Things to do in Sacramento

Songs celebrating California predate Katy Perry, Tupac and Dr. Dreand even the Beach Boys . By a good century.

The San Francisco exhibition "Singing in the Golden State" has collected songs -- from the Gold Rush to the vaudeville era -- name-checking the state and its events. Its sheet-music collection includes the 1913 song "I Love You, California," as well as "California Flood Mazurka," which commemorates the 1862 Sacramento flood.

The songs evoke pre-radio, pre-television parlor get-togethers that helped spread news about California. The show at the Society of California Pioneers, 300 Fourth Street, includes visually evocative sheet-music covers, sound recordings and instruments

The show runs into December. Hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesdays-Fridays and the first Saturday of each month. For information, see the Society of California Pioneers website or call (415) 957-1849.

The eccentric bookseller Peter Howard was known for his vast and valuable collection of antiquarian books, which he sold and traded at his legendary Serendipity Bookstore in Berkeley, which closed after his death in 2011 at age 72.

Now 270 books and related items from that treasure trove will be offered by Bonhams auction house from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 12 in San Francisco.

The centerpiece will be material from Howard's vast John Steinbeck collection. Among it is a signed first-edition presentation copy of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "The Grapes of Wrath," inscribed, "Again for Helen Murphy / affectionately / John Steinbeck." Bidding will start at $10,000.

Also up for auction will be the typed manuscript of "The Pearl of the World," the short story that became the slightly longer "The Pearl" ($15,000 to $20,000). Also, the novella version of Steinbeck's "Lifeboat" ($5,000 to $7,000), which he wrote at the request of Alfred Hitchcock. The British director made "Lifeboat" into a movie in 1944.

Bonhams is at 229 San Bruno Ave. For more information: (323) 436-5442, www.bonhams.com.

On a related topic, the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas will hold its 32nd annual Steinbeck Festival from May 3 through May 6. Information: www.steinbeck.org.

By Sam McManis

smcmanis@sacbee.com

Registration is open for Sacramento's newest running event, the Getty Owl Run, on Feb. 26 in downtown Sacramento.

The 5K and 10K race, benefitting Spinal Muscular Atrophy awareness, begins at Crocker Park on 3rd Street and travels along the Sacramento River waterfront. Cost is $27 for either the 5K or 10K, if you register by Feb. 20. After that, it rises to $35. They also will hold a children's fun run for a $10 entry fee.

For more information and to register, go to http://gettyowl.org/events/run.

By Sam McManis

smcmanis@sacbee.com

The open space in the tawny hills outside of Fairfield, Vallejo and Benicia, normally closed to the public, will be the site Saturday of a free hike at 9 a.m., sponsored by the Solano Land Trust.

The King-Swett ranches afford wondrousd views of the Suisun marsh on one side and the Golden Gate Bridge on the other. Those views, as well as up-close sightings of other flora and fauna, will be facilitated by Solano Land Trust guide Jim Walsh. Walsh notes, however, that the trek is not for beginners. Calling it "strenuous," the hike goes off-trail and through cattle areas for about six miles.

Hikers will meet at a Park-and-Ride lot off Interstate 80 (at the intersection of McGary Road, Hiddenbrooke Parkway and American Canyon Road) and then carpool to the King-Swett site.

For more information, email James_Walsh@landcare.com.

Music runs in the family...

That much is clear with the young jazz pianist Julian Waterfall Pollack, son of Camellia Symphony music director Allan Pollack. His mother - Susan Waterfall - is a concert pianist in her own right.

Waterfall Pollack started studying piano at age 5, with his mother. At 17, he was leading his own groups.

Families will be choosing from a long list of events and activities taking place over Presidents Day Weekend (Feb. 18-19). One don't-miss will be the 20th annual Mardi Gras in Nevada City.

Look for Cajun-themed food and drink, arts and crafts, and live entertainment at the two-day street fair. Headlining the celebration will be a masquerade ball, which sells out quickly, so it's wise to buy tickets ahead of time. The ball will begin at 8 p.m. Feb. 18 at the Miners Foundry, 325 Spring St.; tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the door.

The Mardi Gras parade will start at 2 p.m. Feb. 19 (wear your most colorful attire), followed by a family-oriented carnival ($5 adults, free for children).

For tickets and more information: (530) 265-2692, www.nevadacitychamber.com., www.miners foundry.org.

Tonight's screenings at the Crest Theatre of "Question One," a documentary about the 2009 referendum battle regarding same-sex marriage in Maine, have sold out. But a special encore screening has been scheduled for Feb. 8.

The film by Joe Fox and James Nubile chronicles a political fight that echoed the 2008 battle over same sex marriage in California. The fimmakers had access to "war rooms" on both sides of the battle, and examined the role of Sacramento public relations firm Schubert Flint in the "Yes on 1" (anti-same-sex marriage) Maine campaign.

Tickets to the Feb. 8 screening are available at the Crest box office, 1013 K St., Sacramento and via Tickets.com (800-225-2277).

