Stingers up for all the Hornets graduating this weekend. | Photo by SACtoday staff
Sacramento State’s latest class will graduate this spring with commencement ceremonies at Golden 1 Center on Friday, May 16 + Saturday, May 17, and boy are they in good company. Here some of the most notable Hornets to have graced the university’s halls.
🎓 Tom Hanks
One of Sac State’s buzziest alumni is also arguably its most famous dropout. The Oscar-winning actor transferred to Sac State after studying theater for two years at Chabot College in Hayward. Hanks left after one year to intern full time at the Great Lakes Theater Festival in Cleveland. However, his son Colin Hanks was born + raised in Sac — and even made a documentary about Tower Records.
🎓 Ryan Coogler
The Oakland-born director of “Black Panther” — who made the whole world say “Wakanda forever” — majored in finance at Sac State. He also played football for the Hornets for four years, racking up 112 receptions (which ranks fourth all-time in Sac State football history) for 1,213 yards + six touchdowns across four seasons.
Chicago Bulls vs. Sacramento Kings | 7 p.m. | Golden 1 Center | $26+ | It’s Sustainability Night at Golden 1 as the Kings promote a greener future for the City of Trees.
Old Sac Paranormal Investigations | 7-9 p.m. | Sacramento History Museum | $40 | Use special equipment to detect paranormal activity that may be lurking around the B.F. Hastings Building — that is, if you dare.
Friday, March 21
Fido Fridays | Friday, March 21 | 4:30-11 p.m. | Midtown Lounge | Free | Bring your pup to this weekly hangout — now that’s a good human.
Saturday, March 22
Cheesemaking: Mexican Cheeses | 10 a.m.-2 p.m. | Scratch Made Life Kitchen | $72 | Learn to make cotija, oaxaca, and queso fresco.
Sac Comic-Con 2025 | Saturday, March 22-Sunday, March 23 | Times vary | Sacramento Convention Center Complex | $10+ | It’s a bird... it’s a plane... it’s the annual pop culture convention featuring 200+ artists and exhibitors, comic book creators, celebrity cameos, Q&A panels, and costume contests.
“Voices: Chinese Women of the Delta” | 1-4:30 p.m. | California Museum | $30 | Catch the premiere of this documentary about immigrant women’s sacrifices and contributions to the Delta and California’s history.
R&B + Mingle | 1-5 p.m. | Oak Park Brewing Co. | Free | Enjoy games, conversation, drinks, and R&B jams by DJ Remme.
Learn to Tango | 6:30-7:30 p.m. | Tango by the River | $15 | Learn the passionate art of the Argentine tango with this dance class designed for beginners.
Wednesday, March 26
Mahogany Urban Poetry feat. Russell Cummings | 7-10 p.m. | Our Place Event Space & Kitchen | $13 | Words are powerful — listen to this spoken word artist leave it all on the stage.
Find candidates who want to work right here, right now. | Gif by 6AM City
Small business owners, employers, and hiring managers — we understand that finding the right candidate can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. That’s why we designed SACtoday Job Board to reduce hiring barriers and seamlessly connect you with top local talent.
To get started, create an account and post your first listing for free — it takes less than five minutes. Bonus: Level up your listing with a Featured Job Post and your job will be featured right here in the SACtoday newsletter.
Facing a $44 million budget deficit, Sacramento is mulling over cost-cutting options to help balance its budget. Mayor Kevin McCarty said ideas include raising parking fees, eliminating some city jobs, and reducing hours at city pools — things that will have “the least amount of impact on core city services.” (ABC10)
Open
The Shop Midtown, a restaurant at the former site of Red Beret on J Street, is now open daily. Co-owner Tony Ngo took over the space from his aunt with visions of creating something entirely new. The name is a nod to the family’s love of cars and motorcycles. (The Sacramento Bee)
Biz
Sac’s Forward Together pilot program will award $600,000 in grants for revitalization efforts across the Marysville-Del Paso commercial corridor and nearby neighborhoods. Funding will be given to 16 local businesses or nonprofits, including Greater Sacramento Urban League, Square Root Academy’s Saturday STEAM School, and the Uptown Beats & Eats festival.
