Events
February
Waterfront Crab Fest
Held in early February
Location: Waterfront Park on Front Street
916-442-8575
Crab fest is back in the tent at Waterfront Park
on Front Street in Old Sacramento. Plenty of all you can eat fresh hot cooked
crab, pasta, salad and anti-pasta, spirits, dancing and entertainment from 5:00
p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
March
Festival Italiano
Held in late March
Location: Dante Club
916-359-0618
A fun-filled evening of good food, wine and
entertainment, including a delicious Italian dinner, door prizes and an Italian
auction.
Women's History Day
Held in late March
Location: Old Sacramento
916-558-3912
Join the Old Sacramento Living History Program
re-enactors as they demonstrate what life was like for women in the late 1800's
as they struggled to make their mark. Witness sufferance rallies, protests and
other scenes featuring the struggles that women faced.
April
Steam-powered Excursions
Held April – October
Location: California State Railroad Museum
916-445-6645
Regular steam-powered excursion trains depart
Saturdays and Sundays on-the-hour 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. from the Central Pacific
Freight Depot and Public Market in Old Sacramento. Climb aboard the Museum’s
Sacramento Southern Railroad every weekend for a relaxing 40-minute, 6-mile
roundtrip ride on the banks of the Sacramento River. Experience the sights,
smells, and sounds of a real, working steam locomotive as it pulls vintage
passenger coaches and converted freight cars along a former Southern Pacific
Railroad branch line.
Sacramento Valley Scottish Games & Festival
Held in late April
Location: Yolo County Fair Grounds
916- 557-0764
Traditional Scottish Competitions that began more
than a century ago. Three days of fun and games including sheepdog trails,
tug-o-war, bagpipe bands, fiddling, harping and vendors peddling Scottish wares.
Annual Festival de la Familia
Held in late April
Location: Cal Expo
916-443-6223
An annual celebration of Latino culture featuring
luscious food, live entertainment and lots of fun.
May
Annual Designer Showcase House
Held in early – mid May
Location: In Sacramento's Sierra Oaks
neighborhood
916-437-1649
The Junior League of Sacramento presents its Annual Designer Showcase House.
Sacramento County Fair
Held in early May
Location: Cal Expo
916-263-2975
Exotic petting zoo, children's hands-on
activities and thousands of exhibits.
Senior Games Sacramento Sports Classic
Held in mid May
Location: Varies throughout Sacramento
916-277-6046
Interested in participating in competitive
sports? The California Senior Games Sacramento Sports Classic is an annual event
that offers athletic competition for adults age 50 years and older. The games
are a multi-sport event for men and women patterned after the "Olympics" and
held at various locales throughout the Sacramento area. There are 20 various
sporting events offered such as, archery, basketball, bowling, cycling, race
walk, rowing, soccer, swimming, tennis, and track and field. Competitors from
all over Northern California participate each year. The Senior Games offers
something for everyone's skill level and interest.
The West Coast Brewer's Festival
Held in mid May
Location: Sacramento Miller Park
The West Coast Brewers Festival celebrates the
significance of California, Washington and Oregon in the development of the
Micro Brew industry.
Jazz Jubilee
Held in late May
Location: Varies in Sacramento
One of the world's largest traditional jazz
festivals presents more than 125 bands from around the world and across the
United States each year on Memorial Day weekend. In addition to the best
traditional jazz, the festival includes several other jazz-related music styles
such as big band, barbershop, blues, gospel, Latin jazz/salsa, swing, Western
swing and zydeco.
June
Pony Express Re-Ride
Held in early June
Location: Old Sacramento
916-558-3912
Pony Express riders gallop west across the
historic Pony Express Trail of 1860 - 1861 and end their 1,966 mile route in Old
Sacramento at the Pony Express.
Juneteenth Celebration
Held in mid June
Location: Granite Regional Park
916- 808-7739
A Celebration of Freedom. Thousands gather at
Granite Regional Park for a festive day of entertainment. Juneteenth begins with
a Friday night Gospel concert, followed by Saturday in the park and The Black
Rodeo on Sunday at Cal Expo.
July
Renaissance Faire
Held mid July – mid August
Location: Stafford Lake Park, Marin County
415-897-4555
The wildly authentic pleasures and colorful
pageantry of a lusty Elizabethan country fair are brought to vivid life by the
Heart of the Forest Renaissance Faire, bursting with high spirits and ancient
seasonal traditions.
Sacramento French Film Festival
Held in mid July
Location: Crest Theatre
916-453-1723
Dedicated to celebrating the present as well as
the history of French cinema by showing new French films as well as rarely seen
French classics. Since its inception, the Festival has also involved the
Sacramento art community by including short films from Sacramento filmmakers in
its selection and original artwork by a Sacramento photographer in its posters.
Annual Strauss Festival of Elk Grove
Held in late July
Location: Elk Grove Park
916-714-2527
Features elegantly costumed dancers and
professional symphony musicians. The setting is a grassy knoll at the edge of a
lake surrounding a small island in Elk Grove Park.
Bridge to Bridge Waterfront Festival
Held in late July
Location: Waterfront
916-808-7777
The most fun on the river without a boat.
