I get this question a lot…
Question: What is going on in Sacramento this weekend?
Answer: This question is so general and there are so many factors to consider before answering. Are you traveling with children and looking for Sacramento family events? Are you here on business and looking for a quiet evening out to unwind? What interests you? I always try to get a feel for what the person is looking for before I suggest events because typically a weekend in Sacramento is filled with different types of events from exhibit openings and farmers markets to sporting events and concerts.
If the caller has access to the Internet I always suggest Sacramento365.com, a Sacramento calendar of events managed through the Convention & Visitors Bureau. This website is a go to for all events happening in Sacramento. You can search by date, venue, type of event, etc. Events are submitted daily and the calendar editor works hard to keep the information up to date on the site and to upload events in a timely manner, so keep checking in frequently. If the caller does not have access to the web I am happy to look up certain dates and check for events. In our Visitors Guide we have a listing of events usually a year out from the release of the guide (which is released bi-annually).
Let’s take this coming weekend for example. I looked up events happening from Friday, 9/17, through Sunday, 9/19. There were 120 events listed! Below are just 5 to give a snapshot of the many fun things to do in Sacramento for visitors and locals.
· No Reservations: An Evening with Anthony Bourdain (Fri. 9/17) - Bourdain, the internationally acclaimed chef, author, and host of Travel Channel's emmy-nominated No Reservations, has been dubbed "the bad boy of cuisine" for his rock star looks and blunt observations about the world of restaurants, chefs, and cooking.
· The 5th Annual Fair Oaks Chicken Festival (Sat. 9/18) - Country breakfast, children’s park with carnival rides and art stations, live music by bands such as Mumbo Gumbo, microbrew tastings and a variety of food vendors.
· 13th Annual Sacramento Reptile Show (Fri. 9/18-Sat. 9/19) - See 4,000 reptiles from across the U.S. The show is also a "sale" where reptile enthusiasts or newcomers have the opportunity to meet the breeders, gain excellent knowledge on the care of reptiles and, if interested, take a new pet home.
· Capitol Concours d' Elegance (Sun. 9/19) - The 17th Annual Capitol Concours d'Elegance, benefitting Shriners Hospitals for Children will showcase more than 100 exceptional examples of American and European vintage and exotic cars and feature the cars of Italy and France as well as Ford Thunderbird.
· Rent (Fri. 9/17-Sun. 9/19) - Jonathan Larson's Pulitzer-Prize winning Broadway Musical based loosely on Puccini's opera La Boheme follows a year in the lives of seven friends living the disappearing Bohemian lifestyle in New York's East Village and tells the story of their struggles with love, drugs, and AIDS.
There are a number of events that happen around the same time every year and in some cases the same weekend each year. The SCVB’s three major events are examples of this: Raley's Grape Escape: A Food and Wine Celebration (June), Gold Rush Days (Labor Day Weekend) and New Years Eve Spectacular (on Halloween, just kidding, on December 31st). Plus, Free Museum Day is always on the first Saturday in February each year. You can find these events on Sacramento365.com as well, or just give me a call.
There is always something going on to suit your fancy here in Sacramento!
