The following is the July 2 edition of Cultural Capital, an arts and entertainment newsletter written by Abridged contributor Chris Macias. Want it sent directly to your inbox? Sign up here.
The sunburn on the back of my neck is the sign of a good time this past weekend. I spent much of it at Cal Expo, which hosted X Games Sacramento 2026. The event was somewhat like the California State Fair with kickflips, as attendees took trips on the Sky Ride to catch the action and ducked in the shade to munch on corn dogs and snow cones.
I was always drawn to skateboarding as a kind of anti-team sport. But it was a blast to witness Sacramento launching a new X Games League format with top pros in skateboarding, BMX and motocross. The Tower Bridge homage in the skate park was a perfect 916 touch. I rooted for Davis native Nyjah Houston, who nabbed the silver medal in the skateboard street event and Auburn’s Brady Baker, who struck gold in men’s BMX dirt.
I’m hoping X Games comes back to town, especially with additional seating/bleachers and another round of good weather. We’ll keep you posted on further developments.
Keep that sunscreen handy as we head into Fourth of July weekend and its many outdoor events. Look for a showcase of the country’s top drum and bugle corps, a fun sketching event in Nevada City and a concert with the area’s finest young jazz musicians. And yes, we have a bunch of Fourth of July picks from throughout the region.
Boom!
Want to discover more events across the Sacramento region? Check out Abridged by PBS KVIE’s new searchable events calendar.
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In your inbox every Thursday, Abridged's entertainment newsletter from Chris Macias highlights things to do in the Sacramento region.
Marvel at the elite level of marching arts
The details:
- Oak Ridge High School, 1120 Harvard Way, El Dorado Hills
- 6:30 p.m., July 3 (Friday)
- $20-$85
You don’t get much more All-American than a night of time-honored marching and music. But the young musicians at the 2026 DCI Capital Classic are levels way beyond a traditional fife and drum corps or marching band. Check the football field on Friday at Oak Ridge High School and you’ll be blown away by some of the best drum and bugle corps in the country.
These drum corps take the marching arts to elite levels, with dazzling drill designs and choreography. The show features nine corps including the Bluecoats of Canton, Ohio, runners-up in the 2025 Drum Corps International (DCI) World Championships.
Full disclosure: I’m rooting for the Santa Clara Vanguard, the corps I marched in back in 1987, and a seven-time DCI champion. Last year the corps placed third, just behind the Bluecoats by 1.55 points. (Yes, things can get pretty competitive out there).
One corps missing this year is the show’s host, the Mandarins Drum and Bugle Corps, which is taking a year off from competition due to a “strategic hiatus.” The good news is a Mandarins alumni corps will perform in exhibition and represent its roots that stretch to 1963.
Get jazzed at the Sacramento History Museum
The details:
- Sacramento History Museum, 101 I St., Sacramento
- 6 p.m., July 8 (Wednesday)
- $40, or $20 for youth, with additional $5 discounts for museum members
Speaking of young musicians, the future of jazz is in good hands. The Sacramento History Museum is hosting “West End Blues: Sacramento Youth Musicians Series,” which is led by Sacramento bassist and educator Harley White Jr.
The three-show series kicks off Wednesday with The New Traditionalists (TNT), an honor band of local high school musicians specializing in traditional jazz styles. Kick back and it’ll feel like days of the Old Sacramento Dixieland Jazz Jubilee gone by.
Get sketchy (again)
The details:
- Wonder Docent, 230 Broad St., Nevada City
- 6 p.m., July 3 (Friday)
- Free
Last week spotlighted Urban Sketchers Sacramento, a crew that meets around the region to sketch the local landscape with an all-are-welcome vibe. On Friday, downtown Nevada City and its historic buildings are the backdrop for the next session.
All abilities are encouraged to attend. Just bring your favorite sketching materials and prepare to share your work with the group in a supportive setting.
Where to spark up your Fourth of July
The details:
The United States of America turns 250 years old on Saturday and there’s no shortage of spots to celebrate. If you and the family are looking to join the community and catch a fireworks show, here are some picks:
- Fourth of July in Community Park is a longstanding Davis tradition. Post up with a blanket and enjoy live music from Rainbow City Park and RonKat Spearman’s Katdelic. The fireworks go boom at 9:35 p.m.
- Rancho Cordova always takes its Fourth of July seriously, this time with a two-day festival that includes a parade, live music and epic fireworks displays both nights.
- Down south, the festivities at Elk Grove Park include cover tunes from the 1970s to the current day from Pop Fiction, a silent disco and a finale with fireworks and drones.
- Out in Woodland, a.k.a. “The Woo,” fireworks launch on Friday night. Fourth of July kicks off the next day with a pancake breakfast and includes a traditional bike parade, ice cream social and swimming at Woodland Aquatics Center.
- “Red, White & Brew” is the theme at Drake’s Brewing Co. in West Sacramento. Party it up on the lawn and “ooh” and “ahh” at the fireworks coming from the nearby A’s game at Sutter Health Park.
Before I go,
There are a few tickets left for Thursday night’s concert at Amatoria Fine Arts Books, part of a joint series co-hosted by Abridged. Mike Blanchard and the Californios will perform an intimate set of Sacto-style Americana with impeccable harmonies.
Then, I have the honor of leading a Q&A with Blanchard about the Sacramento arts landscape. Look for more shows coming your way soon.
Stay in touch at christo916@gmail.com. See you next week!
Chris Macias is a regular contributor, writing Cultural Capital for Abridged.