Author: Stickie

Big week for music at The Fair

A preview of the mainstage musical acts during the last week of the California State Fair.

This is it, folks, the week that the California State Fair brings out the big guns on the Golden 1 Stage. Well, more like medium range artillery. I can’t say that I am thrilled about any of these acts, but am curious to see what kind of show they will deliver and they should each please their target audience. Hey, I was pleasantly surprised last week by the Hullabaloo Music Festival and I didn’t hate Salvador, so I am going in with an open mind.
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Some State Fair Weirdness

Put this on the ballot - When the budget is late, we have to fly this above the Capitol.
Put this on the ballot - When the budget is late, we have to fly this above the Capitol.

As encouragement for you to head over to Cal Expo for the California State Fair, I will entice you with some little tastes of what you could be enjoying if you were there right now. But first, a huge congrats to the state’s most famous purveyor of deep fried treats and his new bride! Chicken Charlie got married at The Fair today on the promenade stage in front of his food stand. The wedding cake? Totally fried cheesecake, and it was delicious. Mazel Tov, and thanks for sharing the special day with us!

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State Fair Drinking Guide

Your guide to the best beer and wine at the California State Fair!

The California State Fair's incredible wine garden
The California State Fair's incredible wine garden

The California State Fair was created by the legislature in 1854 to celebrate and promote California agriculture and industry. I choose to celebrate The Fair’s historical origins by seeking out the finest alcoholic beverages in the realm of Cal Expo. If you choose to join me on this quest, print up this handy guide to the best beer and wine offered at The Fair.

Since 1854, The Fair has honored California’s winemakers in what is now North America’s oldest wine competition. This year, almost 1200 wines were designated as bronze, silver, gold or double gold award winners. At the Save Mart Wine Garden, you can choose from more than 100 winning wines. 100! How can you decide? Before I get to the recommendations, I’ll give you tip #1. If you plan on enjoying more than a few wines, invest in the souvenir wine glass. For $5, your wine purchase will double from a 5 oz pour in a plastic cup to a 10 oz pour in a reusable, stylish glass.

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David Cook gives The Fair what it needs

David Cook, in a photo that has been approved by his corporate overlords
David Cook, in a photo that has been approved for publication by his corporate overlords
Friday’s opening of the State Fair was capped with an appearance from American Idol David Cook. This was, without question, one of the funnest musical moments I have witnessed at The Fair in years.

Why? RELEVANCE! Most bands that play The Fair are either blasts from the past or up and comers. Cook is NOW, baby. The vibe from the audience was amazing as Fairgoers had the rare privilege to see someone playing Cal Expo whom they are listening to, today. And, as icing on the cake, he and his band met expectations and rocked the house.
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CA State Fair -Open!!

Long time readers of The Rag know that we are big fans of the Big Fun. As you read this, the 2009 California State Fair is open for business! Check us out for tips and reviews over the next couple of weeks.

Why do we love the State Fair? It is difficult to succinctly say, but it has something to do with loving California. The fair is a great place to learn about the myriad reasons that make California the greatest place in the world to live. Check out the agriculture, the art, wine, the thrills, and the spirit of fun that permeates Cal Expo for the next few weeks. It is especially obvious if you have been a patron at other fairs around the country. Every fair has rides and shows, but we’ve got bits and pieces of California wrapped up in a microcosm.

This year’s theme is Weird, Wild and Wacky, which I hope the organizers have taken to heart. Amid a down economy, a dysfunctional government and a dry summer, we need some fun here in Sacramento. Let’s party.

This Friday, the fair features American Idol David Cook on the Golden One Stage. For those of you that scoff at the contest, you have not seen that Cook is a soulful rock musician with a good band, decent songwriting and a strong possibility at a (gasp) legitimate music career. I’ll be there to see how he does.

Your Raggers on Insight

Hello, readers. This is a hot infotainment alert that Sac-Eats and I will be raiding the public airwaves again to discuss the big fun that you, your family, your date, your friends, or any combination of the above can have at the California State Fair.

Please tune in to Insight on Capitol Public Radio, which you probably hear at 90.9 FM, on Monday, August 24th at 10:00 AM. We hope you will join us!

Secrets to cocktail crafting revealed!

Erick Castro shows you his O face
Erick Castro shows you his O face
I enjoyed several libations during the 2nd Annual Midtown Cocktail Week, but I am a “hands-on” guy. When I taste a great cocktail, I immediately think, “How can I do that?” Luckily, the organizers created an educational event with burgeoning bartenders like me in mind.

During the two-hour seminar, bartender extraordinaire Erick Castro shared many of his professional secrets, which I will now share with you. Besides these individual tips, the overarching theme of the lesson was that bartending is a serious craft that requires, if you want to be great, an encyclopedic knowledge of thousands of liquors, cordials and mixers; most bartenders make drinks, but only a few are shaking and stirring up liquid art and revitalizing a lost piece of uniquely American culture.
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Free Michael Jackson Rides on Fridays!

MJ
…and the winner for “most awkward press release title” goes to the California State Fair with their announcement that their Magnificent Midway will feature 4 rides from Neverland. The first 5,000 fairgoers each Friday will receive a golden ticket for one free Michael Jackson ride.

Stay tuned for our annual coverage of all the Big Fun!

Railyards Project featured in NYT

Today’s New York Times Real Estate section features a story on the Railyards development. It is interesting to read about it from an out-of-towner’s point of view. We locals seem to be wrapped up in the details of making it happen, such as the toxic clean-up, the I-5 expansion, transit issues, the stadium controversy, and more. I think we forget the immensity of the project (one of the largest proposed urban expansions in the nation) and the history behind the land. Enjoy.

Sacramentans getting lucky abroad

No, this is not about sex tourism. First, we had journalists accused of spying in Korea getting freed by Big Dog Bill. Now we have a local musician narrowly escaping imprisonment in Iran.

Former Cake bass player Shon Meckfessel was traveling with the three backpackers who are being detained for espionage for crossing the Kurdish border into Iran. Meckfessel likely would have joined his traveling companions, but he had a cold and decided to recuperate in his hotel.

All Sacramentans who plan to travel abroad are advised to purchase this shirt, available exclusively from your culturally savvy friends at The Sac Rag in the language of your choice:

shirt front shirt back
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