JANUARY
California State Home & Garden Show Join radio's "Farmer Fred" Hoffman and scores of other experts as they try to educate gardeners of every thumb hue and home remodelers who shake uncontrollably when trying to put together some Ikea furniture in the California State Home & Garden Show Jan. 6-8 at the Convention Center.Myth Busting The coolest science geeks around – the Discovery Channel's "MythBusters" – come to the Community Center Theater on Jan. 9. Hope they don't accidentally shoot a cannonball through a suburban home, as they did in the Bay Area last month.
"Lewis Black: In God We Rust" The comedian whose rants are as incendiary as they are hilarious takes on God, man and the economy Jan. 14 at the Community Center Theater. Hey, what else is there? Word is he might even raise his voice occasionally.
• For the Home & Garden Show, go to www.calstatehomeshow.com. For more information on MythBusters and Black, go to www.sacramentoconventioncenter.com.
FEBRUARY
Paula Deen Will fans shell out hard-earned money to watch a syrupy Southern dowager whip up scrumptiously sclerotic gastronomic confections? Of course. She'll do live cooking demos (with a big screen behind her) and take questions at the Sacramento Community Center Theater on Feb. 3.Dweezil Zappa Plays Zappa The oddly named son of the oddly popular '60s musical icon shreds his guitar on stage at the Crest Theatre on Feb. 18, no doubt saving daddy's favorite "Yellow Snow" for the obligatory encore. No word on whether Moon Unit will be the opening act.
Big Time Rush Dubbed "the Monkees for millennials," this made-for-TV (Nickelodeon) band consists of four hot teen boys who, in their TV persona, move from Minnesota to L.A., trading hockey sticks for guitars. Hilarity ensues. Piercing screams from 'tween fans will ensue Feb. 20 at the Sacramento Community Center Theater.
• For more information on Big Time Rush and Deen, go to sacramentoconventioncenter.com; for Zappa, go to www.crest.com.
MARCH
North American Handmade Bicycle Show If you midtown hipsters want to learn how to make a hemp and bamboo fixie bike – and we know you do – pedal over to the convention center March 2-4 for this geekfest in a growing subculture.Wine & Wings We've heard of social butterflies, but social raptors? In Loomis on March 3, the High Hand Conservancy, Nursery and Art Gallery is hosting "Wings & Wine." Sip and munch wings while owls, bald eagles and other wildlife mingle among you to benefit a wildlife rescue program.
Jackie Evancho Live Come see Evancho, an 11-year-old classical singing diva from Pittsburgh who was just another prodigy until she appeared on "America's Got Talent," finishing second. She's at the Community Center Theater on March 28.
• For information on the bicycle show, go to 2012.handmadebicycleshow.com; Wings & Wine, go to highhand.com; Evancho's concert, www.sacramentoconventioncenter.com.
APRIL
"Titanic – The Musical" Starting April 13, the Davis Musical Theater Company stages "Titanic – The Musical," in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the ship's sinking. We hope the play fares better."Barrymore" Starting March 28 and running through May 6, the Sacramento Theatre Company presents "Barrymore," a one-man show on the thespian who was the George Clooney and Brad Pitt of his day but now is better known as Drew's grandpappy.
"Million Dollar Quartet" Sounds like the start to a joke: So Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins walk into a studio … Actually, it's "Million Dollar Quartet," April 17-22 at the California Musical Theatre.
• For information on "Titanic," go to www.dmtc.org; ; for "Barrymore," go to www.sactheatre.org; for "Million Dollar Quartet," go to calmt.com.
MAY
Whole Earth Festival Long before the Occupy UC Davis folks put up tents, neo-hippies and oh-so-natural Davisites flocked to the Whole Earth Festival (May 4-6) on the campus quad, featuring endless drum circles and vegan delights on a stick.Hangtown Motocross Speaking of happenings, about 30,000 gearheads will descend on Rancho Cordova's Prairie City State Vehicular Recreation Area on May 19 for the annual pro motocross event, where spectators get as dusty as the riders.
Sacramento Music Festival OK, so they now call it the more nebulous "Music" festival, but most of us still know it as the Jazz Jubilee. (The website still has "jazz" in the URL.) By whatever name, it's a Sacramento tradition over the long Memorial Day weekend.
• For information on the Whole Earth Festival, go to wef.ucdavis.edu; for Hangtown races, go to www.hangtownmx.com; for the music festival, go to sacjazz.com.
JUNE
Sacramento Pride Parade & Festival On June 2, head to the annual Gay Pride parade and festival, which draws about 10,000 to the Capitol mall.Sacramento French Film Festival Don a beret and get to work on growing that intellectual-looking goatee, you Francophiles. During June 15-24 at the Crest, see classics by Godard and Demy and new dramas and comedies from French cinema.
Sacramento Celebrity Chef Challenge Each year, chefs from Sacramento's top restaurants vie for supremacy in a charity cookoff (June 23 at the InAlliance office in Sacramento). Chefs are given five ingredients and must create. Judges this year will be attendees.
