Everything Happens on Labor Day Weekend
August 27, 2008 at 4:35 pm Leave a comment
There’s way too much stuff going on in Sacramento on Labor Day Weekend.
Labor Day marks the final weekend of the California State Fair which, in turn, marks the final weekend you can legitimize eating a deep fried cheeseburger. But that’s just the start of the festivities in town.
You’ve also got the totally baklava-licious Sacramento Greek Festival . Which I think used to be called the Greek Food Festival, but I guess it’s a bit more all-encompassing than that.
Then, at Fremont Park, you’ve got the annual Chalk it Up event at which you can purchase a square of sidewalk and draw a chalk masterpiece. You can draw anything you please…maybe a hotdog waterskiing. I mean, I’m not telling you what to draw or anything, but c’mon:
Anyhow, the proceeds all go to benefit children’s art activities and education.
If chalk drawing isn’t you’re thing but you love a big GLBT pride party, the Rainbow Festival is the place to be. Music, dancing, all-night parties – what’s not to like? Plus, it just seems to get more and more popular every year, but I’ve never actually experienced it.
Nor have I actually experienced the Greek Festival, Chalk it Up or the final weekend of the State Fair. Why? Because I’m a Gold Rush Days guy. By that, I mean that I work for the Sacramento CVB who organizes the event and puts me to work every year.
Gold Rush Days is famous for covering the streets of Old Sacramento with a whole bunch of dirt and doing their best to eliminate all things that aren’t Gold Rush-era authentic. Admittedly, the goal of authenticity is just a pipe dream as it’s doubtful that Gold Rush towns were filled with novelty t-shirt shops and “olde timey” photo joints.
Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe 49ers loved having their photo taken while dressed in tri-cornered hats and knickers…cuz that is what “olde timey” was back then. Get it? Well, to me, that’s funny. To you, probably not.
Anyhow, Gold Rush Days features all kinds of Old West fun: music, beer, pony rides, buffalo soldiers, pony express demonstrations, trains, gunfights (fake ones) and more. One anachronism I’m quite pleased with is the addition of a Johnny Cash tribute band. That’s a solid choice right there.
Oh, and there will be old-timey firemen which I’m only mentioning because I love this photo:
I’ll be working most of the weekend (at the Johnny Cash stage/beer garden), but I do plan to sneak away from my post to play some tunes of my own.
I started playing the banjo last year with aspirations of debuting my skills at Gold Rush Days 2008. So, even though those “skills” aren’t quite where they should be, I’m sticking to the plan. That’s reason enough to come.
So, Sacramento is officially goin’ off for Labor Day weekend…and even though Nick on the Town can’t be everywhere, I’ll make up for it by being at Gold Rush Days the whole time.
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