There are plenty of things in do in Sacramento, California’s Capitol. Here are the top 50 things one must do in Sacramento, California.
26. Walk the crooked mile at Fairytale Town in William Land Park, a low-tech children’s play park where fairy tales and nursery rhymes come to life. How can you go wrong at a place where Humpty Dumpty greets you at the entrance? Watch the calendar in July for Wacky Water Day, when kids of all ages are invited to swim in the “lazy river” and challenged to break into King Arthur’s Castle past staff members armed with water weapons. Just don’t try to sneak into Fairytale Town without a youngster: All adults must be accompanied by a child. (916) 264-5233; fairytaletown.org
27. Attend local live performances. Whether it’s a show by the Sacramento Theatre Company, the B Street Theatre, The Sacramento Ballet, Sacramento Opera or Sacramento Philharmonic, you’ll witness the best in area talent. But this spring, don’t expect to see The Sacramento Ballet’s annual Modern Masters program. Instead, the ballet will be touring China, taking 50 ballet-loving travel buffs with them. sacballet.org.
For more information on local performances, check out Sacramento magazine’s calendar of events.
Good to know: Marking its 21st year, the award-winning Celebration Arts, a tiny theater in the heart of East Sacramento, is a training ground for those in theater, dance and music. (916) 455-2787; celebrationarts.net
28. Drive around Dovewood Court in Orange-vale for a Christmas lights show to end all Christmas lights shows. This vibrant display of community and holiday spirit—all the residents in this cul-de-sac decorate their houses to the nines—will warm the hearts of even the Scroogiest Scrooges among us. See the spectacle in December and the first week of January. Bring a plastic jar of peanut butter, a can of beans or other nonperishable food item to drop in the Raley’s Food for Families bin to complete the holiday experience.
29. Swing on over to see the Sacramento Capitals at the team’s new stadium at the Galleria in Roseville. This coed World TeamTennis team is joined by two to three big-name tennis stars (think Anna Kournikova, Pete Sampras) each season and has made it to the playoffs 15 of the past 16 years. (916) 638-4001; gocaps.net
30. Grab a seat in the Guild Theater. Located in the 40 Acres Art Gallery and Cultural Center, this 92-year-old theater—once a vibrant fixture in Oak Park—stood vacant for years. Today, the restored landmark hosts lectures, films and performances. (916) 736-1185; guildtheater.com
Check out the Guild this February for its American History Month, which celebrates the histories of both African-Americans and Chinese-Americans. Events include a poetry night, a symposium on Chinese-American history and a film series with lectures.
31. Harvest healthful produce at a farmers market. Take advantage of living in our agriculturally rich region by enjoying farm-to-you fresh produce at area farmers markets. You’ll find tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, zucchini, sweet Bronx grapes, spinach, lettuce, herbs, winter squash, persimmons, pomegranates, mandarins, sunchokes . . . the list goes on and on. To find a market near you, go to cafarmersmarkets.com or california-grown.com.
Good to know: Davis Farmers Market, located in Central Park at Fourth and C streets in Davis, is a veritable food fest and boasts several organic-produce vendors. Shop Saturday mornings and Wednesday afternoons year-round or Wednesday evenings in the summer, when the market becomes an unofficial picnic party, complete with music and food booths. (530) 756-1695; davisfarmersmarket.org
32. Time travel at Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park, the first building in the interior of California. Since its construction in 1843, the fort, originally called “New Helvetia” (New Switzerland), has served as a trading post, a rehabilitation point for Donner Party survivors and a refugee camp for displaced persons after the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco. Pioneer Demonstration Day is Jan. 20. Watch as costumed docents demonstrate skills, such as rope making and carpentry, from days gone by. Kids will love the hands-on activities. It’s a great day for first-timers to the park. 2701 L St., Sacramento, (916) 445-4422; parks.ca.gov
33. Have a look at the Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park. Leland Stanford, the eighth governor of California and founder of Stanford University, drove the famous Golden Spike into the ground, completing the Transcontinental Railroad on May 10, 1869. His 1856 mansion, which has 44 rooms, was home to three governors in the 1860s and later became the Stanford Home for Children. The 19,000-square-foot house was named a National Historic Landmark in 1987. Rehabilitation efforts began in 2002 and the mansion was opened to the public in September 2005. Corner of Eighth and N streets, Sacramento, (916) 324-0575; parks.ca.gov
Good to know: Guided tours may be canceled on days the governor is using the site for official state business.
34. Shop locally. Hit the trendy boutiques in midtown or any neighborhood mom-and-pop shop. You’ll find unique items while supporting local merchants. Don’t miss: Hàus by David Randall at 2512 J St., Riki at 2317 J St., Olipom at 1115 21st St. and Felicia Strati at 1901 Capitol Ave.
