Lodging

Located on Highway 120 on the way to Yosemite, Firefall Ranch, featuring 55 cottages and villas on 300 acres, is set to open May 1, 2024. Fine but not fussy, Firefall Ranch meanders through serene meadowland and forested rolling hills near Yosemite's popular northwest entrance.

Sure to be the newest and sassiest world-class resort and conference destination in California, Jamestown's Chicken Ranch Casino Resort is set to open in Summer 2024. The resort will feature more than 190 rooms, a 9,600-square-foot convention center, numerous restaurants with views that extend into Yosemite National Park, and a rooftop bar and pool.

Starting in May 2024, a new glamping experience arrives in Mariposa County. Wildhaven Yosemite will offer glamping tents and cozy cabins on a beautiful property with mountain and valley views located less than a mile from the historic town of Mariposa. The extra-large, safari-style tents and modular cabins with baths feature comfortable beds with linens, electricity, heaters, and all the furnishings needed for a comfortable night's sleep. Reservations are available now.

The peace and quiet of midweek travel to Yosemite is sure to pad your pocketbook and soothe your soul. Whether it's fewer people or the freedom to choose from an array of accommodations at the perfect price point, the case for midweek travel to Yosemite Mariposa County is strong. The savings are real, the vibe is serene, and the Park's many attractions — from its chorus of waterfalls to its sentinels of granite — can feel more intimate.

 

Food, Wine & Brew

The acclaimed Moonraker Brewery debuted the new Moonraker Millhouse. A 17-acre property in Cameron Park is the setting for this 20,000-square-foot building, which houses a brewery, taproom, and farm-to-fork restaurant. Additionally, guests can enjoy a 9,000-square-foot outdoor beer garden and a private event space.

Chaney Family Winery, established last year, recently began pouring their Rosé and Viognier and will be bottling Barbera and Sangiovese soon. The winemakers merge tradition and innovation to create wines that tantalize the senses and ignite the imagination.

Lecavalier Cellars is the newest winery on the Placer Wine and Ale Trail. The award-winning winemaker's tasting room, conveniently located right off I-80 in Newcastle, recently opened, while their expansive, full-production winery, tasting room and restaurant is being built, with an anticipated 2025 opening date.

Omakase Por Favor in Lincoln opened earlier this year and combines a Japanese raw bar experience with traditional coastal Mexican cuisine. Guests will be guided by the chef who will personalize seafood platters to fit their cravings.

Fowler Ranch Farm Brewery, located on the Lincoln Newcastle Highway in Lincoln, is the newest brewery to join the unique agricultural farm-to-glass brewery movement in Placer County. Placer County now has four options of farm breweries where the hops and other ingredients are grown on-site. New additions bring the Placer Wine and Ale Trail total to 24 boutique wineries, 19 craft breweries, two craft cideries, and one craft distillery.

Moonrise Pizza is open! New to Amador City, Moonrise offers delicious pizza, bagels, and focaccia. The Haight Family Ravioli Co. opening brings “pasta made with love!” to Sutter Street in Jackson. The Company provides family-made, frozen to-go Ravioli, pasta, and sauces!

Experience Elk Grove with a hike at Camden Park, then enjoy brunch at Jamie's Cafe. Spend the afternoon sipping local beer and wine while shopping at boutiques on Main Street. Complete your busy day with a visit to Sky River Casino, which boasts restaurants, bars, gaming experiences, a bourbon and cigar lounge, and more.

Cantina Pedregal, a highly anticipated new restaurant that is a collaboration between two Michelin-recognized chefs, will open in Folsom in June. Brad Cecchi of Canon and Patricio Wise of Nixtaco will craft authentic dishes that accentuate the bold flavors and cooking techniques that pay homage to some of the best recipes of Northern Mexico.

Visit Folsom invites residents and visitors alike on a sugary journey like no other — the Folsom Sugar Trail Adventure! Embark on a delectable encounter with mouthwatering treats from local restaurants and shops, and enjoy deep discounts, exciting surprises, and the chance to win amazing prizes.

Leatherby's, the iconic Sacramento ice cream brand known in the area for its ice cream, sauces, sundaes, sandwiches, and other American-style dishes, has opened for business in Folsom.

 

Outdoor (and Indoor) Activities

Ride the rails on a pedal-powered Rail Explorers and experience the breathtaking Amador Central Railroad as it traces the contours of rolling hills, revealing panoramic views from the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains all the way to the Coastal Ranges. Book your ride.

