It’s warming up, the kids are getting excited that school is almost out, and Sacramento businesses are gearing up to provide tons of fun for all of us. It is definitely time to start planning for awesome summer memories!
This Summer Fun Guide is one gigantic roundup of water play places, fairs and festivals, movies in the park, places to get creative, free things to do, and much more all in one easy spot.
Here are over 100 ideas to make it the best summer ever!
BIG THANKS to these fabulous sponsors:
Free & Cheap Water Play
Big Water Parks
Water Rides, Splash Pads, and Dolphin Shows
Indoor Surfing
Water Sports
Dollar Movies
FREE Concerts in the Park
- Friday Night Concerts in the Park – Downtown
- Pops in the Park – East Sacramento
- Summer Concerts in the Park – El Dorado Hills
- Concerts in the Park – Fair Oaks
- Palladio Summer Concert Series – Folsom
- Friday Evenings in the Park – Rocklin
- Hot Summer Nights Concert Series – Elk Grove
FREE Movies in the Park
- Movies in the Park – Fair Oaks
- Screen on the Green – Sacramento
- Movies in the Park – Roseville
- Friday Evenings in the Park – Rocklin
- Natomas at Nite – Natomas
Theatre
- Disney’s Aladdin June 6, 13, 20
- Anansi, the Spider June 6 – 7
- Nancy Drew: Girl Detective June 13 – July 12
- Seussical the Musical June 19 – July 19
- Safetyville’s Family Health & Safety Expo June 13th
- El Dorado County Fair June 18 – 21
- Placer County Fair June 25th – 28th
- Folsom Pro Rodeo July 2nd – 4th
- California State Fair July 10th – 26th
- Multicultural Festival August 22nd
- Gold Rush Days Festival September 4th – 7th
- Chalk It Up! Festival September 5th – 7th
TRAMPOLINES
- Sky High Sports – Rancho Cordova
- Sky Zone – Rocklin
- Surf Xtreme Trampolines – Elk Grove
BOUNCE HOUSES
- BounceU – Rancho Cordova
- BounceU – Roseville
- The Bounce Spot – West Sacramento
- Laguna’s Awesome Party Palace – Elk Grove
- Party Place – Roseville
INDOOR PLAYGROUNDS
- Wacky Tacky – Roseville
- Climbaroo – Natomas
IMAGINATION
- Busy Kidz – Folsom
MALL TOT PLAYGROUNDS
ROLLER SKATING
- Roller King – Roseville
- King’s Skate Country – Elk Grove
- Foothill Skate Inn – Sacramento
- Sunrise Rollerland – Citrus Heights
- The Rink – Sacramento
ICE SKATING
- Skatetown – Roseville
LAZER TAG
- Laser Tag of Carmichael
- Laser X at Country Club Lanes
- Laser Tag of Golfland Sunsplash
- Laser Craze Rocklin
ROCK CLIMBING
- Rocknasium – Davis
- Pipeworks – Sacramento
- Granite Arch Climbing Center – Rancho Cordova
- Alpha Fired Arts – Sacramento
- ArtBeast – Midtown
- Color Me Mine – Elk Grove, Folsom & Roseville
- Firefly Art – Natomas
- Home Depot Kids Workshops – all locations
- Joannes Make-It Take-Its – all locations
- Kids Studio of Fine Arts – Roseville
- Lakeshore Learning – Roseville
- Lowe’s Build and Grow Clinics – all locations
- Michaels Arts & Crafts Kids Club – all locations
- Black Chasm Cavern & Indian Grinding Rock Park
- Cosumnes River Preserve
- UC Davis Arboretum
- Effie Yeaw Nature Center
- Hidden Falls Regional Park Hike
- Placer Nature Center
- Soil Born Farms
- Stone Lakes Refuge
- WPA Rock Garden
- Aerospace Museum of California
- Bohart Museum of Entomology
- California Agriculture Museum
- California Automobile Museum
- California State Railroad Museum
- California Raptor Center
- Capitol Museum
- Children’s Museum of Stockton
- Crocker Art Museum
- Discovery Science and Space Museum
- Explorit Science Center
- Folsom History Museum
- Leland Stanford Mansion
- Maidu Indian Museum
- Sacramento Children’s Museum
- State Indian Museum
- Sutter’s Fort
- The California Museum
- WOW Science Museum
- Sacramento Zoo
- Folsom Zoo
- Serpentarium
- Discovery Science & Space Museum’s Nature Discovery Room
- Sacramento Public Library
- Folsom Public Library
- Roseville Public Library
- Aerospace Museum of California
- Barnes & Noble
- California State Railroad Museum
- Sacramento Children’s Museum
- Storytime at the Barn
- Sacramento Public Library Events Calendar
- Folsom Library Events Calendar
- Roseville Library Events Calendar
- Baskin Robbins
- Big Spoon Yogurt
- Cafe Roma
- Coldstone Creamery
- Dairy Queen
- Fosters Freeze
- Farrell’s
- Gunther’s Ice Cream Shop
- Leatherby’s
- Vampire Penguin
- Vic’s Ice cream
Mark your Calendar!
Special events happening all summer long…
When: Saturdays, 2-4pm through October 24
What: Meet firefighters, tour the fire station, check out fire trucks up close, and more.
