Sacramento Road Trip Adventures in July
Summer Is In Full Swing! (by Lisa Frank)
Go out and EXPLORE your own backyard w/ these fun & tasty July events in & around Sacramento:
Bonjour Bastille Day. If your vacation is now a “staycation” July is the time to get your French on and storm Midtown! The Sacramento Chapter of the Alliance Francaise will be celebrating Bastille Day, when the peasants stormed the Bastille Prison and started the French Revolution, with their Annual Waiters’ Race & Bastille Day Street Festival. July 13th 12 – 3pm at 18th & L Streets, Sacramento
Don’t lose your head at the 12th Annual “Let Them Eat Cake!” Fundraising Event.
Sample Sacramento’s finest French foods and outstanding local wines and coffees, enjoy live music, and feast your eyes on magnificent and mouth-watering cakes created by talented local bakeries and chefs. There will be a cake raffle and a silent auction as well. July 14th 5:00 pm until 9:00 pm at The Grand Ballroom 1215 J Street $40 in advance; $50 at door
Are the Islands calling? Grab a lei or make a grass skirt and head to the Summer Luau Beer & Wine Tasting at New Glory Brewing. Celebrate summer in Hawaiian style at this fun wine and beer sampling event! The evening will offer tours of the brewery, and playing beer and wine trivia for prizes. Food trucks will be on site selling delicious food. July 13th, 1 pm at New Glory Craft Brewing, 8251 Alpine Ave $20
Feeling more local? GATHER is a unique event that takes place in the Oak Park neighborhood. It is a social experiment based around the idea that a neighborhood that eats together, stays together and strengthens the community.
Outdoor communal tables encourage a sense of community while you enjoy the warm (hot?) summer nights. The event offers a craft beer area, artisanal food vendors, designers, food demos interactive are, live music and a modular kids park. July 10th 5 – 9pm or August 14th 5 – 9pm in Oak Park at Broadway & 3rd Avenue
Something edgier? SactoMoFo’s Food Truck Mania will be at McKinley Park. It’s great music, lots of kid fun, a beer garden, and all your favorite food trucks! July 11th or August 8th from 5 pm – 9 pm at McKinley Park on Alhambra Blvd.
This camp has more than s’mores! Mad Food Science Fun Camp makes food and science in fun and educational. Campers learn nutritional concepts and explore the scientific properties of food through a series of fun hands-on experiments, including magical floating eggs, color changing milk, ice cream making and more. The week of July 21 through July 25 1pm – 4pm at Fairytale Town, 3901 Land Park Drive $130
Banana mania is here again. The 5th Annual Sacramento Banana Festival highlights different cultures in Asia, Africa and the Americas who use the banana as a source of food, art and culture. This is a two-day, family-friendly festival for all ages. Banana cuisine, live entertainment, a Chef’s Challenge, line and salsa dancing, banana split-eating contest, kiddie rides, and more. August 9th from10 am – 7 pm and August 10 from 10 am – 5pm at William Land Park
Fair Fare.
If you love food, people watching and entertainment then consider the annual California State Fair from July 11th – 27th at
Cal Expo. You haven’t vacationed until you’ve experienced the deep fried mac -n -cheese on a stick, deep fried cheese curds and deep fried twinkies at the fair. Discount tickets available at big box retailers: Raleys Supermarket, Big O Tires…etc.
Don’t pass up the chance to participate in some spectacular food and libations focused events while at the State Fair:
– Whiskey Festival Sample over 40 premier whiskies and fine spirits, and learn from master distillers how your favorite libation is made. July 11th from 4 pm – 8pm at the Miller Lite Grandstands at Cal Expo 21 & older? (valid ID)?Tickets: $35 ?/ VIP Admission: $60
– Brewer’s Festival Taste award winning beers from the State Fair’s Craft Brew Competition.?July 19th from 3pm – 6pm at the Miller Lite Grandstands at Cal Expo?21 & older (valid ID)?Tickets:? $15 in advance?/ $20 day of
– Sweet – California’s Tasty Journey (Expo Center Building 5)?In this sweet exhibit, you’ll take a tasty journey through the Rock Candy Mountain. With candy-themed displays and hands-on activities, this exhibit highlights the California connection to many of our favorite sweets. Learn about the ingredients that are magically blended into amazing morsels, the process candy factories go through to invent something new, and how candy is delivered from a gumball machine.
– The Farm?The State Fair Farm is 3 acres showcasing agriculture and food production in California. Taste samples prepared by chefs at the outdoor kitchen grill. Learn about fish farming by visiting our aquaculture and aquaponics displays. Check out water-efficient gardens and get gardening tips from the Master Gardeners booth. See what’s buzzing at the insect pavilion. Visit Urban Farming to learn about backyard and container gardening.
Head to the hills and cool off while you Eat, Walk, and Learn. Murphys Food & Wine Walking Tour
A great day trip outside of Sacramento venturing to the lower Sierras. Aptly named “Queen of the Sierra,” and one of Budget Travel magazine’s Top Ten Coolest Small Towns, Murphys has 1800’s-era Italian brick and stone buildings where talented chefs and vintners produce their mouth-watering dishes and award-winning wines. This tasty walking tour includes 9 different stops including a beer and food pairing, two wine tasting rooms and a gourmet of fresh local ingredients from different chefs. Advanced ticketing required. Fridays and Saturdays at 11 am. To learn more or purchase tickets visit: http://www.local-food-tours.com