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    California State Fair

    3.4 (745 reviews)
    Open 10:00 am - 10:00 pm

    California State Fair Photos

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    Ray M.

    The State Fair was a great and fun experience for my family and I. We love attending fairs and are fans of the LA County Fair in Pomona, Ca. We arrived with an open mind and agreed not to compare it to any other fair and we were not disappointed. There was so much to see and do here and the layout of the fair made for a great workout if counting steps in your thing. We arrived on opening day (Friday) just as the gates were about to open. The idea was to arrive before the weather became a bit too much and kicked our butts. Sooo glad we did so as four-hours into our visit, the weather was up to 105 but by this time, we had already visited and seen everything we wanted to see and do, This fair is fun and games (no pun intended) but food snd drinks can be pretty pricey. Glad we stopped at IHOP before our visit.

    This pic can be on a post card
    Nando V.

    The California state fair is trash now! We only go to get that first pic u take when you walk in and to take my daughter to go see the animals. This tear there was no animals. There was a couple but not like before. No contest for the best animal, no horse show. They open at 4 pm now during weekdays thats the hottest time of the day! Food is so expensive. one spot had hot dogs for 22 bucks lol i bought a 10 dollar hotdogs a lil away from the place charging 22 i think that place was called Lucy or Juicy. The monorail broke down for 40 mins and because of we killed the last hour of the fair in line so we missed the exhibits. D It seemed to be less vendors and people it just seemed different. If it wasnt for that yearly fair pic I wouldnt even go. Luckly I get the tickets at Costco for 32 bucks. 2 passes 1 parking pass and 10 dollar foos voucher. For the first time 1 vendor refused the voucher and didn't accept cash. You now have to place ur own order on a computer screen with a big glare so its impossible to see anything. Its crazy.

    Josiah H.

    Went to the California State Fair for the first time in at least 15 years! The California State Fair was an annual thing for my family and I as a kid, but as an adult I might've gone once or twice. I decided to finally take my own family for the first time this year, and opted to go during the week and in the evening. Because it would be less busy, and we'd be there as it got cooler in evening. Parking at Cal Expo was $15 and admission for us (13 years and older) was $18/ each. Once inside we got the basic ride wristbands for each of the kids which was $45/each. The were various rides for all ages, and assortment of fair foods and drinks. Some of which were the following: Agua Fresca (Cucumber Lime) ($10) Agua Fresca (Watermelon) ($10) Soda 24oz ($5) Corn dog ($8) Jumbo corndog ($12) Hot dog ($8?) Deep fried Peach ($9) At one point when our older boys when on some of the rides. My girlfriend and youngest son, went to the indoor area, where they had various attractions. Overall: The family and I had a good time, and I'm glad we went. If you go and want to avoid the larger crowds, and heat go during the week and in the evening.

    Susan B.

    California State Fair is a staple in Sacramento. I am a native here so I've been to the fair many times. As I got older, I stopped going especially when they moved it from mid August to mid July. Just too hot to be outside. Just like other fairs/carnivals, there are food, rides, shows, etc. Most things will be expensive. Concerts are free with admissions. Exhibits are cool to check out and get some nice AC air. Parking is not free. They do security screening at the entrance.

    The best Cinnamon Roll EVER with caramel sauce and cinnamon toast crunch!
    Kimberly R.

    Every year we end up going to the state fair and we say never again - due to the heat, amount of walking, and expensive - but we always come back. We love it!!! I actually won tickets to the fair this year! Shoutout to Cakes by Jeff the chef for our prize of family pass fair tickets and a beautifully delicious caramel churro cheesecake! We go to the fair to go on the monorail, rides for the kids, and we like to look at the exhibits. I feel like you really need a couple days to be able to see everything you wanna see! But it makes going back next year that much more exciting.

    Sandy J.

    Great day at The Fair. Went early to beat the crowds and it was awesome . If you can come early, please do. Yes EVERYTHING is expensive. Bring your own sunscreen,seats, food and drinks and save a bundle. Beautiful grounds and enjoy the scenery. There's alot of UFO Alien themed rides. Kinda cool. 2025 Prices; $16.00 tkts to get in $5.00 WATER Candy Apples $8.00 Soda Drinks $7.00 -$ 9.00 Food prices above $15.00 The list gets bigger and prices higher. Enjoy, but if you come this year or next, bring a chest with food and drinks!!! You'll save a bundle!!

    Random pics @ State Fair July 2025
    Linda R.