Where: Fire Stations throughout Sacramento – see schedule
Cost: FREE
When: Thursday & Friday Nights, 5:30 – 8pm, June 18 – August 28
What: Ride and play throughout the miniature town. Safety Clinic, bike vendors for Q&A, and food court.
Where: Safetyville USA, 3909 Bradshaw Road, Sacramento
Cost: FREE
Roseville Downtown Tuesday Nights
When: Tuesdays, 5-9pm, through July 28
What: Live bands, kids’ fun zone, farmer’s market, delicious food, Xfinity Classic Car Show, Hot Rods & Classics.
Where: Vernon Street in Downtown Roseville
Cost: FREE
When: June 12 – August 7
What: Camp-out with your family (2 or more people) under the stars just yards away from slumbering lions , and wake to the call of flamingos – and of course a tasty breakfast.
Where: Sacramento Zoo
Cost: $51 – $65
When: Fridays, June 19 – August 7, 11am – 1pm
What: Join other families in the E. Kendell Davis Courtyard for performances, playtime, and art-making inspired by children’s beloved books. Family Friday includes multisensory activities, creative fun, and a space for quiet time.
Where: Crocker Art Museum
Cost: General Admission
When: June 19, July 25, August 14
What: Families set up camp all over Fairytale Town’s 2.5 acres. Tents, sleeping bags, blankets, chairs and picnic dinners. Scavenger hunts, a theater performance, sing-alongs, arts and crafts, bedtime stories and more.
Where: Fairytale Town
Cost: $25 – 30 per person includes all activities and overnight admission
When: Fridays – June 26, July 24, August 28, and September 25
What: On June 27th, look forward to: Live Music by The Hoots, Face Painting, Food Trucks, A classic car from the California Automobile Museum, Special Outdoor Activities and of course, Museum play.
Where: Sacramento Children’s Museum
Cost: $4.00 per person
Dive-in Movie Night at Cottage Pool
When: July 3rd, August 7th
What: Public swim from 7-8:30, Movie plays at 9:00. Goonies on July 3rd, Big Hero 6 on August 7.
Where: Cottage Pool, 3097 Cottage Way
Cost: $2.50 per person for swim, movie FREE
Special Events for each summer month in date order…
June Special Events
When: June 13, 10am – 3pm
What: Over 80 booths with Health, Safety & Recreational Resources for families, live entertainment, safety demonstrations, raffles, free giveaways, and more.
Where: Safetyville USA, 3909 Bradshaw Road, Sacramento
Cost: FREE
When: Sunday, June 14; 5-7pm
What: Mission Oaks Parks and Recreation is putting on a concert featuring the band Hip Service. There will also be a car show and food trucks.
Where: Swanston Park
Cost: FREE
When: Friday, June 19
What: Live bands, kid zone, crafts, food court.
Where: Regional Park
Cost: FREE
When: Wednesday, June 22; 9am – 12noon
What: Variety of activities for kids 6 and under on the outfield including playing catch, and exploring the River Cats’ inflatable bounce house and obstacle course. The River Cats’ mascot Dinger will be on hand to entertain children and parents alike.
Where: Raley Field
Cost: FREE
A Midsummer Night’s Dream & Crystal Ice Cream Fantasy
When: Saturday, June 27; 5-9pm
What: A magical midsummer’s eve featuring multiple ice cream tasting stations, live entertainment, hands-on activities, an enchanted marketplace and more!
Where: Fairytale Town
Cost: Advance tickets $15.00 Adults and $7.00 Kids
Mister Cooper at Music in the Park
When: Sunday, June 28; 6-8pm
What: Our favorite local musician and music educator, Mister Cooper, will be kicking off the 2015 Music in the Park concert series again this year at the beautiful Curtis Park. His two sets start at 6pm and 7pm.
Where: Curtis Park
Cost: FREE
July Special Events
When: July 6-7; 11am – 3pm
What: Ride a miniature steam train through the trees of Hagan Community Park.
Where: Hagan Community Park behind the Petting Barn.
Cost: FREE; donations appreciated
4th of July Celebrations & Fireworks
August Special Events
When: August 1-2; 11am – 2:15pm
What: Hey diddle, diddle the Cat & the Fiddle Music Festival is back again! Join Fairytale Town as we celebrate music and fun in the summer sun with two days of live music! Families can enjoy rockin’ daytime concerts on the Mother Goose Stage each day. The lineup includes Mister Cooper, Musical Robot, The Raytones, Music Matt, The Poodlums, and The Hipwaders.
Where: Fairytale Town
Cost: Free with park admission
September Special Events
When: Saturday, September 19; 7-9pm
What: Special focus on Saturn, Mars, Moon, stars. An astronomer will weave tales of the galaxies and explore the night sky with his telescopes.
Where: Placer Nature Center
Cost: $7.00 per person
Big Thanks to these fabulous sponsors:
Please pin this page, post this to Facebook, save the link to your homescreen, or bookmark this link so you can come back over and over again this summer.
Happy Summer!
Written by Keilah Woodard
My love for exploring and creating experiences with my three kids led to the founding of SacramentoSidetracks.com in 2009. I realized that Sacramento has so much to offer and I was excited to share my findings with other parents. Besides simply having fun, these are the other positive side effects of taking my kids on outings that I’ve discovered: we have quality time together away from the distractions at home, we cultivate our curiosity, learn new things, conversations are triggered by what we see and do, we connect and bond as a family, and we create new memories. Ready to get sidetracked, too? Let me be your guide!
