Things to do in Sacramento

IndyCar's annual stop in Sonoma just got more exciting.

Tuesday, raceway and IndyCar officials unveiled a new configuration for the road course, which will host the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma on Aug. 24-26. The new layout tweaks three turns to increase passing.

More passing makes for a more dynamic race, say drivers, who will get a chance to test at the Sonoma raceway Aug. 17.

"This was something we worked on in the offseason and I think it is really going to make for some exciting racing," said driver Will Power, among those consulted on the changes. "We will know more after the testing, but it looks like we will be able to go into Turns 7 and 11 expecting to be able to make a move."

The Aug. 17 test, which will feature all the IndyCar regulars, will be open free to the public.

Indy legend Mario Andretti was among the experts who developed the new 12-turn, 2.31-mile layout. The upcoming Indy Grand Prix also was lengthened from 75 to 85 laps, making the race about 196 miles.

The changes include extending the entrance into hairpin Turn 11 by 200 feet, widening the passing zone on Turn 9 to 50 feet and converting Turn 7 from a looping right-hander into a tight U-turn. The layout retains the "carousel" on Turns 5 and 6.

Tickets are now on sale for the Indy Grand Prix weekend. For more details, click on http://racesonoma.com/indy or call (800) 870-7223.

Here's a fun opportunity to get your hands dirty in an artful way, and then fill up your belly with popular food truck fare. Fired Up Art Mix at the Crocker Art Museum will feature hands-on clay activities and ceramics demonstrations with available eats from Drewski's, Krush Burger and Volkswaffle. Oh yeah, and there's stilt walkers, too!

The event runs on Thursday, Aug. 9 at the Crocker from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and will also a tour of the museum's ceramics collections. Groovy beats will be spun in the background by DJ Missy Mark.

Fired Up Art Mix is free with museum admission - $10 general, seniors (65 and older) $8
College Students $8, ages 7-17 are $5 and kids 6 and under are free. For more information: (916) 808-7000 or www.crockerartmuseum.org.

B Street Theatre has extended the run of its popular "B Sketchy" Summer Improv and Sketch Comedy revue adding four more performances this week. The additional shows are this Wednesday through Friday at 7 p.m. with the final show on Saturday August 4 at 8 p.m. Revue members Dave Pierini, Amy Kelly, Brittni Barger, Stephanie Altholz and John Lamb are all from the B Street Acting Company, and have collaborated on creating the material. At the B Street Theatre's B3 Stage, 2727 B St., Sacramento. Tickets are $15, $5 student rush. The running time is two hours with one intermission. For information (916) 443-5300, www.bstreettheatre.org

The Launch 2012 festival wrapped up on Saturday night following six days of music, fashion and art at various venues around Sacramento. According to festival organizers, Saturday's all-day concert at Cesar Chavez Plaza attracted more than 5,000 who witnessed the likes of DJ Shadow, Chromeo, the Joy Formidable plus a variety of local bands.

Now in its fourth year, Launch more than doubled its attendance from 2011, which was held at The Greens Hotel on Del Paso Blvd. and attended by 2,500. This year's edition featured fashion and design shows, along with music that was capped with Saturday's concert.

Other highlights included a free album release concert for local indie-rockers Exquisite Corps in front of midtown's MARRS building and a packed fashion show on Friday night at the Landmark Building near 10th and J streets.

"It was a huge success," said Clay Nutting, co-producer for Launch. "For several months we were telling people that we were trying to build something special. We don't come from a lot of financial means, but I feel we pulled this off to the best of our abilities."

The California International Marathon, which will celebrate its 30th running this December, reported that registration is ahead of last year's pace, when the race sold out in late October.

Runners wanting to register at the $105 fee have until Aug.1 at 11:59 p.m. to enter. After that, the race entry jumps to $125.

The field is limited to 8,000 participants.

For more information, click here.

Mariachi music, boxing and motorcycle races bring down the curtain today at the State Fair.

Cal Expo's annual salute to all things Californian wraps up at 10 p.m. tonight as the State Fair concludes its 18-day run.

