Christmas Trees in the Plaza at Downtown Commons in Sacramento.

After all my holiday celebrating and the Christmas-themed research I’ve done in this past month of December, I can officially declare that there’s no shortage of holiday cheer in California’s capital city of Sacramento.

One common theme I discovered is that the people of Sacramento really love supporting their peers, i.e. fellow Sacramento locals. On my list you’ll find ample opportunities to shop both small businesses and local artisans, plus support performers like the Sacramento Ballet.

Also, at the very end of this blog post I have an online shopping guide where you can purchase gifts from my favorite Sacramento makers!

Scroll to the end of the blog post for all the New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day events!

21 Christmas Events that are Unique to Sacramento

Maker's Mart

This was my first year attending the holiday Maker's Mart, and it was totally worth braving the crazy rain storm that Saturday. Inside the rustic-chic Crate Building at The Mill on Broadway there were booths filled with goods from over 70+ local artisans. The ambiance was festive with twinkle lights, stunning floral installations and baristas serving fancy boozy drinks. See the full blog post from our afternoon at the Maker's Mart.

2. Nutcracker Ballet

One of the most classic (and classy) ways to celebrate the Christmas season is with the Nutcracker. Appreciate the timeless art of ballet while listening to some treasured tunes - my personal favorite is Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy. We were very impressed with the quality of the production, it was beautifully choreographed and the dancers are extremely talented. See the full Nutcracker schedule and purchase tickets here.

3. Downtown Commons Square

Enjoy a walk through DOCO’s newly constructed outdoor shopping center, located in the heart of downtown. During the holiday season you'll find festive lights, ice skating and Christmas trees making the season bright. There's plenty of shopping and dinning options to keep you busy, and you could even stop into Revival at the Sawyer Hotel for some fancy cocktails around the warm fire pits.

In partnership with River City Marketplace, there’s a DOCO Holiday Maker’s Fair in December where you can shop goods and food made from local artisans and small businesses.

4. Andy's Candy Apothecary

What would the holiday season be without lots of chocolate and sweets? Support this small business and pick up some sugary gifts at one of their two downtown locations. Take a peek at their fun Instagram to get Willy Wonka inspired!

5. Ice Skating

There’s several places around the Sacramento area that offers seasonal ice skating around the holidays:

Downtown Ice Rink - right across the street from DOCO on K St.
Iceland in Del Paso, Sacramento.
Skatetown in Roseville
Folsom Ice Rink

6. Golden One Center

Also located at DOCO is the stadium for the Sacramento Kings basketball team. If a sports-fueled adrenaline rush is how you like to enjoy the holidays then catch a game inside the state of the art stadium.

7. Old Town Christmas Tree

If you're into a nostalgia and old-timey Christmas vibes, Old Sacramento does it up gold-rush style with a giant Christmas tree. In 2019 they had their biggest tree ever, standing 62 feet tall and decorated with over 24,000 lights. The entire area of Old Town Sacramento is filled with shops and restaurants, many decorated for the holiday season.

8. Lighted Boat Parade

The Capital City Yacht Club annually puts on a spectacular parade of boats decorated in twinkling lights. The parade route begins at the Sacramento Marina and floats along through Old Sacramento’s waterfront to the Virgin Sturgeon riverfront restaurant.

9. Capitol Christmas Tree

The governor of California annually hosts a tree lighting ceremony on the west steps of the State Capital Building. The event is open to the public with musical performances and a speech from the governor himself.

10. Imaginarium Light Festival

This carnival of lights adds a bit of magic to the holiday season for both kids and adults. Along with the epic light installations, you can also enjoy carnival rides, ice skating, acrobat shows, and all kinds of food options.

See photos from our visit to the Global Winter Wonderland Imaginarium light show at the Cal Expo in 2021.

11. The Fab 40's East Sacramento Houses

In every city there’s that one neighborhood that goes above and beyond with the Christmas lights and decor. If you’ve ever seen the movie Lady Bird then you’re familiar with the famous “blue house” featured in the film. This house is located in the heart of the neighborhood dubbed “the Fab Forties” (because they are located on the streets numbered in the 40’s and they are totally fabulous mansions).

The best place to start a walking (or driving) tour is anywhere between the blocks 40th-49th, between J St and Folsom Blvd. Bundle up with a cup of hot coco and enjoy. During the month of December the Fab Forties have horse-drawn carriages that you can ride through the neighborhood and see all the Christmas lights.

P.S. - This is also the best place to go trick-or-treating during Halloween!

12. A White Christmas in Lake Tahoe

Tahoe is one of the few places in California where you can experience a true white Christmas, and it’s pretty magical! The mountains are covered in pine tree forests and the houses are cute wooden log cabins. Just over a 2 hour drive outside Sacramento, you can escape into a winter wonderland. See my full guide to a white Christmas in South Lake Tahoe.

13. Cut Your Christmas Tree in Apple Hill

I grew up in the coastal town of Half Moon Bay, Ca where there are a ton of Christmas tree farms where you can go cut down your own tree. Now with my own little family we continue the tradition in Apple Hill.

In the autumn season you might know Apple Hill as the go-to destination for apple picking and all things fall related, but in the winter it turns into a holiday haven with tree farms and bakeries. Santa would totally approve!