• For more information on the Pride parade, go to www.sacramentopride.org; for the film festival, go to sacramentofrenchfilmfestival.org; for the chef challenge, go to chefevent.com.
JULY
"Camping With Henry and Tom" What happens when Henry Ford, Thomas Edison and President Warren G. Harding get together on a camping trip? Find out July 6 through Aug. 5 at the Sacramento Studio Theatre's production, based on actual events.Tour of the California Alps Death Ride The Amgen Tour of California may have snubbed Northern California (north of Santa Rosa) this year, but the annual Death Ride in Markleeville on July 14 is a big event on the cycling calendar. You'll gain a total of 30,000 feet if you do the five mountain passes.
Eppie's Great Race For 39 years, Sacramento sportswomen and -men have taken on this unusual triathlon – run, bike, kayak – on the American River Parkway. This year's race is July 21.
• For information on "Camping," go to bobandroproductions.org; for the Death Ride, go to www.deathride.com; for Eppie's, go to thegreatrace.org.
AUGUST
Sacramento Banana Festival Watch where you step at Land Park on Aug. 10, or you might do a comedic pratfall. Yes, it's the third Banana Festival, a tribute to that potassium-rich fruit. Many bananas will be harmed in making shakes, bread and soups."Red Hot and Blown" The Crocker Art Museum's exhibit celebrates the 50th anniversary of America's studio-glass movement, featuring work by Tacoma, Wash., native Dale Chihuly and others. It runs through Sept. 23.
High-Hand Tomato Gathering Some might say Aug. 18-19 is too early to celebrate the tomato crop in the area, but not for the folks at High-Hand in Loomis. Modeled on Carmel's successful festival, there will be heirloom tastings and a growers contest for largest tomato.
• For more information on the banana festival, go to www.bananafestival.sojoarts.net; for the tomato gathering, go to www.highhand.com.
SEPTEMBER
American River Music Festival Down on the river near Coloma on Sept. 14-16, you can groove and grind to the best of Americana, west of Austin. Last year's lineup included Band of Heathens, James McMurtry and Blame Sally.Chicken Festival The weirdness of the Fair Oaks Chicken Festival (Sept. 15) comes from the juxtaposition of oohing and ahhing at the feathered fowl afoot but also smelling the barbecue scent of said birds. There will be a band, dancing and a run.
Pirate Festival The Garden Highway along the banks of the Sacramento River will be transformed into a pirate's lair Sept. 22-23 at the Seafarer's Marketplace & Pirate Festival. You can talk like a pirate and collect booty like one, too.
• For information on the music festival, go to www.americanrivermusic.org; for the chicken festival, go to fairoakspark.org; for the pirate festival, go to www.louisianasue.com.
OCTOBER
Golden State Street Rod Nationals The noise will be deafening at Cal Expo on Oct. 5-7 when muscle cars, street rods and all makes and models of vintage automobiles rumble in.Urban Cow Half Marathon No, cows will not be running, though that might make it even more interesting. Thousands of runners will plod 13.1 miles through the streets of Sacramento on Oct. 7.
Pooch Parade The Midtown Business Association will hold its annual Halloween parade on Oct. 27 for pets whose owners think it's the height of cuteness to dress them in costumes.
• For more information on street rods, go to nsra-usa.com; for Urban Cow, go to urbancowhalfmarathon.com; for the Pooch Parade, go to mbasac.com.
NOVEMBER
Ice skating The Westfield Downtown Plaza Ice Rink will opens its 21st season at St. Rose of Lima Park, Seventh and K streets, on ... well, it's weather-dependent. But mark it for the second week of November.The Causeway Classic The 59th football meeting between Sacramento State and UC Davis – and first as members of the Big Sky Conference – will be played Nov. 17 in Davis.
Black Friday Circle Nov. 23 and start lining up in front of your favorite big-box store. Then again, after the 2011 frenzy of stores opening on Thanksgiving, it may turn into a Black Thursday.
• For more information on the skating rink, go to downtownsac.org; for the Causeway Classic, go to bigskyconf.com.
DECEMBER
California International Marathon Those hoping for their Boston Marathon qualifying time should circle Dec. 2. That's the 29th running of the CIM, from the foot of the Folsom Dam to the steps of the state Capitol.Christmas Tree Lighting The annual Capitol Christmas tree lighting, featuring 10,000 LED lights, has traditionally occurred during the first week of December. Energy prices permitting, it will happen again in 2012.
"The Art of Norman Rockwell" Wholesome Americana will be oozing when the Crocker Art Museum exhibits original oil paintings of Rockwell's Saturday Evening Post covers, as well as works not usually seen outside of The Norman Rockwell Museum in Massachussetts. The exhibit opens Nov. 10 and runs through Feb. 3, 2013.
• For more information on the CIM, go to runcim.org; for the Rockwell exhibit, go to www.crockerartmuseum.org.
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