    This was my first time ever coming to the Sacramento State Fair. I've only ever been to the Pleasanton State Fair and let me say this fair exceeded my expectations! Other than the fact that it's mad expensive, but that comes with any fair, I guess? Just crazy to me as much money as they make for them to charge as much as they do for entry on top of wristbands, then the rip off games, but hey that's the fair for you. They have so much to offer! The place is huge, from indoor to outdoor activities. Every night is a different performer/event. I love how they have a food court, plenty of seating and the mist fans! The indoor building has so many different pop up stores, activities for kids. We didn't even get to walk the entire fair to see the rest that they had to offer, we mainly checked out the indoor shops, food court, sky ride, then everything on the side of the fair but we missed a lot! Next time we plan on coming early in the morning to try and hit everything. $67.05 - entry on a Sunday for 2 adults, 1 child $150 - 3 wristbands (includes the sky ride [not the monorail, that's seperate] I was also amazed to find that they offer fast pass so basically a cut the line for the rides like how they do at Disneyland, but that was like $22-25 more and I wasn't expecting lines to be too long. Luckily they weren't too bad. We arrived at 4pm and everything went by quick, towards 7/8pm is when lines started getting longer, the longest we waited was maybe 10 mins, so nothing too bad. $40 (only gets you 4 games! Apparently each game is 10 tickets in other words $10. So yes, my babygirl "won" herself a 10inch stuffy.) $18 - 2 large lemonades (be sure to buy it from the stand that says $4 refills, because then you can pay $4 for a refill, self explanatory. Not all stands that sell lemonade offer that deal! )

    Liana G.

    This year's state fair was a complete disappointment. Perhaps it was because we attended on the last day. The atmosphere was disheartening and gloomy for me. I vividly recall visiting the fair when it was buzzing with energy and life. This year, everything was overpriced and mediocre. On the bright side, we did enjoy the wine bar. They had excellent wine, but of course, it was overpriced as usual ($16) for a single glass of La Cream, when you could purchase an entire bottle for $23. But hey, it's the fair, and to be expected. We also had a great time listening to the music, the artists were fantastic! We won't be going back for a few years at least.

    Cool Kettle Corn! Best in the business!
    Jeff W.

    Part 1 of 2: The state fair is always off the charts! This is my first time back since 4+5 years, I lived in the Bay Area my whole life and now live in sac. Sunday daytime visit was a dreamy and breezy for my visit yesterday- check out these highlights; -Best kids show: The Drumheads -Best Kettle Korn: Cool kettle Corn -Best indoor exhibit: Low Rider California -Best indoor Sugary place: the candy store! -Best Coffee: Rescate Coffee roasters out of Elk Groove, award winning for 2025- get the Rose Matcha! Best dessert: Country Fair Cinnamon Roll! (Get the worlds and black cuppa Cawfee!" Going back again this week at night

    Sac an ime table
    Kenneth K.

    This year 2025 I thought for sure we weren't attending but my wife says let's go this morning. Yes I was shocked! I had to get 10 cans together to donate though. Bc it was FREE to get in on Friday if you donate 5 cans each ok why not??? It did cost us 15 to park but that's relative nowadays. Not new to this game. I'd say this year we enjoyed the exhibits the best especially the live animals. Although we didn't see bunnies we still saw kookaburras! That was a blast! That lowrider museum was UNREAL! Wow phenomenal!!! We had a blast in the selfie candy museum too. Even a lady offered to take a pic of both of us! We didn't eat the fair food or ride the rides or buy any items. These vendors didn't like us taking pics of their items though. But at least we got our 10,000 steps in!!! EASILY!!! We enjoyed. That was the main reason we came here. Unfortunately many shows weren't on until 4 PM & on so plan on that ahead of time. You can sit in various areas they provide especially by eateries. We even noticed some new restrooms too. Nonetheless the fair stays the same though less vendors this year. Yay less businesses to bother you when you walk past them! Bye bye! Heehee.

    Love the water next the the grass'
    Lisa W.