35. Enjoy the American River Parkway—along with the Jedediah Smith Memorial Bicycle Trail—for cycling, running, horseback riding, picnicking, hiking, golfing, boating, skating, fishing and more. Check out sacparks.net.
For more information on the 32-mile bike trail, which runs from Old Sacramento to Folsom Lake, including rules and regulations and a detailed map, pick up the Jedediah Smith Memorial Bicycle Trail guide. You can find one at The Rest Stop, at 3230 Folsom Blvd. in East Sacramento, for about $3.
One great place to catch the trail: William B. Pond Recreation Area, also known as Mile 13.5. Named after the first director of the county of Sacramento’s Department of Parks and Recreation, this section of the parkway is a popular starting point for runners, cyclists, picnickers, and fishing and river enthusiasts. Best way to get there: Take Arden Way east until it dead-ends.
36. Immerse yourself in the vibrant social scene at Second Saturday art gallery openings held throughout the city. Start at the corner of 18th and L streets, near several galleries. In March, Zanzibar Tribal Art will display Mexican yarn paintings and beaded items by the Huichol Indians. But don’t look too hard for Zanzibar at its 1731 L St. location—the gallery may have moved to its new midtown digs (no address as
of press time) by then.
Check out sacramento-second-saturday.org for the scoop on local gallery receptions along with similar art walks in the region, including Winters’ First Saturday Art Walk, Davis’ ArtAbout Art Walk (the second Friday of the month) and Placer Valley Third Saturday Art Walk, which encompasses galleries in Roseville, Lincoln and Loomis.
37. Catch an event at Sacramento Memorial Auditorium. Built in 1926, this architectural gem seats 3,855 people and has been home to concerts, lectures, sporting events and graduations for generations.
Good to know: You can rent Memorial Auditorium’s Memorial Hall and Jean Runyon Little Theater for private events such as weddings and parties. (916) 808-5291; sacramentoconventioncenter.com
38. Support a charitable event. Sure, you could put a check in the mail, but why not have some fun and help a good cause by attending one of hundreds of events held throughout the year? Activities range from bowling to brewfests to black-tie affairs.
Good to know: Capital City AIDS Fund’s An Evening With Oscar is a swanky soiree held at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento. The event, which benefits HIV/AIDS services in Sacramento, includes a sit-down dinner, silent auction and viewing of the Academy Awards on large-screen televisions. The fun takes place Feb. 25; tickets are $125 each. (916) 448-1110.
* For a comprehensive list of charitable events happening in our area, check out Sacramento Magazine’s 2007 Charitable Events Registry, coming in the February issue.
39. Eat at Biba. Among Sacramento’s many upscale restaurants, Biba shines by its sheer fame—its own and its owner’s. Opened in 1986 by renowned Italian cookbook author and cooking show host Biba Caggiano (a Bologna, Italy-born Sacramento resident), the midtown restaurant receives glowing reviews and awards for its authentic Italian cuisine. To say Biba serves pasta and meats would be accurate, but heartily inadequate. A recent dinner menu offered Saltimbocca di Anatra: sautéed duck breast topped with prosciutto, sage and Parmigiano in a butter-port wine sauce, with mashed potatoes and roasted fall vegetables. 2801 Capitol Ave., Sacramento; (916) 455-2422; bibarestaurant.com
40. Make music Circus a summertime tradition. For more than 50 years, Music Circus audiences have enjoyed Broadway-quality entertainment with its musicals like The Sound of Music and Fiddler on the Roof. For most of these years, shows took place under an unairconditioned circus tent with poles that obstructed views. Not anymore, thanks to Wells Fargo Pavilion, which opened in 2003. Now audiences enjoy shows in cool comfort with clear views of the stage.
What’s new under the Big Top for 2007? “We are at looking at two Music Circus premieres,” says California Musical Theatre’s Community Affairs Director Chris McSwain of the upcoming season. Public announcement of this summer’s shows takes place Jan. 22. (916) 557-1999; sacramentomusiccircus.com
41. Stroll through Old Sacramento. Riverfront restaurants, museums, nightspots and kitschy shops dot the landscape of Old Sacramento these days, but a lot of history has happened on them thar streets. To learn something new about the oldest part of town, take an Old Sacramento Hysterical Walk, which provides a humorous look at the history of Old Sacramento—and some exercise, too.
