This weekend around Northern California it’s all about getting in the holiday spirit. Santa Claus himself will be all over the area to help spread the cheer.
In fact, he’ll be at the annual Sacramento Santa Parade this weekend at the Capitol. The parade starts at 10 a.m. at 14th and N streets. For more family fun, head over to the Sacramento Zoo for their Holiday Magic event, where guests can watch the animals open their Christmas presents early, among other scheduled events.
If you’re still shopping around for that perfect present, Drake’s: The Barn in West Sac is hosting a special “Crafts + Drafts” event. It’s the perfect opportunity for you last-minute shoppers to find locally-made gifts and grab a beer at the same time!
And speaking of beer, SantaCon is taking Old Sacramento by storm Saturday night. If you haven’t heard of it, SantaCon is a roving beer crawl where participants dress in holiday garb and cut loose to participating locations or wherever the night may take them.
If you want to get into Santa-themed bar hopping, but don’t want to head all the way down to the city, then you can join Old Roseville’s Santa Bar Crawl. Prizes will be awarded to the best Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, and the ugliest Christmas sweater.
If you head a little further north of Interstate 80 you can go to Auburn’s Classic Christmas celebration. The event features arts & crafts, hayrides, photos with Santa much more!
That is just some of the incredible events going on this weekend around Northern California. Scroll down to read more!
Do you have an event idea? Send your suggestions to mnuttle@abc10.com
When: Dec. 14 | 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Where: Downtown Sacramento
Santa Claus is coming to town! This Saturday, Downtown Sacramento will host the 37th annual Santa Parade on their regular route around Capitol Park.
The parade starts at 10 a.m. and will move from 14th Street and N Street along the park, then west on N Street to 10th Street, north on 10th Street to L Street, and east on L Street to its disbanding point at 12th Street and L Street.
As usual, the parade will host a wide variety of participants, from marching bands and youth groups to classic cars and horses and much more. And of course, the parade will not be complete without the man of the hour himself bringing Christmas cheer to the capital city.
Some groups participating in this year’s event include Natomas Night Hawks Marching Band, Girl and Boy Scouts of the Sacramento councils, Painted Ladies equestrians, Sacramento police and fire departments, Mad Science Club, the Ghostbusters, Guns N’Hoses Cheerleaders, Kids Dance Fitness, and Macy’s Stores.
The event is free and open to the public. You won’t want to miss this fun holiday event in the heart of Sacramento.
Admission:
- FREE!
When: Dec. 14 | 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Drake's: The Barn, 985 Riverfront Street, West Sacramento
If you’re looking to get your hands on some awesome, locally made crafts, why not head to Drakes: The Barn this Saturday for Crafts + Drafts!
More than 75 local artists and small businesses will be on hand selling their unique wares, courtesy of River City Marketplace.
Browse the booths and grab a beer (more than 25 varieties on tap) or a glass of wine and enjoy the day. There’s also fire pits, lawn games and live music with DJ Rockbottom. And as usual at The Barn, kids and dogs are welcome to tag along.
Come on out and support local artists and have a great time while you shop for the perfect holiday gifts for your loved ones!
Admission:
- FREE!
When: Dec. 14 | 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Where: Old Sacramento
SantaCon is back in Sacramento for the first time since 2017. This fun, wacky and wild bar crawl event us taking place in Old Sacramento.
Guests are encouraged to get dressed in their holiday best (or worst depending on the observer) and join in on the absurdity. The event is free to participate in, but for *$3 you can get a custom rubber Santacon 2019 wristband. The first 50 guests to arrive will also receive a Santacon beer koozie!
In addition to the bar crawl, the event will also feature games and even a scavenger hunt to keep guests on their toes.
Meet up and sign-in begins at 4 p.m. with the bar-hopping scheduled to begin at 4:30. Bottoms up!
Admission:
- *FREE!
When: Dec. 14 | 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Sacramento Zoo, 3930 W Land Park Drive, Sacramento
Come to the Sacramento Zoo this Saturday for their Holiday Magic celebration!
This is an event that is fun for the whole family. The highlight of the day will be the “animal enrichments,” where guests will watch as the zoo animals get to open their presents early and enjoy special treats representing holidays from all over the world!
There will even be photos with Santa Claus taking place between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. (with a small lunch break from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. for Santa and his elves.) Photos will be digitally sent to guests for free!
Other events include storytelling and special holiday cookie decorating. So bundle up and bring the whole family out for some Holiday Magic at the Zoo.
Admission:
- $16.50 – General admission
- $15.50 – Senior admission
- $11.50 – Children’s admission (Ages 2-11)
When: Dec. 14 | 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Where: The Union, 112 Pacific Street, Roseville
Whether you want to dress up as Santa or the Grinch, an elf or a snowman, get on up to Roseville and join the Santa Bar Crawl for a good cause!
This year’s crawl is partnered with the Roseville Activities League. Guests are asked to bring an unwrapped toy for the toy drive and receive a dollar off your first drink at the check-in location at The Union.
Guests (you’ll receive a wristband) can enjoy free cover charge at participating locations, special pricing on drinks (as low as $2 and $4 in some places), and other free giveaways.
In addition to the crawl, there will also be prizes awarded to guests who don the best Santa Claus costume, the best Mrs. Claus costume, and the UGLIEST sweater!
Admission:
- $12 – Early bird admission
- $20 – Early bird couples’ admission
- $36 – Early bird group of 4 admission
- $20 – Early bird VIP admission, includes your first you-call-it drink, a light-up Christmas bulb necklace, a $5 donation to the RPAL charity, early entry and a Santa hat!