    I have been attending the California State fair since it was located on Stockton Boulevard in Sacramento. We would visit Merlino's Orange Freeze across the street after attending. The good ol' days. Once the fair moved to Cal Expo, I worked in the carnival section every summer as a teen. It was kind of greasy and dirty, but they paid us cash under the table and all the free rides we wanted! I don't live in Sacramento anymore, but I make a trip every summer to hear at least one of the concerts. We pay the entry fee to get into Cal Expo however we like to set up our chairs in the grassy area, which is free and you can also bring your own snacks. We love dancing, barefoot on the grass. We also visit the Wine and beer Garden each year, which is a fun venue. It's pretty with the waterfall and the tiki vibes. I try to remember to save my glass each year as you get a slight discount with the wine- yet it is still expensive. The grandkids love the rides and we make sure they ride as many of them before the concert starts. All in all the venue is pretty well kept up. The parking is not great as one has to wait in a long line to park and it costs $17 on top of the entry fee. Honestly, there needs to be a better parking situation with reduced prices. Please look at the website before attending as there are several regulations in place - not reading them can result in a negative experience. Also, if you have a wagon or cart please bring as the fair is expansive and it certainly helps when lugging things around. The food? Fair food for sure- do not expect healthy options. We pack our healthy snacks.

    Tres leches did not disappoint
    Katie C.

    Purchased a value pack from Costco before going. Parking, two entry and a $10 food voucher for $33 not bad. We went on a Friday night and couldn't have asked for better weather! Entry was a breeze I brought in a clear backpack and a sealed water bottle no problem. Highlight of this excursion the cinnamon rolls! A must try can't remember if they have been here in the past if not please make sure to bring them back. I will say I did miss the fact that they had no horse shows bummer. Cleanest bathrooms are the ones located furthest back near the petting zoo it's air conditioned and very clean.

    En Vogue performs at the Sky River stage
    Chris T.

    This year, my annual trip to the fair was on the very last day. I enjoy trying fair food, the exhibits, and at least an aerial view of the fair on the monorail. This year, there were less county displays, and other exhibits than there were in past years. It must be up to the groups, agencies and vendors whether or not they can represent this year due to their budgets. One area i enjoyed was the cooking demonstration at the Save Mart Cooking Theater. Today we were entertained by Martin's Street Tacos preparation of their El Pastora street taco. They also made a mild salsa and spicy salsa. The street taco we sampled was very good, made with pork, pineapple, and a poblano pepper seasoning, but the spicy salsa was pretty hot. If you can't handle spicy hot, ask for the mild salsa. It's really good. We stayed for the free concert, featuring En Vogue. They were great. The music was wonderful and brought back great memories. We ventured out to the food area after the concert. Fair food looked great, but can be pretty pricey, so we settled for a corn dog for $7, since we had a street taco earlier. The fair was pretty easy to navigate, but you'll need to spend more than 5 hours to really get through the entire fair, and be sure to wear your most comfortable walking shoes.

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    Page 1 of 19

    Ask the Community - California State Fair

    Is the fair still open?

    The 2021 CA State Fair has been postponed. The Board of Directors is discussing the possibility of a slimmed-down Fair in the fall.

    What are fees for parking & entrance?

    $15 to park (cash only), $14 per adult to enter (credit cards accepted).

    Is there free parking on the streets around the fair?

    Yes, plenty of street parking across from the main entrance on the side streets off Exposition Blvd. However, it can be anywhere from a 10-20min. walk to the entrance turnstiles depending on your pace.

    How much is admission to get in?

    2022 CA State Fair Admission Prices: Adult Daily Admission $14 Senior Daily Admission (Ages 62 &… Read more

    Too hot to go to with small kids?

    It is very hot ...there were small children there when I was there.... but during hottest hours u can stay cool in the exhibit buildings and the eating are has large fans with misting water.

    What's the best thing to eat at the fair? The lobster fries look tasty!?

    I actually don't recommend the lobster fries. They use mostly imitation meat and there's nothing too special about their sauce. I recommend the basics: turkey leg, roasted corn on the cob (on the cob so you get that nice grill flavor!), churros, and… Read more

    Is the $5 coupon book worth it?

    My friend received on free from her Groupon purchase and it just depends on what you're using it for. But I'd say if you're doing a lot of eating or games maybe but not really.

    How much are individual tickets for rides? Like if I wanted to buy 5 tickets for a ride, how much would that cost me?

    RIDES: TUES only-$2 rides for all. Normally $1 per ticket (I think) & depending on the ride determines how many tickets are needed. Unlimited ride wristband: M-Th $30, F-Su… Read more

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - California State Fair

    The Monorail is about fiftyfeet high and takes you birdseye view of the whole fair so we could map out our journey..