Visitors enjoy a weekend in Old Sacramento of watercraft displays and activities
featuring antique boats, personal water-craft races, high-performance power boat
rallies, U.S. Coast Guard safety and rescue demonstrations, and much more.
Eppie's Great Race
Held in late July
Location: Held along the scenic American River
Parkway in Sacramento, Rancho Cordova and Folsom.
916-875-6640
One of the world's oldest triathlons: Run - 5.82
miles. Bike - 12.5 miles. Paddle - 6.35 miles.
August
California State Fair
Held in late August – early September
Location: Cal Expo
916-263-3000
Big name entertainment, thrilling rides, exciting
midway, irresistible food; oodles of events and fun for the whole family make
The State Fair a popular event.
September
Gold Rush Days
Held in early September
Location: Sacramento
916-264-7777
The excitement of the California Gold Rush is
brought to life during Sacramento’s annual Gold Rush Days festival, held over
the Labor Day Weekend.
Annual Greek Food Festival
Held in early September
Location: Sacramento Convention Center
916-443-2033
One of the most prominent heritage festivals in
Sacramento, this celebration is devoted to the traditional foods, entertainment
and displays of the Greek community.
Grape Escape
Held in mid September
Location: Crocker Park
916-808-7777
Sacramento’s Annual Capital Regional Wine & Food
Celebration takes place at Crocker Park.
October
Fall Harvest Festival
Held most of October
Location: Old Sacramento
916-558-3912
Old Sacramento brings the popular Halloween
Festival back, “Fall Harvest Festival.” This annual event promises
Halloween-themed fun, train rides and family entertainment on weekends to usher
in fall.
Festival of Cinema
Held in early October
Location: Crest Theatre
Created in 1995 to showcase the talents of local
and international filmmakers, the Festival of Cinema is the community's premiere
film arts showcase and a centerpiece for the arts in Northern California.
Sacramento International Gay & Lesbian Film
Festival
Held in early October
Location: Crest Theatre
916-319-2348
Sacramento Fall Home Show
Held in early October
Location: Cal Expo
The show is held at Cal Expo and is the place to
find hundreds of home and garden products and ideas.
American River Salmon Festival
Held in early October
Location: Nimbus Fish Hatchery, Lake Natoma
916-358-2884
The Annual Festival takes place at the Nimbus
Fish Hatchery, Lake Natoma. Watch them go back in the river and experience their
dramatic return!
Annual "Magic of Kids" Family Festival
Held in early October
Location: Sacramento City College
916-576-3300
Features free activities, magicians, music,
dance, theater performances, law enforcement and fire department displays and
educational demonstrations.
November
California New Car Show
Held in mid November
Location: Cal Expo
916-263-3000
Car enthusiasts have plenty to celebrate when
they get a look at the new and innovative cars at Cal Expo.
The 28th Annual Northern California Model
Railroad Show
Held in mid November
Location: Placer County Fairgrounds
916-772-7502
The West's Premier Model Railroad Show!
Harvest Festival
Held in mid November
Location: Sacramento
800-321-1213
One of the largest arts and crafts show on the
West Coast. Attendees can meet and buy directly from America’s top artisans,
enjoy entertainment and satisfy their taste buds with delicious festival
cuisine.
America’s Largest Christmas Bazaar
Held in late November
Location: Cal Expo
503-282-0974
Cal Expo has 300+ booths, filled to the brim with
selections galore for Christmas gift giving.
December
Annual California International Marathon
Held in early December
Location: Sacramento
916-983-4622
A 26-mile, 385-yard point-to-point road race, a 4-person Marathon Relay
Challenge, a 2.62-mile maraFUNrun/Fitness Walk and entertainment are included at
this exciting event.
Heritage Holidays
Held early – late December
Location: Old Sacramento
916-558-3912
This annual event promises magical holiday cheer
to all who visit Old Sacramento. For the two weeks leading up to Christmas,
merchants have extended holiday hours. Stroll the beautifully decorated
boardwalks and historic buildings featuring thousands of white lights.
New Year’s Eve Fireworks Celebration
Held on New Year’s Eve
Location: Old Sacramento
916-808-7777
The City of Sacramento celebrates the New Year on
the waterfront in Old Sacramento. Along with two fireworks shows, the event
features live music, food and drink vendors, a children’s stage hosted by top
entertainers and live performances from local acts.
Arts and Entertainment
Sacramento Ballet
1631 K Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
916-552-5800
Call for performance schedule
Don’t miss the latest spectacular season.
Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra
3400 3rd Ave.
Sacramento, CA 95817
916-732-9045
Call for performance schedule
Sacramento Opera
3811 J St
Sacramento, CA 95816
916-737-1000
Call for performance schedule
Sacramento Opera has been a Guild, a Committee,
an Association, another Guild and finally the Association of today.
Sacramento Theatre Company
1419 H Street
Sacramento, CA 95816
916-443-6722
Call for performance schedule
Enjoy Broadway in Sacramento.
Sports
Sacramento Kings
Professional Basketball
Games played at the Arco Arena
One Sports Parkway
Sacramento, CA 95834
916-928-0000
Season runs October - April