Concert
The California State Fair added two more acts to its 2025 concerts lineup. Iconic soft rockers Air Supply will headline the main stage on Sunday, July 13, and Sacramento’s own TESLA band will perform on Friday, July 18. All concerts are included with fair admission.
Award
Sacramento City College student and Nugget Market employee Sebastian Moretti is the fastest grocery store bagger in the US, hands down. Moretti recently won the 2025 title at the National Grocers Association Best Bagger Championship. After training five days per week for the competition, the victory was in the bag. (KCRA)
Shop
Strapping Store is hosting a warehouse sale tonight, 7-9 p.m., at 5450 Power Inn, Ste. B with up to 70% off holiday items. In a candid Instagram post, owner Susan Stewart said her small business is “struggling pretty hard” right now and every sale helps.
Number
$181. That’s the median ticket price for an Athletics game at Sutter Health Park this season, according to research from online ticket marketplace Gametime. That makes the A’s the priciest ticket in the MLB right now, above the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays.
Traffic
The California Office of Traffic Safety awarded $400,000 to the Sacramento Police Department to fund road safety programs and enforcement in high-risk areas through this September. The grant will be used for things like DUI checkpoints, monitoring street racing, and community presentations on distracted driving, speeding, and bike + pedestrian safety.
Announced
The 48th annual World’s Strongest Man competition will return to the California State Railroad Museum Thursday, May 15-Sunday, May 18. The event will showcase 30 global athletes competing in feats of strength like lifting cars and wrecking balls. Grab tickets.
Small Biz
Good things come in small packages. We’ll be celebrating Small Business Week, an initiative to highlight our city’s local enterprises from Sunday, May 4 to Saturday, May 10. If you own a local small business, join us by filling out a form about your business.
Sports
With spring training in full swing, the San Francisco Giants are poised for a thrilling 2025 season. Could one of the team’s powerhouse players hit 30 home runs and break the drought? Hear from the local experts with Locked On’s daily, team-focused podcasts.
Biz
Calling all business owners. For a limited time, we’re offering 15% off your first advertising purchase on our self-service ad portal. No long-term contract required — simply use the code NEW15 at checkout to redeem the discount.
Stat
Every six seconds. That’s how often a pet owner spends $1,000+ in unforeseen care costs for their fur baby. Pet insurance could cover up to 90% of these costs — find the right plan.*
Number
0%. That’s how much interest this card offers into 2026 — no wonder experts call it “hands down” one of “the best balance transfer cards."*
City Guide
City Guide
🔎 Exploring Sacramento’s museums
The State Capitol building also doubles as a museum. | Photo by SACtoday Staff
Museums are the cultural hubs of Sacramento. Whether you’re looking to learn something new about the City of Trees or plotting a way to spend your Saturday afternoon, here are 12 museums to visit in our city.
Science
California Agricultural Museum | Free
This Woodland museum bills itself as having the world’s largest collection of antique agricultural tractors + artifacts. In March 2024, admission became free to all. The museum is planning to relocate and will close its current location on Sunday, March 30.
Arts
Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum | $6-$12
Discover art that represents Black history and culture and programs throughout the year dedicated to education + outreach.
History
California State Capitol Museum | Free
Stop by the information desk on the first floor to sign up for a tour and learn the history of the Capitol building, as well as how California’s electoral process works.
What did we miss? If you know a museum that’s not on the list, let us know.
Remember that adorable Masai giraffe born at the Sacramento Zoo earlier this month? Well, the zoo needs your help choosing a name for the baby girl and there are three options: Gumdrop, Sumi (leading the pack so far), or Monica.
Personally, I think Monica is an excellent choice. You can cast your vote for your favorite name through Thursday, April 3 by visiting the zoo’s website and donating $5 per vote. The money will be used to build a new shade structure for the zoo’s giraffe herd. The winning name will be announced on Friday, April 4.
}})
