Visited December 17th and 18th…read more Great restaurants and shops are in the immediate area! Catch a game at Golden One or a concert and then enjoy everything this area has to offer! The skating rink is across the street from my picture along with Butcher and Barrel and Sauced just steps away! So fun to be at DOCO! They have upped their Security which is great! Btw...I feel totally safe during the day in this area but wouldn't personally venture out at night unless with a group.

The weekend Market at DOCO drew a pretty decent crowd. There were quite a few small businesses…read morerepresented with unique gift ideas for the holiday season. The mall was decorated for the holidays with plenty of Christmas trees and reefs, from the Ice Rink on 7th Street to the west end parking lot by Holiday Inn and the underground walkway to Old Sacramento. I enjoyed visiting the booths, and stopping by the Kings store to see the new merchandise. There are plenty of public parking lots with two that I know of on J Street, L Street and 3rd Street entrances that validate at restaurants and some stores in DOCO. Some validate for 2 hours, some for 90 minutes to cushion the total cost of parking. I have always loved this area in downtown Sacramento.

Pretty disappointing. I'm a SacTown magazine subscriber. Took the art walk June 2024 after reading…read moreabout it. The suggested 8 destinations were neither interesting not entertaining. Best word to describe this event is meager. Best location was the art Co-op behind Bambie restaurant on I street at 17th. There was a variety of tiny size studios there with a few of the artists in attendance. I had some fun conversations with them. Did this art walk once. Check it off the bucket list. No need to repeat.

I've been doing the "Art Walk" for many years now. It's still Fun. But it's not what it used to…read morebe... SITREP The convergence of Art in the Midtown area has always been a fun, enjoyable romp every 2nd Saturday in Sacramento. This has given local galleries - and the local artists that have a chance to share their talents - an opportunity for community get-together and enjoyment. "CHA-CHA-CHA-CHANGES" But in the words of a very obscure and shy musician named DAVID BOWIE, the scene ain't what it used to be. A surly element and rambunctious youngsters have taken over the midtown domain of the Art Walk. It's even gotten to the point where people GET KILLED on this special night and law enforcement has had to step in and set-up restrictive barricades and lay a heavy hand on some pedestrians. "Second Saturday Art DRIVE" ...which is why I recommend that you power walk, bus or even drive to some points a bit more distant. Such as Creative Vera @ 12th & S Streets; or Sol Collective and Beatnik Studios actually both south of Broadway, or some of the studios and galleries further into East Sacramento. You can still find some great galleries and fun if you are not up for the core-midtown range. THE LOWDOWN It still works. Just very differently now.

I've been in here a couple times and will definitely make this place a regular stop. The drinks and…read morethe pastries are delicious, unique, and, unlike most places, not too sugary. The listed prices look a little high BUT there was not screen they flipped around asking me for a 20% tip, so I actually think they're cheaper (and more honest) than other coffee shops. There's plenty of parking outside and plenty of comfortable seating inside, and the staff are all really nice.

Had to use the Tesla supercharger in the same lot so wondered over to this spot. Staff were very…read morefriendly and welcoming and explained the menu and sugar free syrups! Yay! Was it on the pricier side? Yes, $10 flat for an iced vanilla latte. Was it delicious? Also, yes- tastes like a high quality bean, which I appreciate. If you're in the area, check them out!

I love the ICE BLOCKS. It's both residential and commercial with family favorites such as Salt &…read moreStraw, Mendocino Farms, Sees Candy, and Shake Shack. The parking lot is plentiful but can be an issue during peak hours. Value seems great, it's a very popular area with a great selection of affordable shops and food experiences. You can also find several apartment complexes that offer a wide variety of livable spaces. The service from all employees were always very professional, people seem happy to work there. "Three city blocks of ground floor retail at the Ice Blocks create Midtown's largest cluster of boutiques, cafes & restaurants"

