In Sacramento, October is Artober

It’s Artober.

As every Sacramento art lover knows, October is a glorious month. The summer vacations are over, the new fall art shows have launched. The October weather gods usually skip the 100-degree days and aren’t quite ready to unleash rain, so we can still enjoy outdoor events. While there are great things to do in the other 11 months, October is special. It has Artober.

In this week’s SN&R, you will find a road map to local art adventures, music, theater, festivals, exhibits and more. Take a look at the supplement and start planning your month.

One wonderful free event is the sixth annual SacWorldFest (in Old Sacramento on Saturday, October 5, from 6 to 8 p.m.; through Sunday, October 6, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Combining national and local acts on multiple stages, the outdoor festival is a delightful smorgasbord of international talent, such as Grammy Award-nominated West African soloist Youssoupha Sidibe and youth performers thrilled to be onstage.

This year’s Saturday event will focus on Native American art. The Sunday lineup includes music from around the world, with a hip-hop dance-off competition at 4:15 p.m. There is something for everyone, and it’s an easy and enjoyable way to experience Sacramento’s tremendous diversity. I should mention that I am on the board of this event, so I have seen the hard work and dedication that has gone into putting on the festival.

I am not on the board of any of the Sacramento theater companies, but my wife and I are longtime B Street Theatre season subscribers. In addition, we try to go to any local show that gets an exploding Shakespeare positive review in this paper. These shows have brought so much joy to our lives! In the last two weeks, we saw Other Desert Cities at B Street and Clybourne Park at Capital Stage. Both were excellent.

There is something incredible about live theater, especially in small venues where you feel like you are in a tiny room with the actors. Oh, wait—you are in a tiny room with the actors. This interaction makes the play more real.

I encourage you to experience local art, music, theater and festivals during Artober. Sacramento art groups have done their job. They have created a wonderful, vibrant art, music and theater scene for us to enjoy. There are free events like Second Saturday. There are great museums like the Crocker and the California State Railroad Museum. There is the Sacramento Zoo. There is live music at Ace of Spades, Harlow’s Restaurant & Nightclub, and dozens of other venues throughout the region. And you can see big shows at the Community Center Theater, Sleep Train Arena, the Crest Theatre, the Mondavi Center in Davis and Harris Center for the Arts in Folsom.

The point is, just go. You’ll be supporting local artists and performers, and you will have a wonderful time.