The California State Capitol Building | Photo by Steve via Pexels
You don’t need major funds to have major fun in Sacramento; just look at these free activities.
Outdoors
Sacramento Waterfront Trail | Whether you’re into hiking, biking, or birding, this river promenade with views of downtown + Old Sacramento is the perfect spot to take in a sunset or stroll over the iconic Tower Bridge.
Arts
Midtown Second Saturday | This monthly celebration of Sacramento’s art scene goes down from May to October and features local artists, curated art walks, gallery pop-ups, markets, live music, and theatre shows.
History
California State Capitol Museum | Make your way to the information desk on the first floor rotunda to sign up for a free public tour of the building, its architecture, and its exhibits. Tours run Monday-Friday on the hour, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can also tour the lush gardens of State Capitol Grounds and learn all about its monuments + memorials.
Legends of Wine | 6-9 p.m. | California State Capitol | $77 | Sacramento County’s wine grapes are fueling NorCal wine production — explore varietals from regional wineries exclusively selected by wine experts Darrell Corti + David Berkley.
Friday, Sept. 5
Justin Willman: “One For The Ages Tour” | 7 p.m. | Channel 24 | $112+ | Blink but don’t miss it — catch the comedian, magician, and star + creator of Netflix’s “Magic for Humans” live.
Saturday, Sept. 6
Pence Gallery Art Auction 2025 | Saturday, Sept. 6-Saturday, Sept. 27 | 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. | Pence Gallery, Davis | Free | Bid on contemporary art across mediums created by 100+ local and regional artists.
El Dorado Hills Brewfest 2025 | 3-7 p.m. | El Dorado Hills Town Center, El Dorado Hills | $55+ | Sip on 80+ types of drinks and buy snacks from local food vendors while enjoying live entertainment.
Our Street Night Market | 5-11 p.m. | 1108 R St. | $18 | Inspired by Asia’s lively night markets, this buzzy event will feature global street food vendors across six city blocks in downtown Sac — come hungry.
Pacific Nations Cup: Japan vs. USA Rugby | 6 p.m. | Heart Health Park | $44+ | Witness the World Rugby-sanctioned match on US soil, right here in the City of Trees.
Lil Wayne | 8 p.m. | Golden 1 Center | $43+ | The Grammy-winning rapper performs a tour “built on 20+ years of Carter classics” with special guests Tyga and Belly Gang Kushington.
Sunday, Sept. 7
Golden Autumn Wine Festival | 11 a.m.-3:45 p.m. | Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm, Wheatland | $56 | This 21+ event will feature tastings from 12 local wineries, specialty vendors, and live music — don’t miss it, pumpkin.
Black Food Festival | 12-6 p.m. | Florin Square | Free | Celebrate Black cuisine + culture, from soul food to Caribbean dishes, alongside live music, dance performances, and lots of vendors.
Tuesday, Sept. 9
California’s 175th Birthday Block Party | 6-9 p.m. | California State Capitol | Free | Enjoy free food truck snacks, birthday cake, Cali-grown treats, and a laser display 30 minutes after sunset at this celebration of our state’s history hosted by California State Parks.
Wednesday, Sept. 10
California Admission Day Celebration | 11 a.m.-1 p.m. | California State Capitol | Free | Celebrate California’s 175th birthday — the day it became the 31st state — with free cake + ice cream, fun activities, and live music from a youth choir singing songs of the 1850s.
This former Zillow exec is targeting a $1.3 trillion market
Presented by Pacaso
Austin Allison’s Pacaso has already earned $110 million+ in gross profit to date. | Image provided by Pacaso
Austin Allison sold his first company to Zillow for $120 million. Now he’s building another real estate innovator in Pacaso.
Pacaso has already made $110 million+ in gross profits to date by disrupting the $1.3 trillion vacation home market, and the same big investors that backed Uber and eBay have already invested.
But unlike Austin’s previous companies, everyday investors (like you) can invest in Pacaso as a private company. Over 10,000 individuals already have.
City officials gave Topgolf the approval to build a two-story driving range with 80 golf bays in Natomas, saying the area is equipped to handle any potential increase in traffic the business might bring. Topgolf has not yet released a construction timeline or an opening date. (CBS13)
Open
Midtown Farmers Market favorite Maria’s Paella opened a permanent storefront on 16th Street. The restaurant serves breakfast burritos and lunchtime paella + empanadas stuffed with all kinds of fillings. Ask about the churros, too. It’s open daily at 8 a.m.