Dark Musical Beauty Eats Your Mind & Explodes Your Heart With JOY!…read more SITREP Oh my GAWD! Last night's "Artmix Dark Cabaret" was mindblowingly spectacular. The food bites and the drinks were all as yummy as ever. But at the center of it all, we spent the evening with Kat Robichaud's Misfit Cabaret ("Kat's Misfits") - it was like walking into the stand-alone garage of your grandparents home, and finding your really cool, edgy niece there, using it as a hangout with all her equally cool ecclectic & eccentric dancing & band buddies... .....EXCEPT instead of listening to the sugary-fructrose infested music of today's pop airwaves, these glorious dark talented souls SOMEHOW got their hands on your grandparents' (her GREAT-grandparents') CLASSIC VINYLS from yesteryear: a sad, yet special place & time when people were bullied into escaping a very dark period of Continental Europe, and wistfully saying goodbye to the center of what was a new, sexy, dynamic musical movement that started in Berlin, but thankfully not ending there during the 20th Century's Dark Ages: CABARET. THE SETUP Kat's Misfits are an incredibly creative ensemble of vocalists, musicians, dancers, aerial artists and exqusiite burlesque performers. Each group & genre of artists not only immerses themselves into the traditions of the realm they perform in, but makes it their own, and using their chosen foundations, creates NEW & DYNAMIC pieces in that same tradition - to name just a few: * Bree is a whimsical vaudevillian muse who is the beautiful feminine alter-ego of Charlie Chaplin himself with her sweet balance & juggling feats - I would love take her shopping at a Hat Store! :) * Frankie is absolutely AMAZING & STUNNING as the beautiful polished burlesque performer you just cannot take your eyes off of - I've never seen a more graceful feather dance achieved to such a level of perfection! * The Misfits! People always forget to mention the talent backup bands! Not this time! These guys are great performers, 100% into the full time span of the show, and ALWAYS on their musical, just like Kat herself - and speaking of which.... * KAT!!!! And I just can not use enough wonderful adjectives, adverbs, superlatives and exclamation points to describe Kat herself! As a fan of hers since her days on "The Voice", its so wonderful to see how she has since fanned the flames of her amazing talents to become the creative muse & genius behind this exciting Cabaret troupe, not only performing herself to the delight of we patrons, but taking on the inordinate task of managing, coordinating, and bringing other like-minded artists together for fantastic shows. BRAVO! Last night's ArtMix introduction of Kat's Misfit was just an introduction. Make it a point to go see Kat's Mifits in their San Francisco home theater location as indicated on their Facebook page, and/or make sure to follow their calendar of events and catch their troupe's traveling performances like I did when they were here at the Crocker Art Museum for last night's "ArtMix" event. THE LOWDOWN October ArtMix was spectacular and at the center of it all, Kat and her Misfit Cabaret left a big smile on ours faces yearning for more!

The only art mix for those under 21. Kids really love it. Due to it's a family event it's not…read morereally an Art mix. I think they should change it to another day and keep all art mix to over 21. Kids can enjoy going to other Crocker events every day. There are many classes and events that exclude adults over 21. It's only fair for all to occasionally separate the ages.

Honestly, what's not to love about Evangeline's? I've been coming here for gifts and just to look…read morearound while in Old Sac for years! It's a must when in the area! So many unique items - gag gifts, naughty gifts, a whole glow in the dark section, T-shirts, magnets, jewelry - you name it! They have a whole Hello Kitty section, a mushroom themed section and even an Alien themed section, just to name a few. You can find it all and so much more at Evangeline's - it's really an amazing store! I could spend so much time looking at every section and item. Most items are fairly priced, but as with most small businesses, a lot of stuff is sometimes on the pricy side. Don't even get me started on their incredible 3 store costume mansion that is now open year round! It's a must see as well! Staff is friendly and helpful! Check them out!

Costumes upstairs, and a bunch of random chachkis, toys, etc downstairs. Super dope store with a…read morelot of charm and laughs. Think of it as a Spencer's times 5 but also localized for Sacramento. If you like being a lookie-loo, this is your spot!

We ordered cupcakes for our desserts for a banquet dinner. Not only were the cupcakes beautiful,…read morethey were delicious!! Chocolate blackberry cupcakes smelled rich and decadent. Red velvet had a beautiful rich color and the lemon with lemon curd were light, bright, zesty and so delicious!!! LaQueanya is so easy to work with, so kind, sweet, fun and just a gem!! You won't be disappointed. Make the order. Swing by their store front. Pick up the delicious desserts...cupcakes, macarons, cheesecake!!! You will enjoy it!!

