As seen on http://pacificrimstreetfest.com/…read more The Pacific Rim Street Fest has been CANCELLED for 2017 Unfortunately, and with profound apologies, the Asian Pacific Rim Foundation and the PRSF Committee have chosen to cancel this year's Festival. We struggled with this decision, knowing it will have an affect on our sponsors, as well as on the public, the vendors, and countless others. The funding that supports the Street Fest was substantially less than necessary to produce a successful event, and although we worked hard to find a way to proceed, after considerable discussion we agreed that the cancellation was unavoidable. We will take this time to regroup once more, reconsider our fundraising strategies and begin to plan for the future of the Pacific Rim Street Festival. Your support and commitment to the event are deeply appreciated, and we did not make this decision without considering its substantial impact on our communities. We look forward to serving our Pacific Rim communities in the near future. Sincerely, Emmylou Dalaza, Asian Pacific Rim Foundation President and interim Chair, Pacific Rim Street Fest Planning Committee

Pacific Islander & Hawaiian Awareness Blossoming in All of it's Beauty…read more SITREP Never is Old Sacramento decked out in a more exotic and gorgeous manner. Beautiful booths, kiosks, food vendors, and active-life organizations are out in full-force to to share their culture and history with those willing to listen. SETUP I've been enjoying the Pacific Rim Street Festival for more than 15 years, on and off (though more ON) and I have to say it remains one of the highlights of my Springs. The streets are filled all along the major grid of Old Sac, but that doesn't detract from the all the regular businesses in Old Sac. There is a tremendous synergy that goes with the whole business community that attracts a lot fun energy with the people that pack the streets. MARTIAL ARTS I have always been a fan of Andy Ah Po and his school dojo as they perform many exciting feats of martial art prowess for the crowd. As a good friend, I look forward to seeing Andy and his students. THE FOOD! You can't lose here as you have so many culinary delights to choose from, with noodles, rice and fried delicacies aplenty. Filipino cuisine seems to be my favorite at these ventures since I don't usually find it any other time. THE SWAG There are a lot of free souvenirs to collect from various booths, and I have to say that the Dragon and Lion puppets are some of the cutest. Which before I forget, this is a GREAT environment for kids, to learn about other cultures if they themselves are not from or exposed often to Asian cultures. The opportunity to learn from so many friendly people is a boon to promoting great diversity awareness. THE LOWDOWN Whether for food, cultural arts & crafts, martial art demonstrations, and did I mention the food?, you can't go wrong on having a great time here.

I have no idea why no one else has left a review for this event in all these years.. like I'm…read moreseriously confused! With all the foodies attending surely some of them have to be Yelpers?! But in any case, since my review is the only one I feel obligated to update it. They have made a ton of improvements since my initial review! These include: * Opening up the outdoor patio (HUGE win) with some vendors out there * Adding live music (in the outdoor area) * Adding a lot more seating and deterring folks from holding/camping out at seats the entire time with signs on the tables * Food vendors have branched out with more seafood and veggie options The price has gone up (as it has for everything else of course) but it's worth it in my opinion (especially if you buy early bird). Compared to other events in the area with cheap entrance fees but costly food and horrid lines, I MUCH prefer this. Oddly a few of the former mainstays like Kru bowed out from the event this year... However, there are still plenty of great options. I mean we got *Tsar Nicoulai caviar* this time, among many other delightful bites! Another point of great appreciation is the readily available cans of La Croix and also filtered water. Hydration is key for events like this (you would THINK that is obvious but I've been to some other events where they charge extra for water or it's hard to find). The main remaining issue with Taste of East Sac is that some vendors still run out of food too early (and even wine... looking at you Daou lol), but I guess there's not much the organizers can do if the vendors just aren't planning properly? I think it is better now than it was years ago in that at least half the vendors still have some food half way through. Overall, the event shuts down earlier than I'd like (seems pretty dead by ~8:30pm), but I'm one of those people that can socialize and dance into the late hours on weekends so YMMV :) Overall we really enjoy this event every year and I recommend it to anyone!!

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.