Enjoy Sierra Foothills wines and explore on horseback with Saluti Horse Adventures. Saluti Cellars has added a menu of available ride options and has paired the experience with overnight lodging options.

Knight Foundry, set in the heart of Sutter Creek, is America's last water-powered foundry and machine shop. Established in 1873, the facility includes unique historic equipment and machinery that are still in place in its original context. Come out for Demonstration Day, watch the antique blacksmithing forge get fired up, and learn the ancient art of sand casting. The Foundry's new self-guided walking tour on the 4th Saturday of every month is an innovative, interactive way to see the Foundry. As on Demonstration Days, docents will be on hand to run the machinery and talk with you during your visit.

Discover how gold transformed California with a visit to the Kennedy Mine in Jackson, one of the world's deepest at 5,912 feet. Explore the mine's fascinating history and witness the melting of gold flakes into bricks, the processing of ore samples, and the impressive stamp and gold recovery mill. Guided tours are available every Saturday, Sunday, and Holiday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and group guided tours are also available by reservation year-round.

Preston Castle in Ione, formerly the administration building of the Preston School of Industry (a reform school for boys), is the most significant example of Romanesque Revival architecture in the Mother Lode. Now a California State Historic Landmark, the “Castle” is available for self-guided and docent-guided tours on frequent Saturdays from April through August.

Visit Folsom's Big House Prison Museum, where surrounding rock quarries provided the gray granite for the prison's iconic foreboding esthetic. The museum features a wealth of photographs, old hemp ropes used to hang prisoners, memorabilia from Johnny Cash's famed concert shows, a hand-cranked Gatling gun, many inmate-manufactured weapons, and an eight-foot motorized Ferris wheel made of a quarter million toothpicks created by a prisoner in the 1930s.

The Folsom History Museum provides an overview of Folsom's history with its permanent exhibit, Folsom, CA: A Story of Innovation to tell the story of how Folsom became the city it is today by providing the history of its founding, the Gold Rush, the railroad, its pioneers, agriculture and important businesses. The museum's Wells Fargo building location is currently showcasing the temporary exhibit, Made in Folsom, for October 2023-2024.

Tuolumne County joins the escape-room craze with downtown Sonora's Motherlode Escape Rooms. Gather a team and discover clues, accomplish tasks, and solve the puzzle in three different air-conditioned escape rooms easily accessible to restaurants and shopping — The Jesse James, The Apothecary, and The Espionage (coming soon!)

Lake Natoma Paddle Rentals, located at Lake Natoma's Black Miner's Bar day-use area, is a paddlesports rental facility and the base of operations for the region's most complete and experienced paddlesports education, training, and paddling exploration programs. Lake Natoma is part of the larger Folsom State Recreation Area.

Located in Groveland, Miller's Off-Road Adventures provides guided jeep tours. Guests can drive, or Miller's drivers take the wheel. Tours meander through the pristine Stanislaus National Forest. Guests will be treated to breathtaking views and possibly see some of the area's incredible wildlife that make the Tuolumne River Canyon their home. Adaptive jeeps and pet-friendly jeeps are available upon request.

Echo Adventure Cooperative is a worker-owned cooperative offering socially and environmentally sustainable guided adventures, vacation packages, and travel experiences in Yosemite National Park and throughout the Sierra. In addition to year-round flyfishing and many other seasonal adventures that take guests into Yosemite, including backpacking, snowshoeing, and hiking, Echo Adventures Co-Op now provides Adaptive Adventures for every visitor regardless of ability, expectations or experience. The co-op is located in Groveland.

Folsom offers miles and miles of diverse bike routes that cater to every skill level. Its curated rides pedal through the city's vibrant neighborhoods, along sparkling lakes and rivers, and through lush parks. Visit Folsom has teamed up with Ride with GPS for route planning necessities. Enjoy complimentary turn-by-turn navigation and discover special points of interest along the way.

Connect, gather, and make memories with one another at District 56 in Elk Grove. Located 15 minutes from downtown Sacramento, this community gathering place boasts modern amenities and lush scenery. District 56 features The Center, a 32,000-square-foot building with conference rooms, ballrooms, and outdoor networking space; The Preserve, a nature lover's retreat; and The Aquatics Center, complete with a 50-meter competition pool and 25-yard instructional pool.