    Mentioned in 55 reviews

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    10th Annual Sacramento Aloha Festival 2021…read more Aloha kākou! This year the Aloha Fest was held at the Gold Country Fairgrounds in Auburn. I've never attended the location at the Cal Expo but the location in Auburn was a beautiful park-like venue with lots of greenery outside in the open air. It was a nice place to hold the event. The weather was sunny and in the low 80's. Perfect weekend for ending the summer! Folks were out in their lawn chairs just enjoying the day. There was no shortage of entertainment (live native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander), fun workshops, Aloha merchandise, and delicious Polynesian food!!! There were resource vendor booths, educational exhibits, and an arts and crafts Keiki Korner, and lots more. Restrooms were nearby and the grounds was wheelchair accessible. We attended to watch my boss's little keiki participate on stage with the KŪHAI HĀLAU O KANOHEAOKALIKOLAUA'E PĀ 'ŌLAPA KAHIKO dance group led by Kumu Hula, Nohea Macugay. We also participated (attempted) at the Tahitian Workshop with the VAIPUNA NO TE HERE dance group led by Director, Stephanie Manuel. My daughter belongs in the dance group and was part of the workshop. -whew- what a workout. Also, saw my favorite band, Island Sunset Band, on stage. My favorite because "Unko" is a guitar player (married to Yelper, "Aunty" Ronnie B) This was a much needed coming together and made me miss the islands. It's the next best thing in the mainland if you're not in Hawaii... Aloha... A hui hou! Review #2397

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    We have attended the Buddhist church Japanese food & cultural bazaar so so many many times. This…read moreyear 2025 it was expected to be 100 degrees. Thank goodness the band we came for started playing at 11 AM. Even then it was toasty already that we decided to leave early like before 1 PM. A suggestion is they need misters to combat the heat! We were at another different kind of festival where there were fan misters! My wife loved it! We ran into old friends. This year we didn't bother getting food bc the lines were crazy busy but my wife is on a special diet so she can't eat much of the food anyway. Many people around us bought food & the sizes looked smaller. We were even tempted to buy Gunther's freezes! Now that was super smart to have for sale, very refreshing! The teriyaki beef sammy was huge I heard this year. Inside the church gym they sold sushi & udon. Outside the food was for sale & the lines forked for days. So you must be patient. This year like the last year it was only a 1 day event. I think since Covid it has changed considerably bc before it used to be a 2 days event. I'm sure we will try again if we aren't gone traveling & the weather is cooler! I know fat chance that happens! It's like the live band Eastwind always brings the HEAT!!! There has been an occasional time that it was cool that day. That's very rare though. Maybe next year! Heehee. Watch my wife book a trip! We shall see...

    This year was my first time coming to the Japanese & Cultural bazaar. I've always wanted to check…read moreit out, but my schedule has never allowed me to. I met up with friends and ran into friends I haven't seen in a while so this was a nice meet up. I arrived early as my friend has a table and we checked out the different food offerings and split up because the lines were going to be long so each person took on another order and got in line and bought the food to make the process faster. There was so much food to choose from I was so excited! We got Yakisoba noodles, Udon noodles, teriyaki grilled chicken, rice, and my favorite!! The beef sandwich it was huge! And Spicy tuna sushi rolls. They had desserts of all kinds for sell, but I didn't get any it looked amazing thought. It was a lot of people and long lines everywhere. I had a great time enjoying food with friends and just mingling. I will definitely come back next year it is well worth it and the food is fantastic! They also had a band performing ol'skool music. If you haven't been you have to check it out. You will not be disappointed.

    Photos
    Japanese Food & Cultural Bazaar
    Japanese Food & Cultural Bazaar
    Japanese Food & Cultural Bazaar

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    Farm To Fork Festival

    Farm To Fork Festival

    4.1
    (42 reviews)
    3.8 mi

    This was the first year I attended the Farm to Fork Street Festival and I'm so sad I missed out on…read moreyears of fun. No worries though, this has become a must attend event for my family. The festival was Friday and Saturday for 2024 and we attended on the Friday. It's free to enter. We arrived on the earlier side, around 5pm and it wasn't too crowded and lines for food were short. We grabbed drink tickets, which were reasonably priced- $8 for beer, $12 for cocktails and I think $10 for wine (we didn't get any wine though). There was music, a silent disco, local vendors, and on Friday there was a private Grand Tasting event that costs extra and was sold out the day of the event. We ended up stopping for drinks with Midtown Spirits, grabbed some adobo bacon jerky with Baboy Boys, a chicken and rice plate with Sweet Mother 101 and a bucket of lumpia and chicharones from Lumpia Bucket. It seemed like prices were a bit more festival prices than everyday prices, but the food was good! We walked around for a while, visited some of the interactive booths/vendors and headed out after a few hours. As we were leaving the crowds were getting larger and the lines were getting longer. They had music going throughout the event, and it was fun to listen to. Next year we plan to come on Saturday and start early in the day again. We would also consider doing the Grand Tasting in the future.

