Out & About
By Jessica Laskey
November 2025
New Talent
The Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera welcomes three new musicians and 17 new singers to its roster this season, which began last month.
New orchestra members are Hui-Chuan Chen (principal piano), Rachel Allen (second trumpet) and Daniel Norris (third trumpet).
The new singers will lend their voices to upcoming performances of “La Traviata,” “Faure’s Requiem” and Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 9.”
“The level of musicianship in this orchestra continues to inspire me,” Principal Conductor and Artistic Adviser Ari Pelto says. “I’m thrilled to welcome them, and I look forward to collaborating as we bring the very best in orchestral music and opera to our community.”
For information, visit sacphilopera.org.
SCIENCE FUN
The SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity has fun fall activities.
Homeschool Day on Wednesday, Nov. 5, features classroom lab exhibits and hands-on activity tables with community partners, plus a special planetarium show and the museum’s regular interactive exhibits.
The Taylor Swift Laser Concerts are Nov. 7–8 and Dec. 5–6 at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to dress for their favorite era.
For information, visit visitmosac.org.
ZOO UPDATES
Little Ray’s climbable statues are back at the Sacramento Zoo.
Twelve interactive sculptures each represent a species brought back from near extinction, including the black rhino, orangutan, Panamanian golden frog, peregrine falcon and cheetah. The sculptures will be up until January.
The zoo’s Reptile House welcomes a naked mole-rat colony for the first time.
The nearly hairless subterranean rodents are found in eastern Africa. With no external ears and nearly blind, they rely on smell, ground vibrations and air currents to navigate.
The Sacramento Zoological Society has submitted a request to the city to expand by 40% at its Land Park home.
“We have always known that the zoo needs more space to meet the needs of our animals, support our mission, and provide the experiences our guests expect and deserve,” society board President Elizabeth Stallard says.
For information, visit saczoo.org.
SAC FAVORITES
The county’s Bradshaw Animal Shelter received two gold awards in The Bee’s Sacramento Favorites.
The shelter won in the “Place to Volunteer” category and Teaching Everyone Animals Matter (TEAM Bradshaw) won in the “Animal Nonprofit” category.
NISEI HALL OPENING
The Nisei War Memorial Community Center reopened with a dedication of its memorial wall at 1515 Fourth St.
The Japanese American Citizens League brought the historic hall back as a place to host special events and community gatherings. Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) honored the league with a certificate of merit.
IMPACT100 GRANTS
Five regional nonprofits received grants by women-led philanthropic organization Impact100 Greater Sacramento.
Breakthrough Sacramento (Education), American River Conservancy (Environment), Rancho Cordova Food Locker (Family) and Mosaic West Sac (Health and Wellness) each received $100,000.
A $52,000 grant went to Girls Rock Sacramento chosen by the Arts and Culture Impact100 subcommittee.
“These grants embody the very heart of Impact100’s mission—to create lasting, transformational change through collective giving,” Impact100 Greater Sacramento CEO Sarina Paulson says. “In just three years, our members have pooled their resources to invest nearly a million dollars into local nonprofits.”
For information, visit impact100greatersacramento.org.
SPEAKER SERIES
The Sac Metro Chamber has acquired the Sacramento Speaker Series to ensure the program’s continuation.
Founded in 2004 by Mitchell Ostwald, the series is a cornerstone of civic dialog featuring influential voices in politics, culture, thought leadership and more.
The 2025-26 series kicked off with former Secretary Pete Buttigieg last month and will feature Mitch Albom, Mike Pence, Anthony Ray Hinton, Céline Cousteau and Mayim Bialik through April 2026.
For information, visit sacramentospeakers.com.
CAREER TECH ED
American River College has opened a Career Technical Education Building.
The facility prepares students for high-demand jobs through hands-on training and academic support. The building features creative areas, individual and group study sites, and an innovation space.
Programs are developed in collaboration with local employers to ensure training aligns with current and future industry needs.
NATIVE AMERICAN COLLEGE
Sacramento State has launched the Wileety Native American College, the first of its kind in California. The initial cohort of 34 students began in September.
Wileety (Wuh-lehh-too) is a native word meaning “to bloom, to shine, to be bright.” The program is rooted in Native American culture, tribal values and governance. The college emphasizes career readiness and leadership development, preparing students to serve as community changemakers.
Annette Reed of the Tolowa-Dee-ni’ Nation is the college’s inaugural dean. The college is open to all students.
BRIDGE OPENING
The Arcade Creek Bridge is open after three months of improvement work.
A key thoroughfare where Auburn Boulevard crosses Arcade Creek, the bridge serves more than 30,000 cars a day.
Improvements include dedicated lanes and sidewalks for bicyclists and pedestrians, a second turn lane to alleviate congestion and added height so the bridge can operate during a 20-year storm.
RIVER CLEANUP
Fifty volunteers with the River City Waterway Alliance and Caltrans Stormwater Program collected about 20,000 pounds of trash from Steelhead Creek during California Coastal Cleanup Day.
To join the next cleanup, visit saccreeks.org/rcwa.
BACKPACK DRIVE
CBS13’s Backpack Giveback Drive benefits local United Ways, including United Way California Capital Region.
Across Sacramento, Stockton and Modesto, this year’s drive collected 2,807 backpacks and countless school supplies, saving communities nearly $68,000 in school expenses.
BURNETT AWARDS
The Sacramento History Alliance’s annual Burnett Awards honor businesses that have contributed to the region’s community culture and spirit.
The 2025 honorees are Country Club Lanes, KFBK News Radio, Morgan Jones Funeral Home and WeidnerCA. The Community Partner Award went to ACC Senior Services. Zelda’s Pizza won the Preservation Sacramento Award.
For information, visit burnettawards.org.
Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Submissions are due six weeks prior to the publication month. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento.
