The California State Fair is planning to bring the excitement of Hollywood to Cal Expo this summer. This year, Fair organizers have settled on a number of featured attractions that will focus on Hollywood and how modern day movies and entertainment come to life.

Hollywood is an integral part of Californias culture and economy. Every industry and culture in the State has played a role in making Hollywood what it is today, said Norb Bartosik, State Fair CEO and General Manager.
Our goal is to celebrate those connections and bring some of the Hollywood energy, excitement and diversity to Cal Expo, while still maintaining our time honored State Fair traditions and customs.

The following are just a few of the Hollywood-themed exhibits and attractions that fairgoers can expect to see at Big Fun Studios from August 15 Labor Day.

Going Hollywood Exhibit (Presented By Stage Nine Entertainment Store) The Going Hollywood exhibit will take fairgoers on a journey through the movie-making process beginning with the development of a story and ending with movie production. Fans can see a casting call, get autographs from visiting celebrities and take pictures with costumed characters. A wide variety of film props and actual wardrobe items from different movie genres including; westerns, alien invasions, monster movies, romance and kids flicks will provide something for fans of all ages.

The center of the exhibit will be the Sound Stage Nine, an interactive replica of a sound stage complete with green screen technology, professional stunts, special effects and exclusive Q & A sessions with influential members of the Hollywood community.

Hollywood Backlot Come visit Big Fun Studios, a life-size outdoor backlot similar to the sets and studios of Los Angeles. You be the star! Walk the Red Carpet, stroll down the streets of New York or journey back to the Wild West!

Sound Effects Stage Show This new interactive stage show shows you what happens behind the scenes and lets onlookers play a part.

Sea Lion Encounters Live Show -These celebrity animals have been on the big screen and the small screen. Now theyre coming to the State Fair with a special water stunt show and an educational program all about water and wildlife.

Hollywood High Dive Stunt Show - These high flying stunt divers will celebrate Hollywood through the ages with their fast paced, high energy dive show that follows the story of the Hollywood movie making industry with fun costumes and music the whole family can enjoy.

Stars of the Peking Acrobats Live As seen in the movies, these amazing performers will combine sensational Chinese acrobatics with comedy, balancing feats and much more.

CSI Live (August 26 September 1) Dont miss this exciting interactive journey through the world of crime scene investigation only for a limited time.

Casting Calls the State Fair is on the hunt for celebrity look-alikes to help bring Big Fun Studios to life every day. Plus, on Saturdays during the Fair you may get discovered by participating in our special State Fair Casting Calls. Models, actors and performers wanted! Sponsored by John Robert Powers.

Red Carpet Fashion Exhibit This exhibit will showcase actual red carpet fashions worn by real celebrities to major Hollywood events. Wardrobe provided by the Clothes Off Our Back charity.

Floriculture An Indy Adventure This horticultural masterpiece will replicate the on location set from this summers big screen hit Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls.

Animal Actors The 2008 State Fair will showcase a number of animal actors, including Blanco, the white Andalusian horse known for his role as Gandalfs horse Shadowfax in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Blanco will perform in the Cavalcade of Horses during the Fair.

Big Fun Studios Movie Poster

In keeping with the theme, the State Fair will also be working with Los Angeles-based artist, Sergio Grisanti, to design its official Fair poster. Grisanti studied with John Alvin, a legendary movie poster artist who worked on such films as Lord of The Rings, E.T. the Extra Terrestrial, Lion King, and Pirate of the Caribbean. Alvin had originally agreed to design the State Fair poster but died unexpectedly earlier this year. Grisanti has graciously agreed to move forward with the project on his behalf as a tribute to his friend and mentor. The final State Fair poster will be unveiled in July and will be available to the general public after August 15.

The Point West Area TMA along with the North Sacramento Chamber of Commerce have formed a Crime Prevention Task Force to maintain the positive trend of reduced crime rates in the Point West Area.

Their first official meeting was Friday at the Doubletree Hotel. An Action Plan is currently being formulated and will be posted here with in the next few weeks.

To become a member of the Task Force, contact Rebecca@80corridor.com

The Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG), the Placer County Transportation Planning Agency (PCTPA), and Caltrans propose to jointly examine the legal, operational, financial, and logistical issues regarding implementing a system of High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes in the Sacramento Region.

A HOT lane is a bus/carpool lane on a freeway where a toll is charged to single-occupant vehicles who wish to use the lane. There is typically no charge for high occupancy vehicles (transit buses, carpools and vanpools). Tolls are usually collected by electronic toll collection systems.

The proposed study would examine the Interstate 80 Corridor between Interstate 5 in Sacramento County and State Route 65 in Placer County as a pilot HOT lane project. The study would determine if it is feasible to establish HOT lanes on this segment of I-80 and, if so, the specific operational, financial, logistical, and legal conditions and options. Most importantly, the study will include a specific “to do” list of actions that would need to be undertaken and issues that would need to be resolved to allow such a project to move forward to implementation. Using the perspective gleaned from this pilot project on I-80, the study would make recommendations as to which other corridors in the Sacramento Region are the best candidates for in-depth examination as HOT lanes.

With the scarcity of transportation funds, HOT lanes could help generate revenue to build critical transportation improvements to relieve traffic congestion. Without innovative funding, key transportation improvements may not be built for many years to come.

The concept of HOT lanes and its application in funding transportation infrastructure in the Sacramento region is supported by policies in the SACOG “Metropolitan Transportation Plan 2035”.