Among the highlights of Closing Day:

- This afternoon, more than 170 motocross riders will be on Cal Expo's one-mile main track - usually reserved for horse racing - to compete in Eddie Mulder's West Coast Dirt Track Series. The event includes divisions for vintage vehicles and attracts riders from throughout the United States and Canada.

- For more thrills, freestyle motocross riders will test their limits at the Xtreme Zone with stunt shows at 3, 5 and 7 p.m.

- Amateur boxers will show they can take the heat (and plenty of punches) during afternoon bouts, presented by Golden Bear Amateur Boxing at the Golden 1 Stage. Loren Reed and Benito Garcia host the live bouts, from 3 to 7 p.m.

- Mariachi music featuring Ezequiel Pena and his dancing horses and a Hispanic rodeo will pack the fair's horse show arena. This special show (with a $30 ticket price including fair admission) starts at 4 p.m.

- At 8 p.m., Harlee and the Sugar Daddies close out the fair's live concert series at the Golden 1 Stage.

For more details, click on www.bigfun.org.

A lot more than fresh Bartletts will be rolling out for today's Courtland Pear Festival.

More than 7,000 pear lovers are expected to turn out for this summer salute to juicy pears. The Bartlett harvest has just begun and promises to be a good crop, say festival organizers. California is the nation's No. 1 Bartlett pear producer.

A Delta tradition since 1972, the Courtland Pear Fair features lots of family fun including puppets, games and (of course) pear pie-eating contests. There also will be almost non-stop live music and plenty of fresh pears and pear treats to eat.

Headlining today's festivities is the annual Pear Parade through town, starting at 1 p.m. That's followed by the crowning of the 2012 Pear Queen at 1:30 p.m.

The Pear Festival continues until 6 p.m. tonight at 180 Primasing Ave., Courtland. Admission is free; parking is $10.

For more details, directions and a schedule of activities, click on www.pearfair.org.

One of the city's oldest presenters of classical music - the Sacramento Community Concert Association will celebrate it's 59th season in 2012-2013 season with a roster of five concerts.

The 2012-2013 season kicks off on Sept. 16, with an afternoon concert by the Boston Brass. That ensemble is known for performances of jazz standards as well as original works.

The second concert of the 2012-2013 season takes place Sept. 30 with a presentation of A Far Cry Chamber Orchestra, from Boston. This groundbreaking group of a dozen string musicians is not shy about exploring the traditional boundaries of classical music. Here, young musicians perform with rotating leadership and no conductor; all artistic decisions are made by vote.

Some plants can turn the table on bugs - they "eat" them.

Find plants with a real difference this weekend at the 42nd annual Sacramento Bromeliad and Carnivorous Plant Society Show and Sale at McKinley Park's Shepard Garden and Arts Center. Admission and parking are free.

See hundreds of colorful bromeliads, unusual tropical plants that range from pineapple to "air plants" that grow in trees.

But it's the bug-eating carnivorous plants that attract an audience, especially among children fascinated by these well-adapted and healthy examples.

"Many plant varieties (at the show) are not seen in any other place in Northern California," said the society's Eric Trygg. "There will be educational displays on carnivorous plants, and members of the society will be on hand to answer questions and provide tips on growing both families of plants."

Take some plants home, too. The event includes a wide selection of both bromeliads and bug-eaters for sale.

"Most of the sale plants cannot be found in nurseries and will provide a colorful and easy-to-grow addition to your garden or plant collection," Trygg said.

Show hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Shepard Garden and Arts Center is located at 3330 McKinley Blvd., Sacramento.

The annual Nevada City Film Festival (NCFF) kicks off its 12th year on August 16 for a four day run of short and long format indie film screenings and other events.

Held in two locations in downtown Nevada City, the festival will screen 100 films selected from over 400 submissions.

The films include award-winners from the U.S. and 16 countries that have appeared in prominent film festivals such as Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Films from emerging local and regional filmmakers are also represented.

The L.A.-based casting agency Cast Iron Productions is seeking to cast a local mom for a commercial for a major national retailer.

The shoot will take place on Aug. 4 in the Sacramento area. The commercial will require one day of work and is paid.

The person to be cast needs to be an everyday mom who is not an actor. The agency is looking to cast someone who looks between 28-49 years of age.