    Just ok. Not very many vendors as last year. Very disappointed, no good food to get. Went home…read morehungry. Music is really loud near food court. It's to be expected. Still ok walking around . Love the fruit drinks at Estillo.

    Photos
    Chicken Tikka Burrito
    Chicken Tikka Burrito
    Peach mango from Jefitaz
    Peach mango from Jefitaz
    Lechon plate from Baboy Boys

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    Lechon plate from Baboy Boys
    Sacramento Arts Festival

    Sacramento Arts Festival

    4.3
    (7 reviews)
    3.1 mi

    After missing a few years of the Sacramento Arts Festival because of the pandemic, Joe K and I were…read moreexcited again to visit this once a year event! It only happens for three days in November. This time I felt like our lives were starting to have a semblance of routine and normalcy. We chose a Saturday to attend. Masks of course, were required and we were even asked to show our Covid-19 vaccine cards. I looked forward to seeing several of my favorite artists, but alas, they were not present this year, except for one. I did splurge on a lovely glass blown sea creature design by Shawn Tsai. But many wonderful artists did participate this year, making it an enjoyable day. We still made a point of visiting the regulars, seeing some new ones, and missing the ones that were not there this year.  But at least we had a full and enjoyable day making special purchases and conversing with some of the friendly people. It's nice to have more culture in our area and this show is one that makes you more aware of the beauty that people can create and inspire! The yearly tradition resumes!

    It is time again to dust off the murse and head to the Sacramento Arts Festival for a great day of…read morelooking at art while listening to some mellow music. Hopefully I will find some great Christmas presents for the family at the same time. After a stop for banana nut pancakes and Belgium beer we finally made our way into the convention center while a band played some smooth jazz in the background. The first thing I noticed was that the venders had their noses stuck to their cell phones, i-pads, and Kendalls. No one seemed to be paying attention to their potential customers. Is this what our world has come to? I wanted to yell at them; "put down your phones, the real world is out here". This baffling behavior continued until I finally came across a tie salesman from Berkeley by the name of Mitchel Rubin. You might think there is not much interesting about ties, but that would be because your eyes have not crossed paths with these whimsical artistic masterpieces. Mitchel not only had regular neckties but had pre tied bow ties and bow ties that you had to tie yourself for the bow tie purest and if that was not enough to get you all excited he had whimsical artistic suspender masterpieces as well. This guy was talented! He even had matching sets. Of course my girl friend had to check out all of the handcrafted jewelry and we both enjoyed the various pottery and hand blown goods. Then my girl friend found a comfortable pair of sandal that she could not pass up and I found a couple of hand thrown coffee mugs with frogs and dragonflies to buy my sister for Christmas. We stopped for a couple of frozen mochas (this has become an annual tradition) before continuing on. It was not long before my girl friend came across a ceramic masterpiece she had to get for a family member and I came across a hand blown glass Christmas ornament that looked kind of like a sparkling avocado (I buy my daughter some kind of handcrafted ornament every year). That is when I realized that I had not bought my annual Todd Borg suspense novel yet so we went in search of the Novelist from Tahoe. After purchasing the latest "Owen McKenna Mystery Thriller" and having Todd Borg personally sign it, we had just about conquered the show when my girl friend decided that we needed to get a present for a very special friend of hers so we spent at least another hour looking for the perfect present that would most clearly express our love for this friend. It was truly another successful year at the Sacramento Arts Festival.

    Photos
    Garden Fairies
    Garden Fairies
    Adirondac Designs
    Adirondac Designs
    Natural Fire, Chris Efstratis

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    Natural Fire, Chris Efstratis
    Fair Oaks Chicken Festival

    Fair Oaks Chicken Festival

    4.3
    (13 reviews)
    9.4 mi

    What a fun annual events for all ages!…read more There is free parking in the nearby lot if you get their early or you can park in the neighborhoods and walk into the park. There is also paid parking ($13) that you have to pre-pay online. Follow the signs for "PRE-PAY" and scan the QR code with the person at the gate. Paying for parking was the way to go, it was a short walk into the event when some of my family members had to park far into the neighborhoods. There are some chicken themed vendors and a few chicken dishes can be found at the food trucks. We witnessed a chicken call contest on stage where the person with the best chicken cluck got a gift card for $25! There seemed to be some chicken themed activities for the kids as well. Country music and hay bales as seats. 2 Beer/Wine gardens to ease you from the heat. I bought a load of jalapeno cheese bread from the cutest bakery vendor. We brought our camp chairs and set up under the shade to hear the music and check out the vendors. Beer tickets were $7 and there was a pretty good variety. Fun time!