Lake Natoma Paddle Rentals, located at Lake Natoma's Black Miner's Bar day-use area, is a paddlesports rental facility and the base of operations for the region's most complete and experienced paddlesports education, training, and paddling exploration programs. Lake Natoma is part of the larger Folsom State Recreation Area.

 

Events

Raise a glass at Elk Grove Brewfest on April 27 from 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. This annual event is a beer-lover's paradise with unlimited beer, wine, and cider at Elk Grove Park. Purchase your tickets today to enjoy the region's finest breweries and wineries, food trucks, live entertainment, and so much more while benefiting the nonprofit City of Refuge Sacramento to help further their work with at-risk youth and young adults.

Mariposa spreads its wings May 4 – 5 for its signature celebration — the Mariposa Butterfly Festival. Families and friends will gather for a weekend of music, art, food, education, equestrians, skydivers, and butterflies! Festivities take flight Saturday at 10:00 a.m. through the charming main streets of downtown Mariposa with the Mariposa Butterfly Festival Parade, and then on to the Mariposa County Fairgrounds, where more than 75 local vendors will tender handmade crafts, butterfly-themed works of art, local foods, and made-in-Mariposa, one-of-a-kind items. This year's added attractions include a classic car and truck show.

This year's Amador Four Fires Food and Wine Festival returns to the Amador County Fairgrounds on May 4 from 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. This unique food and wine experience blends open-flame outdoor cooking by renowned local chefs, intimate seminars fueled by acclaimed local winemakers, and tastings from Amador's wine varietals inspired by four celebrated wine regions: Rhone, Italy, Spain, and Heritage California.

The California Mermaid Convention, a quirky 3-day event that makes a splash in Rancho Cordova year after year, is slated for May 17-19. This biggest mermaid convention on the West Coast takes place at Hagan Community Pool and is open to the public. You can meet and swim with mermaids, buy lots of great merch, and enjoy The Promenade of Mermaids parade and The Bubble Ball.

Get ready for an unforgettable fun time at the new Elk Grove Music Festival. Enjoy live entertainment at Old Town Plaza on Saturday, May 18, from 12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., and experience a bustling plaza filled with delicious specialty food vendors, unique craft vendors, live music, talented local artists, and a beer, wine, and spirits garden. Buy tickets.

Rev your engines for an adrenaline rush! The multi-day Hangtown Motocross Classic annual race is scheduled for May 30 – June 1 at the Prairie City State Vehicular Recreation Area and will feature amateurs and pros. There are plenty of seating options to get you close to the action.

One of the top five airshows in North America, this year's California Capital Airshow, slated for July 13 – 14, will take flight at night! The airshow will feature a headline stunt performance by Frecce Tricolori, a famous Italian jet team who will be in North America for the first time in 32 years! This year's night airshow will also include drones, fireworks, and pyrotechnics.

 

Flowers

Shop among an amazing array of nearly 1,200 daylily varieties at the Amador Flower Farm and enjoy a beautiful day in the country. The Flower Farm is nestled in Plymouth, near the Shenandoah Valley. Hours of operation are 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. daily throughout spring, summer, and fall.

The Bloom Festival, a monthly festival held in Elk Grove Park, supports local artisans and provides family and pet-friendly fun! 150 vendors are showcased to support small businesses in the area. Spend the day shopping for vintage finds, listening to live music, and enjoying food from local vendors. The festival runs from April to October.

 

More Exciting News

Visit Folsom has collaborated with Sierra Foothill Wineries to introduce the Foothill Wine Tasting Pass. This pass offers access to wine-tasting flights, discounted wine prices, and personalized tours across five distinct California Gold Country wine regions, most within a short drive from Folsom. Each digital pass is delivered instantly via text message or email.

If you are planning a meeting, special event, festival, or sporting event in Elk Grove, you could qualify for grant funding through Explore Elk Grove's Booking Incentive Program. To promote Elk Grove as an ideal venue, we offer booking incentives to help your bottom line, add value to your event, and deliver additional amenities to your attendees. This program aims to foster events and encourage repeat visits that contribute to the community's well-being.

Visit Placer's Explorer Pass has been re-launched for 2024 with even more stops. The downloadable pass features trails, other outdoor spaces, museums, attractions, and local wineries and breweries. Each check-in on the pass earns points that can be redeemed for prizes, including a trail map bandana and a Yeti water bottle.