Information: (310) 914-0117; castingpeople2@gmail.com

The Tahoe Rim Trail Association is organizing a Backcounty Trails Camp next weekend (Aug. 10-12), near Barker Pass on the west side of Tahoe.

Cost to join the trail building and maintenance crew is $55 for the weekend to cover food provided for participants. Long pants and long-sleeved T-shirt are recommended, along with boots and work gloves. The TRTA will provide all necessary trail-building equipment.

For more information, click here or call (775) 298-0232.  

If you know who "SEP" is, then you're likely a "SEPPIE."

New York Times best-selling romance writer Susan Elizabeth Phillips - whose initials are SEP - has a fan base that's loyal and legion, and her followers call themselves SEPPIES. Because she "puts it all out there" on her website, www.susanephillips.com, and her FaceBook page, she says they know pretty much everything about her.

Meet SEP and join the SEPPIES at a free presentation and book-signing for the Sacramento Bee Book Club at 6 tonight at the Tsakopoulos Library Galleria, 828 I St., Sacramento. Barnes & Noble will be there to sell Phillips' new book, "The Great Escape" (William Morrow, $25.99, 432 pages), for 30 percent off the retail price. Other books by Phillips also will be available.

"My books have a love story at their centers, but I also like to write about family and community, and the bigger scale of women in relationship to each other," Phillips said

Tonight, Phillips will talk about book touring, dish about "other romance writers who are friends of mine," and do the SEP Trivia Quiz. That involves her asking questions about her books and herself, and fans responding.

"When they get the answers right, I throw candies into the audience," she said with a laugh. "It's going to be a really fun evening."

A popular Funny Car racer from San Joaquin Valley will be remembered Thursday evening at the sixth annual Eric Medlen Nitro Night Charity Dinner at the Stone Tree Golf Club in Novato.

The kickoff event for this week's NHRA Sonoma Nationals, the charity gala honors Oakdale's Eric Medlen, the 2006 NHRA Funny Car champion at Sonoma. Medlen, a driver for John Force Racing, was killed in March 2007 during a testing accident in Florida.

Several NHRA stars will turn out for Thursday's dinner, including Medlen's former teammate Ashley Force-Hood. Also expected are Funny Car drivers Jack Beckman and Ron Capps and Top Fuel drivers Brandon Bernstein and Morgan Lucas. NHRA announcer Bob Frey will serve as emcee.

The gala has sold out five previous years. Tickets for the evening are $125, and include wine, beer and prime rib dinner. All proceeds will go to Sonoma County youth groups in Medlen's name through Speedway Children's Charities.

For Nitro Night tickets, call (707) 933-3950 or e-mail dsilver@racesonoma.com.

The 25th annual NHRA Sonoma Nationals are set for Friday through Sunday at the Sonoma raceway. For more information, visit www.racesonoma.com or call (800) 870-7223.

SactoMoFo 5, the ongoing series of mobile food truck fairs, returns to Sacramento today. The event features more than two dozen mobile food vendors, a beer garden, live music, an arts-and-crafts fair and a "kids corner" with a video game truck. Between 8,000 and 10,000 attended the previous edition of SactoMoFo.

Where: Sixth and X streets, Sacramento.

When: Noon to 7 p.m.

Cost: No admission charge. Food available for purchase. Parking is free if participants donate school supplies or canned/packaged food to the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services. Parking $2 without donation. There will be free street parking in the neighborhood.

Information: www.sactomofo.com.

Esquire Imax theater on K St. will run "The Dark Knight Rises" all night, and then some.

The theater will show "Dark Knight Rises" -- for which director Christopher Nolan shot 72 minutes of footage with Imax cameras -- in back to back screenings for 72 hours starting at midnight.

Tonight's midnight showing is sold out, but the 3:10 and 6:20 a.m. showings still have tickets available. And there are middle-of-the-night showings throughout the weekend.

Esquire is the only Imax theater for miles with film, rather than digital, projection. Nolan shot his "Rises" Imax footage on film.

Tickets can be purchased at Esquire Imax, 1211 K St., or through its website.