Good to know: Brave souls will want to check out the Hysterical Walk of the Dead: A Ghost Tour offered March through November; private tours of 15 or more are offered year-round. Coming soon: Hysterical Walks and Rides, a tour of the central city that takes you from Old Sacramento to Sutter’s Fort at 26th and K streets—on Segways. (916) 441-2527; hystericalwalks.com
42. Embrace the animals (figuratively) at Folsom Zoo Sanctuary. Lions and tigers and bears—oh, my! And monkeys, foxes, bobcats, coyotes. . . . A refuge for animals that have been injured, orphaned or rejected, this zoo has a goal of “teaching responsible human behavior toward all animals.” You can get close enough to Misty and Pouncer, the female tigers, to smell their breath. You may shiver a little listening to Misty as she sharpens the claws on her immense paws. (916) 351-3527; folsom.ca.us
43. Look up to the trees. From the palm trees on the perimeter of Capitol Park to the river birch on the banks of McKinley Park pond to the eucalyptus trees of Goethe Arboretum at Sacramento State, they shade us from summer sun and show us their colors come fall. Although recent reports refute Sacramento’s claim to be “second only to Paris in the number of trees per person,” the Capital City still is known as the “City of Trees.”
Good to know: The Sacramento Tree Foundation has maps of popular parks and the trees that inhabit them. Go to sactree.com to download your copy.
44. DAZZLE A DATE at the Tower. Tower Records may have sold its last CD, but you still can enjoy the Tower Theatre and Tower Cafe (no relation to Tower Records) on Broadway. Built in 1938, the moviehouse specializes in independent, specialty and foreign films. (916) 442-4700; thetowertheatre.com
The cafe, opened in April 1990, is known for its desserts, but diners are missing out if they don’t stay for a meal. Delectable delights include creamy corn chowder, the Malaysian chicken sandwich and any item off its brunch menu. (Lines for brunch wind out the door.) (916) 441-0222; towercafe.com
45. Waltz through the Governor’s Mansion State Historic Park. Built in 1877, this 30-plus-room mansion served as home to only 13 of California’s 38 governors. The last governor to live in the house was Ronald Reagan. (Today, California is the only state that does not maintain a permanent governor’s residence.) Take note: Never before open to the public, the mansion’s recently renovated third floor—housing the governor’s office, a ballroom and a billiards room—will open in late spring or early summer. 1526 H St., Sacramento, (916) 323-3047; parks.ca.gov
46. Monkey around at the Sacramento Zoo. Along with housing the animals, this Land Park institution holds classes, concerts and special events. On May 13, treat Mom to the Mother’s Day Zoo Tour and Brunch. (916) 264-5888; saczoo.com
47. Get educated about the region’s history by visiting the Towe Auto Museum, The California Museum for Women, History & the Arts, the California State Railroad Museum and the Folsom History Museum. For a list of these and other area museums, check out sacmuseums.org. Museum visits are free on Sacramento Museum Day, happening this year on Feb. 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Good to know: Every year during Thanksgiving weekend, the California State Railroad Museum hosts Small Train Holiday, an exhibit of operating modular toy trains and scale-model railroads provided by regional model railroad and toy train clubs. (916) 445-6645; californiastaterailroadmuseum.
48. Meander down the Delta. With the closest only about 15 minutes from downtown Sacramento, the sleepy towns that make up the Delta region—Freeport, Locke, Walnut Grove, Isleton, Ryde, Rio Vista—feel a lifetime away. Wander through the shops in Locke, the only town in the United States built for and by Chinese immigrants. (Today, the Chinese population is down to 10.) In Walnut Grove, experience the beauty of the Delta as captured by late landscape artist Marty Stanley—his public mural graces the Pump House and his Levee Gallery remains open on River Road. Time your visit to the Delta properly and you just might catch a “Marty Stanley Sky,” which is how locals often describe the pink, purple and orange sunsets that grace the horizon. For more information, call the Delta Chamber at (916) 777-4041 or log on to deltacalifornia.com.
49. Trip up the hill to Apple Hill. With more than 50 ranches to visit, wineries and a microbrewery, arts and crafts vendors, an annual fun run, apple delicacies and more, a visit to Apple Hill is a must-do for fall. Pick your own at Denver Dan’s, where a guy cuts an apple into a spiral, cores it and plops it on your child’s thumb. Or sink your teeth into a moist and fluffy apple doughnut from Abel’s Acres—you’ll be forever hooked. How ’bout them apples? (530) 644-7692; applehill.com
50. Taste wine—locally. Closer and less crowded than Napa, nearby El Dorado and Amador counties along with the Lodi region grow award-winning wines and offer wonderful wine tasting opportunities. For more information, log on to eldoradowines.org, amadorwine.com and lodiwine.com.
Stop and sip: Did you know El Dorado County’s Madroña Vineyards’ 2003 30th Anniversary Zinfandel was named an Editors’ Choice by Wine Enthusiast Magazine and given a score of 92? (530) 644-5948; madronavineyards.com
Source: This article appears in the January 2007 issue of Sacramento Magazine