What a beautiful little zoo!  The kids and I ventured there with some good friends for the first time this summer and had a great time!   The Folsom Zoo is not a “mainstream” zoo.  This unique zoo provides sanctuary to some very special animals.  Many were raised and rejected as wild pets.  Others were injured or orphaned in the wild.  All have names and personalities, and their individual stories are posted at the exhibits, along with factual, up-to-date information about their species.  The zoo teaches about common and uncommon animals, both wild and domestic, while promoting responsible and appropriate behavior toward all animals.

After visiting all of the animals in the zoo, which took us about an hour, we enjoyed our picnic lunch in the shaded area right outside the entrance.  There is also a playground for the kids to finish wearing themselves out before going home!  We did not happen to be there when the train was running but apparently The Folsom Valley Railway (located between the zoo and the library) can be a real highlight of the Folsom Zoo experience.

Another plus for this zoo is that admission is so inexpensive.  Kids ages 2 - 12 are $3.00 and Adults are just $4.00.  I only spent $10.00…what a deal!  You can get in for even cheaper if you go on the first Tuesday of the month (September through February) on their Half-off Admission days.

I recommend checking the zoo out on one of these cooler fall days as you’re more likely to find the animals playing or eating.  The crowds are likely to be smaller when summer’s done and you’ll be able to spend more time walking and enjoying eachother’s company.  So go visit the animals while the weather is still great!

Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary
403, Stafford Street, Folsom, CA 95630
(916) 351-3527

Normal Hours (Sept through May): Tues - Sun 10am - 4pm
Closed Mondays for animal rest days
Summer Hours (June 1 - Aug 31): Tues - Sun 9am - 3pm

Close

Enchanting, magical, romantic…all words used to describe the Strauss Festival of Elk Grove!

The Strauss Festival is an outdoor staged dance production at Elk Grove Regional Park that has been running for 22 years.  The evening performances feature a choreographed storyline set to music by the family of Austrian composer Johann Strauss, played by a live 32-piece, professional orchestra.  Elegantly costumed local waltz and polka troupes bring the story to life.  Each performance ends with a fireworks display!

There is bleacher seating or grass seating…so bring a blanket.  People are allowed to reserve  a spot with a blanket after the previous night performance so I imagine that good “seats” fill up fast.

The Festival is today through Sunday, July 26th, 7:45-10pm.
Admission is FREE. Parking $10.  714-2527.

Click here for more information.

This is a fun event for the whole family!

Guacamole and live music…does it get any better?

Here’s something fun to do with the family tomorrow, Saturday the 18th.  The Guac and Roll Festival at Cesar Chavez Park starts at noon and music will start at 3:00 pm.

The festival will be featuring Sacramento’s very own Method Echo (http://www.myspace.com/methodecho) with opener Tainted Love (http://www.taintedlove.com/)!

In addition to great entertainment, there’s over 15 Restaurants sampling & selling Sacramento’s best foods featuring guacamole and avocados.  In addition to a ROCK WALL, there will also be a FREE KIDS AREA with inflatable games, slides, jump houses, Basketball Shoot Out, water games and more!  Tickets are $12.00 and kids 10 and under are FREE!
Click here for more information

(more…)

At Hagan Community Park in Rancho Cordova sits the cutest little Petting Barn.  It is taken care of by the Rancho Cordova Girl Scouts.  I was aware that they open on weekends for FREE…but when I called for more information, I was told that every Tuesday they hold a Storytime in the Barn.  Well, we had to check it out!

The Experience:

The kids were excited to go to a “real barn” and see the animals.  They were even more excited when we got there and they were able to have  a more interactive experience than we expected.  There was a donkey, a goat, a rabbit, chickens, birds and the sweetest baby lamb.  The kids and I agreed that the highlight was feeding the chickens out in the chicken yard!  Friendly Ms. Lu made this a wonderful experience by guiding their interactions with the animals, giving them some tips, and answering their questions.  She then read a few animal stories while the children all sat on haystacks.

Expenses:

The fee is $5.00 per child and it was well worth the experience!  On the weekends the petting barn is FREE.  (There is a $4.00 parking fee that you do not have to pay when attending Storytime on Tuesday).

Tips:

You can bring your own carrots and crackers to feed the animals.

There is a playground close to the petting barn.  We brought a picnic lunch and played with the new friends we met at Storytime.

Storytime: All year long, Tuesday 10:00 - 10:45 AM; $5.00/per child or $16.00 for 4-pass punchcard

Weekends: Petting Barn open May - September,  Saturday and Sunday 12:00 - 4:00 PM.

Steam Train rides are available behind the Petting Barn on the 1st Saturday and 3rd Sunday of the month from 12:00 - 4:00 PM!

Petting Barn & Steam Train rides are FREE!  (Donations suggested)

Hagan Community Park Petting Barn

2197 Chase Drive, Rancho Cordova

(916) 362-1841

Close