It's Smokey the Bear's birthday on Aug. 4, and Solano County is marking the event with a fun and educational celebration at Lake Solano.

Led by docent Barbara Cooper, with help from the Vacaville Fire Department, the "birthday party" for the forest service mascot will feature a detailed history of Smokey as a safety icon and a presentation of tools used to battle forest fires by Vacaville firefighters.

The event will start at 10 a.m. at the Lake Solano Nature Center, 8685 Pleasants Valley Road in Winters. Though the event is free, parking is $5. For more information, email volunteer@SolanoLandTrust.org. 

By Marcus Crowder

mcrowder@sacbee.com

The Sacramento Shakespeare Festival reported Wednesday evening that all of its technical equipment for lights and sound has been stolen from the William A. Carroll Amphitheatre.

The group has cancelled its Thursday night performance of "The Comedy of Errors" and rescheduled the rest of the weekend's performances.

"King Arthur" on Friday and Sunday, and "The Comedy of Errors" on Saturday all will start at 6 p.m. so they can be performed in daylight.

The festival has cut ticket prices to $10 for these performances, and representatives said they hope the public will show support by attending these shows.

Director David Harris said, "We want to encourage people to come to the park, have a picnic, and enjoy. We need the community to help us by attending the shows."

The Sacramento Shakespeare Festival performs at the William A. Carroll Amphitheatre, 3901 Land Park Drive in William Land Park behind Fairytale Town across from the Sacramento Zoo.

For information call (916) 558-2228 or go to www.sacramentoshakespeare.net

Ticket churn at the Sacramento Philharmonic means that new season ticket buyers can now purchase tickets for seats previously held by 2011-12 season ticket holders.

To draw interest for the 2012-13 season, the orchestra is running ticket package incentives. These include a 15% early-bird discount for a 3-concert package ( some tickets are priced as low as $51). Four-concert packages start at $71. The 15% early-bird discount ends August 3.

Season tickets can be ordered at www.sacphil.org or (916) 732-9045.

Single tickets for the 2012-2013 season go on sale August 3. Single ticket buyers should call the Community Center Theater Box Office: (916) 808-5181.

By Carla Meyer
cmeyer@sacbee.com

Gloom never looked as good as it does in the mesmerizing "The Dark Knight Rises."

Concluding his "Batman" trilogy, director Christopher Nolan gives us a hobbled, reclusive hero (a soulful Christian Bale), a murderous tank of a villain (the excellent Tom Hardy) and allusions to the 99 percent and the Occupy movement that rob us of the luxury of dismissing this bleak film as comic-book fantasy.

It's a total bummer, except it isn't.

By Richard Chang

rchang@sacbee.com

Heads up! Free Sunday admission is returning to the Crocker Art Museum. The program, known as "Pay What You Wish Sunday" will be subsidized by Western Health Advantage, an insurance company. The third Sunday of each month will now be free to the public.

"We are proud to support the Crocker Art Museum because supporting the arts is a core area of emphasis in our giving guidelines as well as a personal passion for many of our employees," Western Health Advantage CEO Gary Maisel said in a statement.

The Crocker Art Museum discontinued the "Pay What You Wish Sunday" because of a lack of funding.

By Marcus Crowder

mcrowder@sacbee.com

New Helvetia Theatre will waste no time breaking in its new home at The Studio Theatre. The young professional theater company stages its first Sacramento New Works Festival next week end, less than a month into taking over the cozy 89 seat space at 10 th and R Streets. For artistic director Connor Mickiewicz signing the three year lease represents a huge step in the evolution of NHT.,

"It's a great location and it was time for us to have a space of our own," Mickiewicz said. The company which formed in January of 2009 had been performing in the Artisan Theatre on Del Paso Blvd. before producing its last show Stephen Sondheim's "Merrily We Roll Along" at the 24th Street Theatre. Lack of a permanent space though had kept NHT from completely implementing its artistic agenda.

"We can do so many more shows now and other types of programming as well," Mickiewicz said.

"We can get up to seven shows a year if we want and have a full season. Also we now have real visability."

