2016 Summer Festivals and Events in Sacramento

Summer seems to be synonymous with festivals. The kids are out of school, the weather is beautiful, and the days are longer. In our opinion, this is the perfect formula for enjoying one of the many festivals Sacramento has in store during the summer of 2016.

Get your tickets in advance, mark your calendars, take a day off work — do whatever you need to do in order to make it to these exciting festivals taking place this summer!

Sacramento Music Festival | May 27 – 30, 2016

Celebrate the unofficial start of summer over Memorial Day weekend at the Sacramento Music Festival. The festival is a four-day, all-day party featuring live music, 100 unique performances, street dancing, animated parades, and wonderful food and drink options — all in the energetic atmosphere within the streets of Old Sacramento.

Get the party started early on Friday night, watch the colorful parade on Saturday morning, and enjoy incredible musicians throughout the entire weekend. Buy your tickets for a specific day or get an All Events Pass to enjoy it all for $125!

Shannapalooza Annual Music Festival | June 4, 2016

Photos courtesy of Shannapalooza Annual Music Festival

The Shannapalooza Annual Music Festival is a family-friendly festival held each June at Swabbies on the River, a live music venue and restaurant famous for their fish tacos.

Some of Sacramento and Northern California’s best bands will gather at Swabbies’ stage for this two-day event celebrating family, friends, music, and of course — summer. This is an exciting opportunity to hear new music from local bands, meet people in the community, eat great tacos, and have a blast all the while.

Sacramento Taco Festival | June 4, 2016

You don’t need to wait for Cinco de Mayo to come back around before you bite into a delicious taco. The 3rd Annual Sacramento Taco Festival is a fun-filled day featuring entertainment, arts and crafts, contests, and an abundance of tacos from local taquerias. Taste the traditional and inventive taco creations from talented local chefs, watch the lucha libre wrestling matches, and enjoy live mariachi music! Get your $10 tickets in advance or as you enter the festival in the Del Paso Design District on June 4.

Sacramento Pride | June 4, 2016

Sacramento Pride is one of Sacramento’s largest annual festivals! As with any major city’s Pride festival, it celebrates and brings together the local LGBT community in a fun and exciting way. Over 13,000 Pride attendees will gather on the Capitol Mall between 3rd and 7th Streets from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 4 for a festive day of activity — from the traditional parade to the festival itself.

The parade is a tradition in Pride festivals dating back over 40 years ago. The parade starts at 11 a.m. and travels towards the Capital building along N Street between 3rd and 10th Streets. Admire the bright and exciting floats, cars, and marching individuals traveling this route!

The festival taking place on the Capitol Mall costs $10 per person. Festivities include a dance pavilion, a kids’ zone, an art zone, lots of food vendors, and more!

Taste of Summer | June 3 – 5, 2016

The Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau is hosting their annual Taste of Summer, a weekend packed with activities celebrating Sacramento’s Farm to Fork claim to fame. Each day holds something special in store — from wine tasting to an outdoor brunch experience!

You may buy your tickets for the latter two events at your local Save Mart Supermarket in advance. Grape Escape tickets cost $39 ($11 savings) and Sunday Brunch tickets are $54 ($5 savings).

Winemakers’ Dinner | June 3, 2016

The Winemakers’ Dinner provides the unique opportunity to sample exclusive wine pairing menus at some of the region’s most exciting eateries. You can mix and mingle with some of the local winemakers, sample delectable fare, and sip on some of the best wine around.

Grape Escape | June 4, 2016

Photos Courtesy of Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau

Farm-to-Fork Sunday Brunch | June 5, 2016

The Farm-to-Fork Sunday Brunch is one of the most anticipated brunch events of the season. As a guest, you can bask in California’s summer sun, sample a farm-to-fork feast, and sip on Bloody Marys and bottomless mimosas! Don’t miss this outdoor feast celebrating summer and all things local from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on 13th and K Streets.

Raley Field Brewfest | June 10, 2016

Head to Raley Field, home of the Sacramento River Cats, for something other than baseball. The Raley Field Brewfest is an action-packed annual festival bringing over 50 craft breweries to our city for a day of sampling, celebration, and indulgence. Each year at The Raley Field Brewfest, the stadium fills up with people milling about to visit the various breweries showcasing their craft creations. You’ll taste rare, experimental, and popular recipes — and you may just discover your new favorite beer or brewery!

Sacramento Banana Festival | August 20 – 21, 2016

The 7th Annual Sacramento Banana Festival is a unique and diverse festival, celebrating the many global societies with strong connections to the banana tree — whether that’s through their cuisine or artwork. This two-day festival kicks off with a 5K run/walk, and offers a variety of activities, including unique banana dishes, exciting live entertainment, multicultural exhibits, a robust marketplace and more!

This festival benefits the National Academic Youth Corps, which provides art and educational programs for over 15,000 youth and adults every year in Sacramento, as well as over a dozen other worthy local charities. Tickets are $5 in advance and $6 at the gate, and the festival is free for children ages 5 and under.

Sactown Wings Chicken Wing Festival | July 31, 2016

Head to Southside Park for Sactown Wings, an annual celebration of mouth-watering chicken wings. In addition to sampling some of the best wings in the region, you can enjoy live music, games, cheap beer, and more! There will be over 40,000 chicken wings on site, so make sure you do your part to sample the variety of flavors from all of the vendors at Sactown Wings.

Happy (Almost) Summer, Sacramento!

Enjoy these festivals in the beautiful California sun this year!