Seasonal
According to growers, Apple Hill’s 2025 harvest will be one for the books. Ideal weather conditions during our region’s growing season have yielded a beautiful bounty of apples, peaches, and pears across 40+ farms, boasting a flavor that’s “going to be off the charts.” Start planning that You Pick outing. (The Sacramento Bee)
Weather
It’s been a wild week for local weather. Strong winds and a rare “downburst” uprooted trees, damaged homes, and knocked down power lines for thousands of Carmichael residents. Sacramento County was also hit by 60 lightning strikes that sparked a few small fires. (ABC10)
Biz
Sac’s new “entertainment zones” were put to the test during last weekend’s Rainbow Festival. It was the first event to use the rules that allow people ages 21+ to walk outside in designated areas with alcohol purchased from surrounding businesses. About 3,000 people attended the fest. (ABC10)
Travel
Southwest Airlines will add four nonstop red-eye flights from Sacramento International Airport to major cities starting March 5, 2026. Here are the nightly routes: Chicago, departing at 11:55 p.m.; Nashville (11:05 p.m.); Baltimore/Washington (9:55 p.m.); Orlando (10:55 p.m.). (The Sacramento Bee)
Development
Natomas will be home to two new housing developments. The 378-unit Birchway on Promenade Circle will be an “attainable housing project” for households earning 80-120% of the area median income and will take about two years to build. The 170-unit Independence on North Park and Kankakee drives will feature all duplexes. (The Sacramento Bee)
Environment
Today, Sierra Northern Railway will unveil the first hydrogen-powered, zero emission freight locomotive in the US. The clean energy locomotive was designed, built, and tested in West Sacramento with goals to eliminate 50,000 gallons of diesel annually, improve air quality, and create sustainability-focused jobs.
Community
Never forget. Sac’s 9/11 Memorial Climb will be held at the Sacramento Convention Center on Thursday, Sept. 11. Participants will climb 110 stories in honor of 9/11’s first responders. Register here — there are only 343 spots available.
Sports
The terrifying possibility of the Kings losing Keon Ellis (for nothing) could be worse than you think. Hear the local experts on the Sacramento Kings with Locked On’s daily, team-focused podcasts.
Aside from megapacks and weekly coupons, did you know several retailers offer customers 55+ hefty discounts — sometimes up to 20% off? Learn about key Senior discounts and several more savings hacks older adults should know about to continue saving and building wealth at age 50+.*
Finance
When some of the big investors who backed companies like Uber and eBay before they IPO’d invest in a new company, people take note. That’s the case with Pacaso — 10,000+ everyday investors are already in. But the chance to join them ends Thursday, Sept. 18. Learn more about the opportunity.†‡*
Jobs of the Week
Seeking more freedom in your workday? Do your job from anywhere in these remote roles.
After eight years in business, the Burger Patch closed its final location in Midtown this week due to financial hardship.
A very long line of customers turned out for the vegan burger chain’s final day. Owners Phillip + Danea Horn posted a heartfelt farewell on Instagram adding, “We will forever remember this epic send-off.”
We know the chain’s “vegan In-n-Out-style” burgers will be missed, but we’re going to leave you with something else to chew on — peep these other vegan + vegetarian eats around Sacramento.
The fun doesn’t have to end here. After reading the newsletter, head over to our games page. Games refresh with new challenges every day at 6 a.m. from crossword puzzle to Sudoku to themed word search.
Tonight’s Legends of Wine event and this weekend’s sold out Tower Bridge Dinner will kick off a series of incredible culinary events in our city this month.
The hype around Terra Madre Americas is going strong; catch up on what to expect at the Slow Food movement fest coming to Sac Friday, Sept. 26-Sunday, Sept. 28. Lifestyle publication InsideHook recently called it “the most exciting culinary event of 2025.”
‡‡Finance “investment method” disclaimer: This is a paid advertisement for Pacaso’s Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com. Reserving a ticker symbol is not a guarantee that the company will go public. Listing on the Nasdaq is subject to approvals. Comparisons to other companies are for informational purposes only and should not imply similar success. Under Regulation A+, a company has the ability to change its share price by up to 20%, without requalifying the offering with the SEC.
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