- $15 – General admission on the day of the event
- $25 – Couples’ admission on the day of the event
- $50 – Group of 4 admission on the day of the event
When: Dec. 14 | 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Where: Old Town Auburn
The sights and sounds of the holiday season come alive at Old Town Auburn’s Classic Christmas this Saturday!
Guests can enjoy live entertainment while they browse the wares of local artists and vendors. There will also be plenty to eat and drink from local restaurants, brewers, and wineries in attendance.
And it just wouldn’t be a Classic Christmas without an appearance from Santa Claus himself. Families will be able to meet the Jolly Old Elf and take pictures above Old Town from Auburn’s famous Park Victorian!
Other events include a kids corner with crafts, activities, music and entertainment; hayrides from Old Town to the Park Victorian; a bourbon tasting station and much more!
This event is free and open to the public and organizers say it will go on regardless of the weather. And if you cannot make it out for the Dec 14 event, you’ll get one more chance to pay a visit the following Saturday, Dec. 21.
Admission:
- FREE!
When: Dec. 14 & 15 | Showtimes vary
Where: Sonoma County Fairgrounds, 1350 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa
The Emerald Cup is back in Santa Rosa this weekend. The two-day festival, billed as the “longest-running sun-grown celebration in the world”, features tons of live musical acts, dozens of guest speakers, artists, farmers markets and more.
Organizers describe the Emerald Cup, founded in 2003, as “a gathering where boundary breakers, risk-takers, and law-makers connect to share ideas, insights and culture.”
If you haven’t figured it out by now, this isn’t your typical music festival. The Emerald Cup has more than two dozen performers and 80+ guest speakers including athletes, instructors, chefs, entrepreneurs, etc., scheduled to entertain and inform. Additionally, there will be more than 25 contests on regenerative agriculture featuring special guest Tommy Chong!
Admission:
- $125 – Tier 2 weekend pass
- $90 – Tier 1 Saturday pass
- $90 – Tier 1 Sunday pass
- $529 – Tier 2 Emerald pass
When: Dec. 14 & 15 | Event times vary
Where: Sausalito Waterfront - Gabrielson Park, Humboldt Avenue and Anchor Street, Sausalito
The Sausalito Winterfest in the North Bay is a two-day event this Saturday and Sunday.
The Winterfest is highlighted by 32nd annual Lighted Boat Parade and Fireworks show on Saturday starting at 6 p.m. Dozens of intricately decorated and brightly lit boats will parade along the Sausalito shoreline.
The Boat Parade is a public event and is thus free to attend. However, premium and reserved seating is available for purchase. There will also be food trucks and no-host bars available for your eating and drinking pleasure.
The Boat Parade is followed by the Captain’s After Party at The Spinnaker Restaurant from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. VIP guests can arrive as early as 5 p.m. General admission guests can enter at 8 p.m.
Sunday’s special events include the Jungle Bell 5K Run at 8:30 a.m. (Check-in at 7 a.m.) and a Sunday Brunch at The Spinnaker Restaurant at 9:30 a.m.
Admission:
- Some tickets are already sold out. Tap here to see what's available.
When: Dec. 14 | 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Where: Conservatory of Flowers, 100 John F Kennedy Drive, San Francisco
After a successful 2018 debut, the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers is bringing back its Night Bloom ahead of the 2019 holiday season.
Organizers boast that this year’s Night Bloom is going to be even better than last year with more lights, immersive soundscapes, and art from Oakland-based artists HYBYCOZO will dazzle and amaze.
“The response from the community was overwhelming last year,” said Matthew Stephens, Director of the Conservatory of Flowers. “Favorites from last year will return, but we have added new elements and many more memorable moments. Our goal is to make Night Bloom an annual holiday tradition.”
According to organizers, Night Bloom features “site-specific installations dispersed throughout the Conservatory’s galleries, with an illuminated Conservatory and interactive displays outside.” The event is centered around the conservatory’s extensive botanical collection.
New this year is the “Bloom Lounge”, where guests over 21 can enjoy complimentary food and drink in an illuminated, inflatable dome.
The special nighttime exhibit began on Nov. 22 and will run through Jan. 5. So, if you can’t make it down there this weekend, you still have a few more weeks to go.
Admission:
- Some tickets for this Saturday are already sold out. Tap here to see what's available.
When: Dec. 13 | 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: Along the waterfront and PIER 39, San Francisco
The oldest and largest lighted holiday boat parade on the San Francisco Bay this Friday night.
Presented by the St. Francis Yacht Club and the Fisherman’s Wharf Community Benefit District, the 25th annual Lighted Boat Parade features boats festooned with holiday lights and decorations parading along the waterfront.
The parade route runs off PIER 39 west past Fisherman’s Wharf, Fort Mason, and the St. Francis Yacht Club. It will then turn around at Crissy Field and return the way it came along the waterfront.
The parade of boats includes members of the St. Francis Yacht Club, Fisherman's Wharf Fishing Fleet, Golden Gate Yacht Club, PIER 39 Marina, and the Sea Scouts.
Guests can watch the parade from Aquatic Park, PIER 39, the Marina Green, and Crissy Field. Some restaurants along the Wharf will also feature special holiday menus.
Organizers say the event is going to happen regardless of the weather, but if the weather is poor and the water is choppy, visibility may be difficult.
Admission:
- FREE!
Do you have an event idea? Send your suggestions to mnuttle@abc10.com
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