    The Fair Oaks Chicken Festival is a must go to event for everyone. There is something for all ages…read more Lots of craft and business vendors, a few food trucks, music on multiple stages and a place for the kids to have fun & play. First time attending the festival, my 2 year old granddaughter and I went and had a blast. We walked around the different vendors, received some free items including a cool chicken hat, little chicken squish toys which she loved, and we learned a few things from the vendors. Had a Mango sorbert and Pink Lemonade from one of the food trucks that was the best I have ever had. Yum! Prices were good for the large size of the items. Parking wasn't too bad, we found some at a nearby business who offered their lot to festival patrons and didn't have to walk to far. There was lots of security walking around the festival, which made you feel safe. My granddaughter had so much fun coloring on the Kids Color Board, bouncing in the bounce houses and playing the mini carnival games. We will definitely will be back next year.

    Photos
    Fair Oaks Chicken Festival - Chickenstock!
    Fair Oaks Chicken Festival - Chickenstock!
    Lots of fun for the kids
    Lots of fun for the kids
    Fair Oaks Chicken Festival - Saturday 9/17/16

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    Fair Oaks Chicken Festival - Saturday 9/17/16
    East Sacramento's Fab 40s Christmas Lights

    East Sacramento's Fab 40s Christmas Lights

    4.5
    (111 reviews)
    2.1 mi

    This spot offers a delightful experience. We finally returned this year after not coming for a bit…read more You see lots of beautiful lights & original displays. On some streets, tree trunks wrapped in lights line the sidewalks. On other streets, strings cross from above. You can also admire the architecture of the neighborhood. Lots of walkers & cars visit, so be courteous & careful. You won't see too much in the way of over-the-top crazy displays of saturated decor or inflatables, but it's definitely worthwhile to enjoy a magical time here of lots of lights in one area.

    December 7, 2025, East Sacramento…read more This was my first visit to the Fab 40s Christmas Lights, and it did not disappoint. We went a little ahead of this year's December 14 start date, but many homes were already beautifully decorated and fully lit. One of the highlights of the evening was a young boy selling excellent hot chocolate to benefit the SPCA--such a sweet and memorable touch. We arrived around 6:00 pm, which turned out to be perfect timing. It was fairly uncrowded when we started, but as the evening went on, the number of people and cars steadily increased. My recommendation would be to go early, park nearby, and walk the neighborhood. It's the best way to take your time, enjoy the lights, and really soak in the festive atmosphere. Overall, it's a lovely way to celebrate the holiday season.

    Photos
    East Sacramento's Fab 40s Christmas Lights
    East Sacramento's Fab 40s Christmas Lights
    Christmas 2022

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    Christmas 2022
    Elk Grove Giant Pumpkin Festival

    Elk Grove Giant Pumpkin Festival

    4.0
    (27 reviews)
    14.2 mi
    $

    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.

    recently attended the Elk Grove Pumpkin Patch, and it was an enormous event packed with fun and…read moreactivities! This was my third time going, and I love it more every year. The giveaways were abundant and added a special touch to the day. One of the most unique and exciting activities was the pumpkin races on the water--such a creative and entertaining sight! The people were incredibly friendly, which only enhanced the warm, family-friendly atmosphere. Despite the hot day and the lengthy parking lines, I found free parking in a nearby neighborhood, which was a big plus. The great family vibes made it all worthwhile. The Elk Grove Pumpkin Patch is a fantastic place for families to have fun and make lasting memories. I can't recommend it highly enough!

    Photos
    These pumpkin houses were pretty after being photographed!
    These pumpkin houses were pretty after being photographed!
    My wife wanted those knitted cuties!!! Good thing we didn't walk back that way!
    My wife wanted those knitted cuties!!! Good thing we didn't walk back that way!
    Fruit and vegetable final standings

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    Fruit and vegetable final standings

    California State Fair - festivals - Updated July 2026

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