Spring & Summer Food Festivals Near Sacramento
March 27, 2024

Spring & Summer Food Festivals Near Sacramento

With spring finally arriving after months of dreary weather, many people are eager to get out and enjoy the sunshine. Being that Sacramento is the Farm-to-Fork Capital of the nation, it’s no wonder that one of the best things to do in Sacramento is to hit up a food festival. There are dozens of food festivals throughout the greater Sacramento area each year, where you can get everything from grilled cheese to barbecue ribs.

The spring and summer festival season culminates with the granddaddy of them all, the Farm-to-Fork Festival, scheduled for Sept. 5–21 in downtown Sacramento. It’s a weeks-long celebration of all things food and wine, with live music, cooking demonstrations, wine tasting, and much more.

So, if you’d like to take a bite out of the Sacramento area’s vibrant food scene, consider attending one of the following food festivals this spring or summer.

April

Photo courtesy Taco Throwdown

Roseville Taco Throwdown | April 20

Next to the burrito, there’s little doubt that in the world of portable south-of-the-border delicacies, the taco is the grand champ. This annual event in Roseville pits the best taco makers in the region against one another. Tickets get you a seat at the judging table, with People’s Choice Awards announced the same day. Plus, there will be live music and plenty of adult beverages. 21+ only.

Sacramento Grilled Cheese Festival | April 27–28

There’s nothing more enticing than an ooey, gooey grilled cheese sandwich. This annual festival in Sacramento’s Southside Park lets you sample a range of gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches prepared by top chefs in the area. Plus, there’s wine and beer tasting too. Saturday’s event is 21 and over only, while Sunday’s event is all ages.

May

Photo courtesy California Honey Festival

California Honey Festival | May 4

Something’s abuzz in Woodland this May — the annual California Honey Festival! The annual event aims to educate the public about the importance of honeybees for our food systems and our economy. The event has cooking demonstrations, hands-on educational activities, live music, and of course, plenty of honey to sample.

Foodieland Night Market | May 10–12

Billed as the largest food festival in Northern California, this multicultural event held at Cal Expo is modeled after the vibrant night markets of Asia. With more than 100 food vendors, you’ll find delicacies from every corner of the globe. There are also art & craft vendors, live entertainment and games. Entry tickets are $6 and can be purchased in advance.

June

Photo courtesy The Crawdad Festival

The Isleton Crawdad Festival | June 15–16

Crawdad, crawfish, crayfish — no matter what you call them, you’ll find them at this longstanding event in the Delta town of Isleton. Hosted by local business owners, the original Crawdad Festival has been an Isleton tradition since the 1980s, offering a slice of Americana with live music, a car show, and a kids zone. There’ll also be a second line parade, complete with brass bands and colorful costumes à la New Orleans. Of course, there’ll be plenty of crawdad-based delicacies, including a traditional crawfish boil, as well as Cajun specialties such as po’ boys, jambalaya, gumbo, hurricanes, and much more.

The Crawdad Festival | June 15–16

The newcomer on the crawdad festival block will also be hosting its own event on Father’s Day weekend, this time, at Cal Expo. There will also be plenty of crawdads, live music, vendor booths, a car show, a parade, and carnival rides. In addition, they’re hosting a Miss Crawdad Pageant and crawfish races!

July

Photo courtesy Courtland Pear Fair

Courtland Pear Fair | July 24

Pear pies, pear compote, pear ice cream, pear cider — all are available at this annual event celebrating the Bartlett pear harvest in the Delta town of Courtland. There’ll be arts & crafts, a car show, live music, wine tasting, and of course, plenty of pears to take home. A pear king and queen will be crowned, and there’s even a fun run, pear packing contest and duck call contest.

August

Photo courtesy Buddhist Church of Sacramento

Folsom Peach Festival | Aug. 4

Everything peachy will be on tap in Folsom during the annual Peach Festival. You can try peach milkshakes, peach donuts, and of course, plenty of sweet and juicy peaches to eat out of hand. Vendors will be selling peach-themed goodies such as jewelry, candles and bath products, plus there will be live music and chef demos.

Japanese Food & Cultural Bazaar | Aug 10–11

Teriyaki chicken, shrimp tempura, sushi rolls, and boba — these are just a few of the Japanese delicacies you can try at this annual event sponsored by the Buddhist Church of Sacramento. Now in its 75th year, the event showcases the best in both Japanese cuisine and culture. In addition to food, you can enjoy taiko drumming, dancing, and music.

Sacramento Banana Festival | Aug. 17–18

Bananas may not be native to the Sacramento area, but that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate them in all their yellow glory! This fun event in Sacramento’s Land Park features everything banana: banana cookies, banana fritters, banana street tacos and yes, banana beer. There’s also a banana eating contest, a banana art contest and a best-dressed banana doggy contest. Plus, there’ll be live music and arts & crafts for the kids.

All-American Rib Cookoff | Aug. 24

Barbecue ribs are an American summer staple, and this event in Auburn gives them the attention they deserve! Teams from across the state and beyond will be competing for the bragging rights, and tickets will give attendees a say in who should go home with the trophy. There will also be craft beer, live music, and a kids’ zone.

 

 

Category Local Events

Elizabeth Penney

Elizabeth Penney is a content writer for Lyon Real Estate and the Lyon Local blog. A Sacramento native with a marketing background, she shares her insider knowledge on restaurants, attractions and outdoor activities throughout the greater Sacramento area and beyond.