[April Chavez is the lucky winner of the 4-pack of tickets!  Congratulations!  Thank you to everyone who entered to win.  Stay tuned for more great giveaways in the future.]

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey is roaring into town September 9th - 12th with Barnum’s FUNundrum!, a new jumbosized, un‐miss‐able event celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of legendary P.T. Barnum, the Greatest Showman on Earth!  From the moment that you arrive, the momentum explodes as The Greatest Show On Earth comes to life in a way that can only be inspired by the greatest showman who ever lived.  Featuring 130 performers from six continents, almost 100,000 pounds of performing pachyderms, cowboys, pirates, and mermaids, it is a super-sized spectacle so massive you just can’t miss it!

An All Access Pre-Show begins 1 hour before show time on the arena floor.  It is a wonderful opportunity for you and your family to interact with performers, try on costumes, and see some of the famous Ringling animals up close!

Our family considers it a special treat to go to the circus each year.  The kids look forward to it with great anticipation and are just mesmerized throughout the show!  For a look at what you can expect this year, click here.

To make it more affordable, here’s a discount offer:  4‐for‐$44 when you use the code MOM
Enter the promo code when purchasing tickets on Ticketmaster or mention it at the box office!
(No double discounts, valid on all $23, $17, and $14 tickets)
3 Ways to Purchase Tickets:
1. Visit www.ticketmaster.com and enter Promo Code MOM
2. Visit ARCO Arena Box Office and mention Promo Code MOM
3. Call (800) 745-3000 and use Promo Code MOM

We have a 4-Pack of Tickets for The Greatest Show on Earth to giveaway to one lucky Sacramento Sidetracks reader!

To enter to WIN, all you need to do is the following 2 things:

1. Click here and “Like” Sacramento Sidetracks on Facebook.
2. Leave a comment on this post letting me know that you want to win the tickets.

The giveaway will close Sunday, August 29th at midnight and the winner will be announced Monday, August 30th.  The winner will be selected at random using Random.org.  Good Luck!

There is no reason to be bored this weekend!  If you are looking for somewhere fun to take the kids, Sacramento has Witchapalooza and many other incredible activities to choose from this weekend!  Happy Friday!

Witchapalooza

When: Saturday, October 11th and Sunday, October 12th; 10am - 8pm
Where: Cal Expo
Cost: $5.00, Kids 12 and under FREE; Parking $10.00
Info: This is the first ever Witchapalooza in Sacramento, California.  There will be magicians and performers in several key locations throughout the fair.  Local Sacramento vendors will be on hand showcasing their products and services that are related to the fun and mystical.  There will be concerts, celebrity guests, exhibitions, costumes, rides, games and more.  Concessions will include unique gourmet selections that go beyond traditional “fair foods”.  Click here for more info.

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The California State Capitol is beautiful…and a must-see for all that come to visit Sacramento.  But even if you are not a tourist, this is an awesome place to take your kids!

Our Experience:

When my dear friend and her son came up from San Diego to visit us this summer, the Capitol was at the top of our activity list.  We love giving our kids cultural experiences but sometimes it’s hard to know whether they will actually have fun or not.  Our adventure there started off just right with a picnic lunch in the gorgeous gardens on the east side of the building.  We had a nice shady spot on that hot day and after eating, the kids ran around checking out the statues and monuments (which I never even knew were there!).

We walked around to the tall front doors of the building and quickly found out that you must now enter from the north side where you pass through security.  This was easy and quick, even with a stroller, and the kids were hyped up with curiousity to see what was was inside this grand building!  Once inside, we had fun looking at the 58 county shadow box displays that lined the halls.  Our 5-year-olds got a kick out of seeing their own county’s “cool” display.

Since we have younger children, we did not take one of the hourly tours, but I have heard that they are very informative and usually have a humorous guide.  We chose to explore on our own and see the beautiful architecture, the historical rooms, and the art.  We wandered the halls, the rotunda, the staircases, and rode the elevators.  We had a ball!

In the basement there is a theater that shows films all day long.  We ended up having the theater all to ourselves, which was great considering we didn’t have to worry about our potentially loud, wandering children.  The funny part is that with the exception of my one-year-old, the kids actually sat and watched some film about the design and building of the Capitol.  Whether it was the dark and coolness of the theater after a long day or mere fascination with anything on a big screen…our kids learned something new about the history of our state.  They do have one 12-minute film called “Capitol Visions” that is for kids and shows quite often throughout the day.  It would be fun to catch that one on our next visit.

Although we went in not knowing whether or not the kids would have FUN, we came out tickled that they did!  All in all, it truly was a worthwhile and memorable outing!  When we are downtown and pass the Capitol now, my daughter points it out and excitedly rattles off what she remembers of our time there.

Expenses:

The Capitol Museum is FREE! As with all downtown adventures, there is a fee for parking.  You can find metered spots on the street or park in one of the many garages.  It usually runs about $1.25 to $1.50 per half-hour.

Tips:

Parking tickets for your meter running out are about $30.00…so over estimate the time you will be out!

Bring along a picnic lunch and enjoy the Capitol’s gardens.

Combine your visit to the Capitol with another fun activity downtown if you want to make it a day outing.  The IMAX Theatre is within walking distance.

Comments:

I am very interested in hearing from anyone that has taken one of the tours with kids.  I’d love to hear about your experience at the Capitol or any tips you may have, so please leave a comment!

The California State Capitol Museum
1315 10th Street, Sacramento
(916) 324-0333

Click here for more information.

Public tours are conducted daily, on the hour, from 9-4.  Films are shown daily in the Basement Theater from 9-5.

Close

Yikes!  Summer is almost over!  In the midst of getting my daughter back to school, I’ve realized that there is little time left to go to some of the fun places we had on our list for the Summer.  So I thought I’d put together a list of Sacramento attractions the kids would love that will be closing very soon.

• Raging Waters - Closes September 20th (Buy a 2010 season pass and get rest of 2009 FREE)
• Sunsplash - Closes September 7th (open weekends only right now)
• Folsom Aquatic Center - Closes September 7th
• Roseville Aquatic Center - Closes September 7th
• Wackford Aquatic Center - Closes September 13th (open weekends only right now)
• Spraygrounds - Water stops spraying at most parks on September 7th or 30th (check with your local Parks Dept.)

Go cool off with your family…and enjoy the end of SUMMER!