Sacramento's Ace of Spades nightclub not only filled an important niche locally -- as an all-ages club drawing national headlining acts -- when it opened last year. It also ranked well among all clubs and theaters where music is played.

According to Pollstar magazine, Ace of Spades ranked 52nd internationally in ticket sales among clubs and theaters. That was several spots ahead of clubs like the Roxy and the Palladium in Los Angeles.

Ace of Spades sold nearly 56,000 tickets in 2011, according to Pollstar figures.

Ace of Spades next will distinguish itself as the local venue chosen for a show by hometown favorites Chino Moreno (Deftones) and Shaun Lopez (Far). Their new, electronic-driven group Crosses will perform Friday night.

Look for an interview with Moreno and Lopez in Friday's Ticket section. For information or tickets, see the Aces of Spades site.

By Sam McManis

smcmanis@sacbee.com

Museumgoers will be in for a treat this Saturday when the Sacramento Association of Museums, in association with Umpqua Bank, presents the 14th annual Museum Day.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., some 28 museums will be participating, offering free or reduced-cost admission. For more information, go to http://www.sacmuseums.org/museumday.html. The annual event has added two new museums to its lineup -- the Center for Contemporary Art at 1519 19th Street in Sacramento and the Sacramento Children's Museum at 2701Prospect Drive in Rancho Cordova.

The following is a list of the participating museums:

Aerospace Museum of California

California Automobile Museum

California Foundry History Museum

The California Museum

California State Capitol Museum

California State Indian Museum

California State Military Museum

California State Railroad Museum

Center for Contemporary Art

Crocker Art Museum

Discovery Museum Science and Space Center

The Don and June Salvatori California Pharmacy Museum

Fairytale Town•

Folsom History Museum

Governor's Mansion State Historic Park

Heidrick Ag History Center (Woodland)

Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park

Museum of Medical History

Old Sacramento Schoolhouse Museum

Old Sacramento State Historic Park

Sacramento Children's Museum

Sacramento Zoo•

Sacramento Historic City Cemetery

Sacramento History Museum

Sojourner Truth Multicultural Arts Museum

Sutter's Fort State Historic Park

Wells Fargo History Museum (Old Sacramento and Downtown locations).

• All listed Museums will offer free admission on Museum Day except for the Sacramento Zoo and Fairytale Town which will offer half-priced admission.

In celebration of Black History Month, the Sacramento Public Library will present a variety of culturally oriented programs for all ages at its 28 library locations, throughout February.

Included will be art displays and hands-on arts-and-crafts projects, drumming and dancing, storytelling, genealogy workshops, movies, cooking and recipe-sharing, and much more.

For more information: (916) 264-2920, www.saclibrary.org.

In today's A&E section of The Bee, I wrote about the biggest movies scheduled to open in 2012. Here are trailers for several of those films.

"John Carter" (March 9):

"The Hunger Games" (March 23):

"Mirror, Mirror" (March 30):

:

"Snow White and the Huntsman" (June 1):

"The Avengers" (May 4):

"Men in Black 3" (May 25):

"Prometheus" (June 6):

"The Amazing Spider-Man" (July 3):

"The Dark Knight Rises" (July 20):

"The Hobbit" (Dec. 14):

The grassroots "A Place Called Sacramento" usually is associated with spring and summer, when local screenwriters, filmmakers and actors make 10-minute films through the Access Sacramento program. The films then show in early October on the big screen at the Crest Theatre.

This year, "Place Called Sacramento" has a winter screening component. The 2011 "PCS" films will show at the Crocker Museum Feb. 2 in an encore presentation.

The 6:30 p.m. event will kick off the 2012 PCS film festival, which starts as a contest for budding screenwriters who want to submit scripts -- all of which must reference Sacramento in some way -- for consideration. Ten scripts will be chosen, and the selected screenwriters will be paired with actors and crew during an open cast and crew call.

Tickets to the Crocker event are $4 for museum members and $8 for non-members if purchased in advance at the Crocker admissions desk (216 O St., Sacramento) or via its website. Tickets for non-members will be $10 the evening of the show.

Shine some light on potential energy savings - and get some free bulbs, too.

The Home Depot's Natomas store in Sacramento will offer a free workshop on energy-efficient light bulbs at 10 a.m. Saturday. During the workshop, the store will give away 200 CFL bulbs to attendees.

The compact fluorescent lights are among the replacement options for traditional incandescent bulbs now being phased out. Experts estimate that consumers can save up to 70 percent on their energy cost for lighting by switching away from incandescent bulbs.

This educational workshop will detail the phase-out and various lighting options as well as provide handy tips for installing specialty light bulbs, fixtures and dimmer switches.

The Home Depot is the nation's largest light bulb supplier. The Truxel store, for example, carries more than 100 kinds of energy-efficient bulbs.

The workshop will be held at The Home Depot's Natomas store, located 3611 Truxel Road, Sacramento. For more details on lighting and bulb options, click on www.homedepot.com/lightbulb.

