where: Cal Expo
Cost: $5.00, Kids 12 and under FREE; Parking $10.00
Info: This is the first ever Witchapalooza in Sacramento, California.  There will be magicians and performers in several key locations throughout the fair.  Local Sacramento vendors will be on hand showcasing their products and services that are related to the fun and mystical.  There will be concerts, celebrity guests, exhibitions, costumes, rides, games and more.  Concessions will include unique gourmet selections that go beyond traditional “fair foods”.  Click here for more info.

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