To capitalize Mickiewicz and new Associate Producer Matthew Schneider are putting together the Sacramento New Works Festival which entails two free performances each of two plays they have been workshopping for the last two weeks. Thursday July 26, 8 p.m."Schooled" by Lisa Lewis; Friday July 27, 8 p.m. "One Good Day" by Liz Suggs & Rona Siddiqui; Saturday July 28, 2 p.m. "One Good Day;" Saturday July 28, 8 p.m. "Schooled;" Sunday July 29, 6 p.m. NHT 2.0 Benefit Bash. At The Studio Theatre, 1028 R St. Sacramento. The Sacramento New Works Festival is free. 40$ for the NHT 2.0 Benefit Bash. There are also special $100 VIP tickets with lots extra benefits to this event. For information call newhelvetia.org or (916) 469-9850.

American Idol fans in Sacramento can live the dream next weekend, with a chance to attend three concerts featuring performers from the popular television singing contest.

Are you planning on attending all three or making special preparations for the weekend? Are you torn between seeing Scott McCreery at the State Fair and this season's cast at Power Balance Pavilion on Saturday? Let us know! Call (916) 321-1049.

By Tamma Adamek

tadamek@sacbee.com

A local film production is looking for extras for a scene being shot Saturday at the Pre-Flite Lounge, 513 L Street.

The assignment is simple, play a bar patron at a sporting event.

Extras are asked to arrive at 11 a.m. and expect to stay until 2 p.m.. No apparel logos allowed.

The short film "Dance Step of Death" is expected to air at the Sacramento Film and Music Festival Aug. 18.

Next time you're at a dance club getting down to some electronic sounds, take a moment to thank Tangerine Dream. For more than four decades, the German group has mined technology for cutting-edge sounds to be used in atmospheric and somewhat hypnotic musical compositions. Even if the name doesn't sound familiar, chances are you've heard Tangerine Dream's music in such films as "Risky Business" and "Thief." Their pioneering body of work also serves as an inspiration and foundation for electronic dance music, especially the genres of trance and ambient.

Musical technology has changed quite a bit over the years, from the monolithic looking synthesizers of the 1970s to the sleek laptops of today, as has Tangerine Dream's line-up. Edgar Froese still leads the group, which will make a rare northern California appearance on Friday night at downtown Napa's Uptown Theatre (click here for ticket information).

Here's what Froese had to say in a recent e-mail interview:

Eric Church, country-music bard of beer and The Boss, will perform Nov. 10 at Sacramento's Power Balance Pavilion.

Known for party songs like "Beer in My Hand" and "Smoke a Little Smoke," Church scored a big hit this summer with the quieter "Springsteen," (see video, above) an ode to memories inflected by popular music.

Tickets run $46.85-$57.80 and are available through Ticketmaster (800-745-3000).

The California State Fair opens Thursday and run through July 29. For the 15th year, the Golden State's literary side will be on display, offering fairgoers chances to chat about writing and publishing with 37 California writers at the Authors Booth.

Each day throughout the run of the fair, at least a half-dozen authors (representing a variety of genres) will staff the booth. They will be on the first floor of the California Building (Building A).

Among the Sacramento-area authors will be Naida West ("California Gold" trilogy), Brenda Novak ("Bulletproof" trilogy), Martha Dunne ("Wait, What Do You Mean? Asperger's Tell and Show"), Cindy Sample ("Dying for a Dance"), Bud Gardner ("Chicken Soup for the Writer's Soul"), Kevin W. Hecteman ("Sacramento's Southern Pacific Shops") and Elaine Macko ("Armed").

For the young ones, Hazuki Kataoka and David Battino will present their "Storycard Theater" storytelling programs of traditional Japanese culture and art.

For a complete list of authors and the dates and times of their appearances, go to http://www.bridgehousebooks.com/events/statefair2012.htm or call (916) 985-7411.

There are few things more eerie and seemingly disorganized than a fairgrounds before the fair opens.

Earlier today, California State Fair Media Center staffer Elizabeth Guyer and I cruised Cal Expo in a battery-powered cart for a behind-the-scenes look at the pre-fair goings-on. The fair opens Thursday.