The Northern California Home & Landscape Expo opens today at Cal Expo. The state's largest three-day home show features hundreds of vendors.

Among the guest speakers are Sacramento author and garden designer Michael Glassman, water-wise garden expert Roberta Walker and Japanese maples expert Barry Hoffer.

Where: Cal Expo, 1600 Exposition Blvd., Sacramento

When: Noon-7 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Admission: $7 general; children age 12 and under admitted free; $2 senior special (age 60 and up) Friday only

Details and complete schedule: homeandlandscapeexpo.com

Mark your calendar: Month-by-month guide to home and garden shows in 2012

There's still time before the Feb. 26 Oscars telecast to catch the best-picture nominees - some on the big screen, others on the smaller screen at home.

Here's where - in the Sacramento region - to see the nine movies up for best picture:

"The Artist": Tower Theatre, Century (Stadium, Laguna, Folsom), Regal El Dorado Hills, United Artists Olympus Pointe, Palladio in Folsom, Blue Oaks in Rocklin.

By Sam McManis

smcmanis@sacbee.com

Davis is getting into the flea-market business with a new monthly bazaar, starting this Sunday at the John Natsoulas Gallery, 521 First Street in Davis.

And, Davis being Davis, organizers are saying the flea market is not about capitalism but "is a non profit driven social enterprise, promoting sustainability and opportunity" that will "divert your clutter from the landfill and into the hands of new owners."

Those seeking to be a vendor can apply at http://www.facebook.com/davisflea.

UC Davis is getting all the good shows. First there's Wilco's long-sold-out show Feb. 1 at the Mondavi Center for the Arts. Now, Drake and Florence and the Machine are coming to UC Davis.

Not together, but that would have been interesting.

Rapper and singer Drake (a.k.a. Jimmy from "DeGrassi") will appear March 7 at ARC Pavilion. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday through Tickets.com . The Lil' Wayne protege has had a string of hits, including "Find Your Love" and "Fancy."

Florence and the Machine ("Dog Days") will play the Mondavi Center April 18. Presale tickets will be on sale from 10 a.m.-noon today through or Ticketmaster. Tickets are $42.50. The password for the presale is "shake." Regular tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday.

"The Last Crop," a documentary film about the efforts to preserve local farms, will screen, next Tuesday evening at Sacramento's Sierra 2 Community Center,

Directed by filmmaker Chuck Schultz,"The Last Crop" tells the story of Jeff and Annie Main of Good Humus, who like many farming families, confront an uncertain future as development makes incursions on their rural community. The tale is told against the backdrop of children choosing careers off the farm.

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with filmmaker Schultz, Jeff and Annie Main, plus farmer Eric Hart and Paul Cultrera, general Manager of the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op.

Get some outdoor exercise while helping a relatively new garden bloom.

From 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday, volunteers will prune the Natomas Rose Garden, located at 2921 Truxel Road, Sacramento. Bring gloves and pruners.

Open in 2008, the .4-acre garden is adjacent to the library in the South Natomas Community Park and offers local residents a flower-filled haven from spring through late fall. It's also used for weddings and community events.

Questions? Call (916) 359-7411 or click on www.natomasrosegarden.org.

The announcement of Academy Award nominations this morning immediately prompted a scan of the list for who was left out.

The most notable omission wasAlbert Brooks'supporting performance as a crime boss in "Drive." Brooks collected several critics' awards, a Golden Globe nomination, and was once considered Christopher Plummer 's (Golden Globe winner and now Oscar nominee for "Beginners") main competition for the Academy Award.

The lack of a directing nomination for Steven Spielberg also counts as a snub, given that his "War Horse" made the best-picture list. It's puzzling because Spielberg's pictures are so, well, Spielbergian, that one cannot easily separate director and picture.

Chocolate and wine complement each other like a newly minted romantic couple. Given that, maybe Lodi's 15th annual Wine & Chocolate Weekend should be on your pre-Valentine's Day agenda.

The idea is to hop from winery to winery - more than 40 of them - for wine-and-chocolate pairings, appetizers, barrel tastings, cellar tours, entertainment, chances to win prizes, and more.

It'll be happening from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days, Feb. 11-12. Tickets are $45 per person ($55 at the door) and include a commemorative wine glass, a tin of chocolates (look for the Golden Ticket prize inside) and admission to participating wineries.

To buy tickets and for more information: (209) 365-0621, www.lodiwineandchocolate.com.

By Debbie Arrington

darrington@sacbee.com

Learn how to make your own grafted fruit trees Sunday at the annual Scion Exchange, presented by the Sacramento Chapter of the California Rare Fruit Growers.

Select from more than 100 varieties of fruit trees -- including some unusual and heirloom varieties rarely seen elsewhere -- at this special event, set for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday at the UC Cooperative Extension office, 4145 Branch Center Road, Sacramento.

Suggested admission is a $2 donation. Grafting branches -- scions -- as well as root stock will be available for an additional donation. Grafting demonstrations and advice also will be offered.