Eight Gigs: Festival of the Arts

California State University, Sacramento's Festival of the Arts opens with an event called U-Create! in downtown Sacramento on Thursday, April 9. It's being billed as a street festival and CSUS, the Verge Center for the Arts, Beatnik Studios, Insight Coffee Roasters and Axis Gallery are all collaborating on it. CSUS President Alexander Gonzalez will deliver a keynote address at 5:30 p.m. to officially kick off the festival, running daily until Sunday, April 12, and featuring tons of musical performances (including pianist Agustin Anievas, who plays on Saturday, pictured), art, lectures, receptions, food, film screenings, dance and kids' activities. S Street, between Sixth and Ninth streets; www.csus.edu/festival.