This place is DIVINE. We ordered 6 cupcakes as a treat (I ate a butterscotch one in the car ride…read morehome). The Dubai chocolate cupcake was yummy. The lavender lemon was tart and delicious. The carrot cake was everything you could want. I plan on hiring this company for a wedding reception. Definitely check them out!

This Elk Grove Giant Pumpkin festival two day weekend event has been occurring since 1994 but when…read moreCovid happened in 2020 it happened online. It was only recently we attended if we weren't away traveling as my wife loves a huge festival that entails lots of walking, live music, shopping & food. It's an ideal place at autumn time with giant pumpkin weigh-ins. This year 2025 the top pumpkin weighed 2,147 pounds! Brian Werner from Gridley California won. This year they also had a scarecrow contest, pumpkin recipe contest, lil pumpkin cupcake & youth art contests. There were also multiple stages of entertainment & the pumpkin regatta happened on Sunday. We didn't arrive here until after an hour of opening yet they had plenty of parking at 20 dollars a pop. We did spend several hours here so it was worth our time. Also they do have kids rides & activities for them! That tractor tram ride for kids only looked so fun! It is really a family friendly event! This year we bought their Mediterranean food: chicken gyro & lamb salad. Service was good. My chicken gyro however was meh. Yet my wife loved her tasty spicy lamb salad as she ate the entire entree bc she was hangry! That value on that salad was worth it to her! My wife even purchased her favorite chocolate dipping' dots bc people kept walking past us eating them! We also observed some people dressed in costumes & lots of furry friends on leashes. An ideal place for people watching too! The weather was the most perfect right after a stormy week! Not hot as the temperature was nice & cool! Last Saturday it was odd though as the internet was down so they encouraged to bring cash! Cash is King! Now if you missed this year's festival make it a point to attend next year. It usually occurs the first weekend in October. You will be highly entertained. Seriously. My wife thought her pictures she captured were exceptionally pretty bc of the beautiful pumpkin orangey colors especially against the greenery background, bright sun & blue pond. It does make you appreciate our lovely sunny California weather. We are truly blessed.

Being a local Elk Grovenian and living here for 20+ years, I have never been to the ever popular…read moreand famous GPF. Why? I don't know but perhaps I was influenced by someone years back telling me it's not worth coming because there's hardly anything. Boy were they wrong!! I enjoyed every minute of the GPF. Sure it's mostly for kids but I as an adult, with no kids, I still had fun going. There are plenty of food vendors, coffee vendor and a variety of desserts (ice cream, kettle corn, shaved ice). The cooling desserts are much needed on a hot day in October like it was this past weekend. Don't forget to bring a water bottle, hat & sunglasses since you'll be at the park for a couple hours. The vendors are all spread out in Elk Grove Park so there's an ample amount of walking to experience all that there was to offer at the GPF. My friend and I got there close to opening on Sunday morning which is the last day. We did hit a bit of traffic, however, traffic was moving and we weren't stuck on the street for more than 5 minutes. If you go early, you'll find good paved parking. If you go later, you'll be parking in the unpaved areas. Parking was $10 and it is all day or you can chance it and park in the neighborhoods. I was most excited to see the pumpkin regatta but we didn't get to see it because I think they started rowing the pumpkin boats slightly before 12 pm (12 pm was scheduled time). I did see them carving the pumpkins when we arrived at 10 am. There's plenty of photo ops for little kids and adults in the pumpkin village and there was also a scarecrow contest. Many of the vendors give out useable freebies which can be used during the festival or later on. There were also other small businesses that had their own booths such as arts & crafts, trinkets, hand made soaps & bath bombs etc. Plenty of things to do for the whole family of all ages. Just a note, there are 2 different events for Saturday and Sunday. The pumpkin weigh-in occurs on Saturday along with some other fruits & veggies weigh-ins. Sunday is the pumpkin regatta and the big splash after the regatta. There are also different events at the main stage and smaller stages too. Next year, I'm coming on Saturday to watch the pumpkin weigh-in. The winners for the pumpkin weigh-in were present on Sunday with their awards, and there was a final standing for all participants.