The Midway was devoid of the masses that will congregate there during the fair's 18-day run, a strange, empty sight. Most of the food stands were still being assembled and hosed off. Trucks whizzed by carrying construction gear, pieces of pavilions, and piles of pastel-colored plush toys to be handed over as prizes at the carnival-type games. Workers moved slowly in the mid-morning heat. The whine of electric saws echoed in the distance.

We stopped at Birds In Paradise, a strategically forested retreat beneath a blessedly cool, airy, high-ceilinged tent. Parakeets and macaws fluttered, colorful finches tweeted, and peacocks strutted and shrieked.

"I want to set them all free and see what kind of havoc I can cause," Guyer joked. Perhaps we should start by liberating the cardboard cutouts of pink flamingos, which would look great in my front yard.

We scooted over to The Farm, which has grown about 40 California-centric crops on its 3-1/2 acres - tall corn, peppers, zucchini, cotton. Look for the Farmer's Market, Insect Pavilion, Petting Zoo and Hen House. Along with goats and pigs, milk cows and pony rides.

In the Aquaculture Tent is a tank of 30-pound sturgen, three to four feet long, which you can touch - if you're quick. Other tanks hold crawfish, catfish, bass and baby sturgeon. In The Farm's "aquaponincs program," some of the fish water is used to water and fertilize some of the flowers and crops, which seem to thrive on it.

Our last stop was Toytopia in Expo Center Building 5, a clutter of boxes and paint cans that will be transformed into a marvel of toys and games of all sorts.

It houses the world's largest operating Etch-a-Sketch. The giant classic toy looks to be about six feet high and nine feet wide. But after you etch a sketch on the screen, how do you pick up the toy and shake it to get the screen back to blank?

We rode back to the Media Center, dodging people, pickup trucks and other carts. "We had almost nothing here four days ago," said Guyer, on summer break from Wittenberg University in Ohio. "Then it exploded."

We can't wait to see the finished product on Thursday.

Information: www.bigfun.org.

A new generation of works inspired by the time-honored Slant Step phenomena is on tap at the Nelson Gallery's fourth Flatlanders exhibition at UC Davis.

This year's show - Flatlanders on the Slant - opens July 12, and comprises almost 50 works inspired by the Slant Step, the seemingly useless object linked to renowned UC Davis artists William T. Wiley and Bruce Nauman.

The original slant step (pictured right) will be on display, too.

.

This weekend, migrate your way to the 42nd annual Pacific Flyway Decoy Association's Classic Wildlife Art Festival.

You'll join birders, expert decoy carvers and other artists and craftspeople for wildlife-art and antique-decoy exhibits, demonstrations, workshops, interactive activities and contests for children and adults, juried art, raffles and door prizes.

Bring the festival home: Exhibitors will sell art, framed photos and books, all themed to the natural wonders of wildlife.

The gathering will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, and 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the DoubleTree Hotel, 2001 Point West Way, Sacramento. More information is at (925) 754-4978, www.pacificflyway.org.

Those boys in Van Halen sure know how to toy with a rock fan's heart. First, they skip Sacramento on their 2012 U.S. tour. Then they announce new dates, including an Aug. 25 show at Power Balance Pavilion. Then that concert is postponed. Now the show officially has been cancelled.

Guitarist Eddie Van Halen and singer David Lee Roth have said in interviews the band had overextended itself with the new dates.

For information on refunds, see the Ticketmaster site. According to the site, phone orders and Internet sales to the show are being refunded automatically.

One of the great things about the California State Fair, which starts Thursday, is seeing well-known musical acts free, with the price of fair admission.

But music fans who want prime spots close to the stage can buy a Gold Circle tickets to Golden 1 stage shows. Tickets range from $13-$22, and are available through the State Fair's ticket office at Cal Expo, or through the fair website.

Gold Circle tickets still are available for every show beside Scotty McCreery 's on July 21. Fans already snapped up all the Gold Circle tickets to see the country singer and 2011 "American Idol" winner.

Gold Circle ticket buyers still have to pay for admission to the fair.

