Festivals abound this weekend around Northern California! Whether you’re looking for something fun to do with the family or if you are trying to cut loose, have a drink and listen to some good music, there’s no shortage of entertaining things going on.
Hot air balloons, kites, even bananas are some of the centerpieces in events going on in the Sacramento area all the way down to San Francisco.
And speaking of San Francisco, the wildly popular Outside Lands music festival returns with headliners such as Childish Gambino, Twenty One Pilots, Paul Simon and more!
Read on to see more about what’s happening this weekend!
Do you have an event idea? Send your suggestions to mnuttle@abc10.com
When: August 10, (10 a.m. to 7 p.m.) | August 11, (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
Where: William Land Park, 3800 W. Land Park Drive, Sacramento
The Sacramento Banana Festival is an annual celebration of multiculturalism centered on those countries and cultures that use the banana.
The two-day festival, happening this year in Land Park, has plenty of fun to offer for everyone in your family. There will be lots of interesting banana-inspired foods, live entertainment, food trucks (in case you’re looking for some non-banana eats), multicultural exhibits and more!
The festival benefits more than a dozen local charity organizations.
Admission:
- Adults (18-64) $8 in advance, $10 at the gate
- Children (6-17), Seniors (65+), Military w/ID in advance $6, $8 at the gate
- Child (5 and under) Free
When: August 10 & 11 | 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. (Both days)
Where: Southside Park, 2115 6th Street, Sacramento
Taste of Soul Sacramento is back! The two-day event in Southside Park is a celebration of soul music and soul food. There will be live music, plenty to eat and drink, arts, crafts and more.
Saturday’s artist line-up:
Angie Stone, Lil Jon’s Eastside Boyz, Rude Boys, & more
Sunday’s artist line-up:
Lyfe Jennings, Case, Lakeside, Slave, Larriah Jackson, Cherronda G, Hersh, Lyric J & more
Admission (applies to Saturday & Sunday):
- $35 General Admission EARLY BIRD Ticket purchased by July 31, 2019
- $45 General Admission Ticket purchased on or after August 1, 2019
- $50 General Admission Ticket purchased on August 10, 2019
- $75 Preferred Seating Ticket (Seat included in preferred seating area and 2 drink tickets. Bathroom available in section. Bar available in section)
- $150 Meet n' Greet Ticket (Seat included in preferred seating area and 2 drink tickets. Bathroom available in section. Bar available in section)
When: August 10 | 2 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Where: Miller Regional Park, 2701 Marina View Drive, Sacramento
Summer Spark is a Burning Man-inspired art experience at Miller Park, along the Sacramento River. The day begins with a curated bike tour of a live Wide Open Walls mural painting.
The event’s Facebook listing encourages attendees to be as expressive as they’d like, be it in costumes, body paint, face paint, etc. Night events include performances by regional EDM DJs.
Ticket sales go toward the Sacramento Playa Art Park, as well as local artists.
Admission:
- $15 general entry (early bird special; sale ends Aug. 9 at 6 p.m.)
- $20 general entry at the gate
When: August 11 | 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Where: Central Park, 401 C Street, Davis, Calif.
Come one, come all to the Taco, Beer, & Margarita FEST in Davis. This FREE event boasts that it has the best taco vendors in Northern California, several beer trailers with craft, domestic and imported brews, two full-service margarita bars and a cider bar.
There will also be an interactive area for the kids, with bounce houses, mariachi bands, folkloric dancing, a DJ and more.
Admission:
- FREE!
When: August 10 & 11 | Balloons launch at 6 a.m.
Where: McFarland Living History Ranch, 8899 Orr Road, Galt, Calif.
The Galt Balloon Festival is back again thanks to the chamber of commerce. The hot air balloon festival is held at the McFarland Living Ranch and festivities get underway bright and early.
It’s more than just “oohs” and “ahhs.” This year’s festival comes with arts & crafts vendors, food vendors, tethered rides and more.
Admission:
- Early bird tickets are $10 per person. Early bird parking passes are also $10.
- Tickets at the gate are $15 per person. Parking at the gate is $20.
Free parking is available at the Galt Market Grounds located at 610 Chabolla Avenue where buses will shuttle guests to the park for free. The buses start loading at 4:30 a.m.
When: August 10 & 11 | 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Both days)
Where: 1 Heritage Way, South Lake Tahoe, Calif.
The Great Gatsby Living History Festival enters its 35th year this Saturday and Sunday. The annual celebration in South Lake Tahoe is free and open to the public.
Dressing in period costume is encouraged, but not necessary to come out and enjoy the festival. Exhibits include a vintage market, food vendors, live jazz music, antique cars, games for children and adults and much more!
Admission:
- FREE! Some fees do apply for certain tours and ticketed events throughout the festival.
When: August 9 - 18
Three words: Stockton. Beer Week. The 10-event begins Friday, Aug. 9 and runs through Sunday, Aug. 18. More than 20 locations around the city plan to host events ranging from “tap takeovers”, trivia nights, and, of course, drink specials. More than 30 breweries are taking part in this year’s event.
While not happening this weekend, the 5th annual Brews & Shoes Showdown run is back! The race is a 3-mile is a run (or walk) through Lincoln Village and surrounding neighborhood.
Admission:
Check the Stockton Beer Week calendar for details.
When: August 11 | 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: Graceada Park, 401 Needham Street, Modesto, Calif.
The Modstock Music Festival returns for the 9th time this Sunday. The event showcases the best of the best local musicians, like Triple D, Tiffany Rose and the Outlaw Hearts, Remedy and more! There will also be 41 student bands performing as well.
This year’s event will have two stages for performances. One will be a youth music stage and the other will be the community stage. In addition to all-day musical performances, there will be food vendors, arts & crafts, and a bounce house for the kids.
Admission:
- FREE! But you’ll want to have money on hand for food, souvenirs, etc.
When: August 9 - 11 | Click here to see the full scheduled lineup.
Where: Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
If you could only go to one music festival this year, the 2019 Outside Lands Music Festival in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park would be an excellent choice to make.
The massive 2-day festival that bills itself being “100 percent San Francisco” features world-class musical artists, rock stars, rappers, comedians, as well as a massive array of art, food and drink options.
There is a seemingly endless list of performers headlined by Childish Gambino, Paul Simon, Twenty One Pilots, and the list goes on and on.
Outside Lands is a spectacle to behold. And it can be daunting to anyone, but especially to a first-time attendee. Another good, comprehensive write-up on the event, including travel tips, parking, and all the must-sees, eats and drinks can be found here.
If you can make the time to head down to the Bay for this event, you should definitely do it. It’s a little pricey, but the experience is well worth the money.
Admission:
When: August 10 | 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Main Parade Ground, 103 Montgomery Street, San Francisco
Go fly a kite… literally, in San Francisco on Saturday. The 5th Annual Presidio Kite Festival is a free family-friendly event for people of all ages. Bring your own kites or come and build your own for free in the kite-making pavilion.
Come see the creature kites and kite art exhibition. You can also expect to see some spectacularly large kites taking to skies! There will also be food trucks and a picnic area, taiko drummers, and a kite-flying area where you can join ion on the fun.
Admission:
- FREE!
Do you have an event idea? Send your suggestions to mnuttle@abc10.com
