The following is the Feb. 26 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.
Spring is just a few weeks away and the rebirth of the outdoor music scene is on the horizon. The lineup for October’s Aftershock festival is expected to be released next Wednesday and we’re looking forward to news about further outdoor events as the weather continues to thaw.
Meanwhile, let’s focus on the here and now, with arts and culture offerings for the upcoming week. We’ve got a fun festival honoring history and ghostly influences in Woodland, live music from folksy to orchestral, a literary celebration, food-themed museum adventures and more.
Let’s go!
Sign Up for the Cultural Capital
In your inbox every Thursday, Abridged's entertainment newsletter from Chris Macias highlights things to do in the Sacramento region.
Wander through Woodland like it’s the 19th century
The details:
- Downtown Woodland, Main Street between College and First streets
- 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. Feb. 28 (Saturday)
- Free entry
Stroll through downtown Woodland on Saturday and you’d think it was the Gilded Age all over again. The third annual Portal Marketplace and Extravaganza Ghost Tour will transform the heart of Main into a historical scene that honors the city’s 1871 incorporation.
Shop for oddities, jewelry, crafts, and get a tarot reading at this free, family-friendly event. Take a walk on the spooky side, as the Portal’s historical ghost tour returns with the psychic medium known as Aleeza. The $25 tour infuses Woodland history while making spiritual contact with the unseen. Sign-ups are at Soul Garden Holistic Healing (521 Main St., Woodland).
Come out and step back in time as Main Street fills with roaming entertainers, historical presentations and local eateries participating in the fun. Look for a “Vampire Lair” cocktail party that costs $33.85 at The Good Night Room speakeasy, and Mojo’s Lounge morphing into “Edgar Allen Poe’s Study.”
Cosplay in Victorian and steampunk garb is highly encouraged in this blast from the past.
Check a new live music series in Davis
The details:
- The Melon Ball at Watermelon Music, 1970 Lake Blvd, Suite 1, Davis
- 7 p.m. Feb. 27 (Friday)
- $20
Earlier this month we reported that Morgan’s Mill in Woodland is scaling back its weekly live music series. JonEmery Dodds and his Left of the Dial promotions are now moving these Friday shows to The Melon Ball at Watermelon Music in Davis, starting Friday with Jessica Malone and her soulful, folksy songs. Looking ahead, live music will continue at Morgan’s Mill on a monthly basis, starting March 13 with Brazilian funkers Boca do Rio.
Revel in a pachanga of prose and poetry
The details:
- Taller Arte del Nuevo Amanecer (TANA), 1224 Lemen Ave., Woodland
- 6 p.m. Feb. 28 (Saturday)
- Free
Celebrations are set for Saturday night at Woodland’s Taller Arte del Nuevo Amanecer (TANA) to honor the 12th edition of Huizache, a key literary journal for Latinx prose, poetry and art. It’s also a bit of a farewell as this latest issue is the final one published in tandem with UC Davis and professor Maceo Montoya from the Department of Chicana/o/x Studies. Further issues will be published at the University of Texas at El Paso.
Huizache 12 bursts from the page with boundary-pushing works and a mix of established and emerging voices. The issue includes “The Battle for the Olympic Auditorium,” a Pushcart Prize-nominated essay by Sacramento’s José Vadi that’s centered around a pivotal Rage Against the Machine concert.
The night doubles as a release party for “Where Heaven Sinks” by María Esquinca, winner of the Andrés Montoya Poetry Prize. Plan for a night of readings from Esquinca and other Huizache contributors, plus food and community to make it all complete.
Stir the soul with symphonic music
The details:
- SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center, 1301 L St., Sacramento
- 7:30 p.m. Feb. 28 (Saturday)
- $39 – $118
Not going to lie: The “Simple Gifts” melody in Copland’s “Appalachian Spring” hits me in the feels every time. The version on Saturday by the Sacramento Philharmonic will be especially intimate as it’s performed in a chamber version with 43 musicians. Along with this classic that harkens to folksy community and renewal, the program includes Bach, Mozart and 2006’s “Strum” by Jessie Montgomery.
Savor an intersection of food, art and dialogue
The details:
- Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art, 254 Old Davis Rd., Davis
- 1 p.m. Feb. 28 (Saturday)
- Free
UC Davis’ Manetti Shrem Museum of Art is the place to be on Saturday afternoon to break bread and engage with the community. “Grains of Connection: Art, Food and Conversation” includes samplings of olive oil and bread, along with hands-on activities including wheat grinding and dough sculpting.
You’ll also find a talk led by Reem Assil, the acclaimed Oakland chef, and Charlotte Biltekoff, the UC Davis Darrell Corti Endowed Professor in Food, Wine and Culture. The two will discuss za’atar, the Middle Eastern spice blend, and its cultural significance through the ages. When you’re not nibbling or pondering, visit the museum’s current solo exhibition, “Sahar Khoury: Weights & Measures.”
MORE EVENTS YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS
Let’s keep it going with bonus picks for this weekend and beyond:
- Hip-hop and spoken word from Ruby Ibarra at Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, Thursday, Feb. 26.
- Chris Isaak at Hard Rock Live in Wheatland on Saturday, Feb. 28.
- Pints & Poses yoga class with beer at Blue Note Brewery in Woodland on Saturday, Feb. 28.
BEFORE I GO,
Congratulations to Wendy Powell and Jennifer Guiraud for being the winners in our “PBS is Punk” t-shirt give away! I appreciate their support of media that places people over profit and hope they wear the shirts with pride. I sure do with mine.
As always, send tips about upcoming events to christo916@gmail.com.
See you next week!
Chris Macias is a regular contributor, writing Cultural Capital for Abridged.