Here are the acts performing on the Golden 1 stage, and Gold Circle prices for their shows. All shows start at 8 p.m.:

Thursday -- The Fab Four ($13)

Friday - Happy Together Tour ($19)

July 18 - Cody Simpson ($19)

July 19 - Rick Springfield ($19)

July 20 - Landau Eugene Murph. ($15)

July 21 - Scotty McCreery (Golden Circle tickets sold out)

July 23--Dave Mason ($13)

July 24--Hot Chelle Rae ($19)

July 25--Jim Messina ($13)

July 27--Joan Jett & The Blackhearts ($22)

Radio Disney singer Coco Joness also will perform on the Golden 1 stage, at 4 p.m. Saturday. That show is free.

Horse racing returns to Cal Expo next Thursday on opening day of the State Fair.

The thoroughbreds - along with Arabians, quarter horses and mules - will be in action for eight days - July 12 through 15 and July 19 through 22 - during the first two weeks of the fair's run.

First post will be 1:45 p.m. Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays with a 3:45 p.m. first post on Fridays. A minimum of eight races will be run each day.

Fans can pick up coupons at any Cal Expo entry gate for a free program in the Miller Lite grandstand. For more details, see www.bigfun.org.

More than $1 million in purses will help draw horses from throughout California for the short meet. Patrons also will be able to wager on simulcast racing from Del Mar, Saratoga and other major tracks.

Meanwhile, plans are in the works to bring back harness racing in November. The Cal Expo board of directors has approved a term sheet outlining a proposed agreement with European Wagering Services, which would take over as operator of the harness meet.

Since 2008, Cal Expo has operated the harness meet itself. But in December, fair officials announced that they wanted an outside operator to assume the risks and provide the funding to market and grow the meet.

Since 2000, Cal Expo has been the only California track to host harness racing. The last harness meet wrapped up June 16.

"We are pleased that EWS has stepped forward to operate the harness racing meet here at Cal Expo," said Cynthia Bryant, chairman of Cal Expo's racing committee. "Our hope has always been that harness racing would continue at Cal Expo as it supports many jobs and greatly impacts the local economy."

A final contract still needs to be approved by the Cal Expo board. In addition, EWS must get approval from the California Horse Racing Board to operate a meet in this state. The CHRB also must approve race dates for Cal Expo.

Under the term sheet, the proposed dates will be Nov. 2 through May 11, 2013, with racing two to three nights a week.

Get some exercise and help William Land Park look good.

Saturday morning, the Land Park Volunteer Corps will pull weeds, trim bushes, clean ponds and spread mulch in its efforts to revitalize Sacramento's huge city park.

Maintenance of the 167-acre park, located off Sutterville Road and Freeport Boulevard, has been challenged by budget and staff cuts. Once a month, the volunteer corps steps in to help make up for shortfalls in care of the park's plants and 25 picnic areas.

"Weeds are popping up along curbs throughout the park," said Craig Powell, the corps' lead coordinator. "We have seven projects lined up this month, including two tree sucker-weeding crews who will be aggressively tackling curbside weeds.

"We'll also be doing a 'Monster Bush Trim' along 13th Avenue between Land Park Drive and Freeport, bed maintenance in several spots, cleaning all three ponds, mulching and more."

The volunteers will meet at 8 a.m. in the picnic grounds directly behind Fairytale Town. They'll regroup for lunch at 11 a.m.

"The weather should be ideal Saturday morning," Powell added, noting that the forecast predicts highs in the mid-90s.

New volunteers are welcome. Bring work gloves.

For more details, contact Powell at (916) 718-3030 or by e-mail at ckpinsacto@aol.com.

Ever heard the instruments the bouzouki, baglama or the tzouras in concert?

Odds are you have not. Unless you are from Greece or surrounding countries.

But on July 22, those instruments will be front and center when the Seattle-based Pasatiempo performs in Davis.

Pasatiempo performs rebetika and folk music of Greece & the Balkans.

The veteran avant garde saxophonist Oliver Lake returns to Sacramento on Thursday July 5, playing a solo show at Antiquite Maison Privee. Lake co-founded the hugley influential World Saxophone Quartet with Hamiet Bluiett, David Murray, and Julius Hemphill in 1976. He's worked with legends of jaz such as Max Roach, Reggie Workman, James Newton, and Abbey Lincoln.