See our guide to u-pick cutting your own Christmas tree in Apple Hill.

14. Sutter Creek Dickens Christmas

Sutter Creek is a tiny gold rush town about an hour outside of Sacramento. The town center has been preserved to look just the same as it did in the 1800’s, with the main strip looking just a scene from a western film.

The little town of Sutter Creek goes big for Christmas with the Parade of Lights, a Craft Fair and an annual Dickens inspired Victorian Christmas Open House. Festivities always begin the first weekend of December, but be sure to check their website before heading out. You can also check the Sutter Creek Parade of Lights Facebook Page for more info on events.

15. Crocker Holiday Market

On this blog I’ve written about how the Crocker Art Museum is a great place to spend a rainy day, and it’s also an excellent way to enjoy some holiday cheer.

Every year at the Scottish Rite Center (located at 6151 H St which is not actually at the Crocker Museum), the Crocker organization hosts a 3-day holiday bazaar. This family-friendly event has booths filled with work from over 100 local artists, which are available to purchase. Proceeds from the event go towards the museum and other art-related causes. Your kiddos will get the chance to meet Santa too!

Gennifer Rose - Your Guide to the Christmas Season in Sacramento - Holiday Art Installations Inside the Plaza at Downtown Commons in Sacramento — Holiday Art Installations Inside the Plaza at Downtown Commons in Sacramento.

16. Christkindlmarkt

This traditional Turn Verein German Club holds an annual Christmas fair and market outside their East Sacramento location on J St. You’ll find around 28 vendors selling locally made goods, traditional German baked Christmas treats, mulled wine and an opportunity to meet Santa Claus.

17. Hot Chocolate, Ice Cream & Eggnog

In Sacramento there are some great options for mom-and-pop coffee shops and ice cream parlors serving seasonal flavors, fresh hot chocolate and eggnog beverages.

Gunther’s Ice Cream - Serving freshly made eggnog, eggnog ice cream and hot chocolate.
Vic’s Ice Cream - Hot chocolate and seasonal ice cream flavors.
Leatherby’s Family Creamery - Seasonal ice cream flavors include peppermint bark, snickerdoodle and Frosty’s Frozen Cocoa Shake.

18. River City Marketplace

The River City Marketplace is an organization that plans events which support locals artisans and small businesses. They specialize in creating the most memorable experiences by finding the best venues and injecting a lot of style and atmosphere into their gatherings.

The calendar of events on their website for November and December are annually filled with holiday themed workshops and happenings. Some of my favorites are the Uptown Market on the Boulevard plus the creative workshops for making wreaths, garlands and inspirational holiday tablescapes.

19. Drake’s: The Barn Holiday Market

Come out and support over 75 local artists, makers, and small businesses at this modern hip venue. Enjoy booze, beer on tap and food trucks serving hipster-approved eats. Admission is free and it’s kiddo and dog friendly!

For Sacramento beer lovers, see my guide to local beer gardens and craft brews. I’ve included several photos from our visit tp Drake’s: The Barn.

20. Sacramento holiday Themed Train Rides

A relaxing way to enjoy the holidays is aboard a vintage train. We’ve been lucky enough to take train rides aboard both the Sacramento River Train and the California Railroad Museum Train.

Sacramento River Train - For the Holiday Train Excursion they decorate the vintage train cars with all the trimmings.
California Railroad Museum - Annually they offer train rides to their own version of the Christmas Polar Express.

21. Nevada City Victorian Christmas Fair

Yet another gold rush town filled with holiday spirit and cheer! Located an hour outside of Sacramento, Nevada City (still inside the limits of California) hosts a large Victorian themed Christmas extravaganza. Events include horse-drawn carriage rides, meet Santa, shop handcrafted goods and foods and watch musical performances.

Christmas Lights in the Fab 40s Neighborhood in East Sacramento.

New Year’s Eve & New Year’s Day Happenings

Old Sacramento Sky Spectacular Fireworks Show

Just as the name describes, the city of Sacramento hosts a large fireworks show over the Old Sacramento Waterfront. Family-friendly festivities begin at 6pm, with the firework show beginning at 9pm. This event is free to the public.

Iceland Ice Skating Rink

A great family-friendly option for both New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day is ice skating at Iceland. On NYE they are open until 10pm and on New Year’s Day they have extended holiday hours from 10am - 10pm.

Drake’s The Barn New Year’s Eve Bash

This adults only event gives you a front row view of the Sacramento’s Sky Spectacular fireworks show above Old Sacramento. There will be a silent disco, outdoor fire pits, cocktails and small bites.

Noon Year’s Eve Family Festival

Since the children can’t stay up until midnight for the new year countdown, the Crocker Art Museum has come up with a creative solution - the noon countdown on December 31st. From 10am - 2pm you can enjoy music, art crafts, magic shows, story time and even a 12pm ball drop! This event is free for the public.

New Year’s Day Brunch

The restaurant brunch options in Sacramento are superb, I even have an entire blog post dedicated to my favorite Sacramento brunch spots. My family has always had a tradition of having a family brunch on New Year’s Day to talk about our resolutions for the upcoming year.

Before you make brunch plans, I highly suggest you give the restaurant a call to make sure they will be serving brunch on the New Year’s holiday.