Beautiful, Spiritual & Enchanting Celebration For The Day Of The Dead!…read more SITREP Walking amongst the stalls & booths of many celebrants, artists and well-wishers for the Day of the Dead celebration in Midtown Sacramento during this early Fall day was absolutely magical! THE SETUP In Midtown Sacramento in the Farmer's Market lot between J & K Streets and 20th & 21st Streets, there were dozens of gorgeously decked out booths, filled with families, celebrating the lives of deceased family members with their pictures, personal mementos, divine Sainted/Scented candles, and lots of incense. TRADITIONS Dia de los Muertos - or "The Day of the Dead" - is a sentimental Mexican holiday that is practiced and observed throughout Mexico and in other Latin cultures around the world. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. [In 2008 the tradition was inscribed in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO] ROMAN CATHOLICISM Looking at your histories, before Spanish colonization in the 16th century, The Day of the Dead used to take place at the beginning of summer. However, the Church moved the celebrations to October 31, November 1 and November 2 to coincide with the Roman Catholic triduum festival of Allhallowtide - similar to our All Hallows' Eve we celebrated in our Saxon, Celtic and other traditions. This holiday also includes constructing private altars called OFRENDAS which honor the deceased by using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the people we are memorializing. It is also customary for us to leave possessions of the deceased at the graves. MARKETING! But this also presents an opportunity to SELL festive wares in honor of the dead: * Porcelain Skulls all decked out http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/dia-de-los-muertos-sacramento#9-efOxpk9Msw74DTSLUyew * Fine Jewelry with emblems of the dead engraved thereupon * Comfy Festive Clothing (my co-worker Nena, recently retired, was having fun hocking her new crafty head bands at this very fair!) http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/dia-de-los-muertos-sacramento#6iGz9sOujrDdr2khLUfRuQ * Fun wooden cut-out figures of men taking siestas and singing frogs http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/dia-de-los-muertos-sacramento#0cjKZmtX6-HGiqWdZDRTEw; * And Mexican Wrestling Masks. ["Mexican Wrestling Masks"?, you ask? Yes. Them too, though I'm not ...quite... sure....of....the connection (but what do I know)] http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/dia-de-los-muertos-sacramento#l1reYRg6DTtRrzZ9KDmZCA Which brings us also to... THE ARTISTS! There were several local celebrity artists out, creating art during the invent itself, as well as enhancing beautiful ceremonial memorials for the dead. Among this group was my friend, artist Ruben Reveles with his exhibit that was near the J Street side of the plaza-lot. Ruben chose flowers - marigolds to be precise - to be part of his medium to convey his reverence. In fact, marigolds are a sacred flower to revering the dead, including both Latin and East Indian Cultures. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/dia-de-los-muertos-sacramento#u10PiI-Y_3yVdJAWvLRxeg WEIRD MOMENT OF THE DAY I was trying to figure out the relationship to this Festival with a giant can of (what looked like) Coke Cola, but actually said in cursive (which could easily confuse the very casual reader just glancing over) DIABETES! Now THAT was a hoot! http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/dia-de-los-muertos-sacramento#opRXvEIC-LqQZbw7BxIFhQ I was just lucky that both Bambi and Fabianna were up to "Vanna White"ing the monumental blow-up can for me! ;) THE LOWDOWN A fun cultural outing on a gorgeous afternoon in Midtown Sacramento!

So this event actually took place in oak park but since it was for the venue it let me check in…read morehere.. so weird but the event was sooo awesome!! First time ever celebrating was so happy to have my daughter experience the rich culture which she had fully embraced! So authentic we got our face painted traditionally which there were a number of vendors doing the face painting at no charge. We saw and participated in the dancing. We saw many Ofrenda's showcasing loved ones with stories we took many pictures and had a blast! The best part was since the movie COCO had recently came out my four year old daughter knew what was going on and was super excited to be apart of the party. I love how much culture this city embraces and how much joy and unity it brings to the community. If you ever get a chance to come to dia de los muertos COME! the night is lit up with smells of authenicity!!!!

Beautiful Time Celebrating Ancient Cultural Diversity in Sacramento!…read morehttps://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/lantern-street-festival-sacramento?select=wSSUqMiUI0sCyIE8XEcSpw&userid=3mNz5nQFTIBQm0oU5mBR0w SITREP Fremont Park in Downtown Sacramento became the site of the lovely Lantern Festival. https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/lantern-street-festival-sacramento?select=Ay_BfKSvzAy8Nd9X9w4rzw&userid=3mNz5nQFTIBQm0oU5mBR0w THE SETUP Sacramento has a large Chinese community - and has had one nearly since the founding of this city, and definitely since the founding of The Great State of California. The Spring Lantern Festival ("Lantern Festival") is a Chinese festival celebrated historically on the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunisolar Chinese calendar. It marks the final day of the traditional Chinese New Year celebrations. Fremont Park was the site for this year's festival and became a hub of activity with Decorated Lanterns, a music concert, a food truck convo, and so much more fun! https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/lantern-street-festival-sacramento?select=ud0mxk_sXgV9GGoSp91EdQ&userid=3mNz5nQFTIBQm0oU5mBR0w LIGHT TOYS! A festival such as this DOES inspire some marked "branch-offs" when it comes to pleasing the sensibilities of children: many lighted toys make their way into the festivals. Many kids brought their light-sabers contributing to the visual array of lights. There are also some creations that I swear are Harry Potter-inspired, such as the "Lighted-Wands" that come with their own lighted globe on the end of the wand. https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/lantern-street-festival-sacramento?select=a2aUOqyuUd10pTam9dVN9w&userid=3mNz5nQFTIBQm0oU5mBR0w ANCIENT HISTORY As early as the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC), the Lantern Festival has been imbued with great significance for children, who go out at night, carrying their paper lanterns, and solving riddles that adults have placed on the lanterns. In those ancient times, lanterns were plain, and often only the nobility could afford the making of large ornate lanterns. These days, lanterns feature many different embellishments with intricate designs, including being in the shape of animals or symbols. THE WEST Because of our significant Chinese communities all over the United States, including here in California, the Lantern Festival is a significant Cultural Celebration. It is noted in many other Western countries as well, especially in cities with a large Chinese community: for example, in London, the Magical Lantern Festival (the largest Lantern Festival outside of China) is held annually. THE LOWDOWN A beautiful celebration giving we Sacramentans to enjoy some more great cultural diversity with our neighbors.

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.

I was at a Lebanese festival in Sacramento in the past, and it was just perfect for families with…read moreindividuals of all ages. Great people, food, music and culture. Make sure to not miss out! It's three days this year. Looking forward to eating the food for all three days this time

This was the first fair that was held in the newly named area called Little Saigon. I hope this…read morebecomes a yearly event to bring the community together and expand on it's ideals. Even if you're not Vietnamese you can attend and feel welcomed. There were a lot of things this event could have done better but hey it's just their first time around so no harsh comments from me yet. They had a fashion show, government figures speaking, singers, dancers and acts from a lot of other cultures that aren't Vietnamese under the big tent. Can't wait to see what next year will bring !!