An unabashed disciple of the great alto saxophonist and composer Eric Dolphy, Lake plays powerful and intriguing music which is both challenging and rewarding to adventurous listeners. Lake can and will touch on free improvisation, abstract funk, and post bop lyricism, possibly all in the same tune. An internationally respected jazz figure Lake has received a Guggenheim Fellowship and the Melon Jazz Living Legacy Award among his many accolades. The show starts at 7 p.m. at Antiquite Maison Privee, 2114 P St, 21st and 22nd St in Sacramento. Advance tickets are $15 through Wednesday, July 4 at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/251223. Available at the door for $20 on the day of the show. For information on Oliver Lake go to www.oliverlake.net.

By Jing Cao

hcao@sacbee.com

During much of his lifetime, prolific American artist Norman Rockwell was shunned by "serious art critics" for portraying idealized images of American life. While he gained some recognition for his later work, which focused on more serious subjects such as racism, the adjective "Rockwellesque" - referring to his sentimental illustrations--maintains a negative connotation. But this style has since become an American icon, and it will be on display at the Crocker Art Museum's Rockwell exhibition that begins in November.

From November 10 through February 3, 2013, "American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell" will exhibit over 50 paintings and 323 original "Saturday Evening Post" covers, which encompass his themes of family, innocence, and hometown heroism.

The Crocker Art Museum is located at 216 O Street in Sacramento. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors (65+) and college students, $5 for youth (Ages 7-17), and free for children 6 and under.

Museum hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Thursdays, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

For more information: (916) 808-7000 or crockerartmuseum.org

As the notorious Sacramento summer heats up, one cooler option is the 25-mile strip of Highway 1 between Montara (south of San Francisco) and Pescadero (north of Santa Cruz), known as Coastside. In between is Half Moon Bay, the largest of the towns along that stretch.

Now comes word of the 21st annual Tour de Fleurs, a tour of area wineries, farms, nurseries and greenhouses. Many of them are closed to the public the rest of the year.

Choose from six one-hour self-guided-tour packages, $20 each, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 21.

To buy tickets (space is limited), and for maps and other directions: (650) 726-8380, www.halfmoonbaychamber.org.

Mark Twain had plenty of experience riding the rails. Sacramento's most famous chronicler knew a thing or two about the Sacramento River, too.

So, what better tour guide on a summer evening down by the river than Twain on a train?

Saturday, the California State Railroad Museum presents "Riding the Rails with Mark Twain," a special event that combines Twain lore with a riverside sunset ride aboard the Sacramento Southern Railroad.

The show starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Eagle Theatre in Old Sacramento. Twain, as portrayed by Pat Kaunert, will spin tales of life on the rails while accompanied by fiddler Dave Rainwater.

At 7:30 p.m., it's all aboard the Sacramento Southern Railroad for a leisurely excursion along the river, with Twain and Rainwater providing entertainment and travelogue. Refreshments include lemonade and iced tea for the river ride.

Tickets are $24 for adults, $12 for you ages 6 to 17. Children age 5 and under are admitted free. Seats are limited, so reservations are recommended.

For more details and tickets, click on www.californiastaterailroadmuseum.org or call (916) 445-5995.

Sacramento museums and the convention bureau are promoting after dark events that start when summer days in the city mercifully cool.

Among the Sacramento after-dark events:

• Crocker Museum shows movies in the courtyard the first Thursday evening of the month through September. "Casablanca" is scheduled for Thursday. Food is available at the Crocker Café. Tickets are $5 for members, $8 for non-members. More information at www.crockerartmuseum.org/programs-events/thursdays-til-9/event/1578-qcasablancaq

• Mumbo Gumbo plays Fairytale Town. The Sacramento band, with its danceable repertoire, hits the stage July 11. Tickets are $10, members get 2 for 1 admission and children 12 and under are free. More information at www.fairytaletown.org.

• Sacramento Old City Cemetery mixes a couple drinks with tales of the city's checkered past in an evening titled "Beer, Babes and Brawls" on July 13. Guests learn about the colorful dear-departed and get two beverage tickets for beer, wine or soda. Tickets are $25. More information at www.oldcitycemetery.com.