Sacramento is drawing millions of visitors. What’s bringing them here?

With close to $5 billion in visitor spending last year, festivals, sports and entertainment continue to drive economic growth throughout the region.

As a longtime lurker on the Sacramento subreddit, one of my favorite genres of post comes from people planning a trip to the city and asking locals for recommendations.

Many Sacramentans display a self-deprecating pride in their city — an “it’s my city, so only I can trash-talk it” attitude — lamenting another “jalapeño summer” but eagerly leaping at the chance to provide a 500-word itinerary for a first-time visitor.

Most Sacramento tourists seem to come here for one of three reasons: to visit friends or family, attend an event such as a Kings game or conference, or spend a night or two in the city on the way to the coast or mountains.

Locals’ recurring recommendations include the Midtown Farmers Market, currently ranked No. 1 in the state; the California State Railroad Museum; breakfast at the Morning Fork; Evangeline’s Costume Mansion, which recently reopened after a fire; and eclectic nightlife hotspots such as The Jungle Bird, Harlow’s and the Trophy Club.

Another kind of post that reliably draws enthusiasm is the report from someone who came to Sacramento and was surprised they had a great time — a refrain that’s given rise to another unofficial city slogan: ”Better than I expected.”

I also enjoyed this recent article from a first-time visitor who praised the city’s economic and racial diversity, ongoing growth and public transit system, speaking to Sacramento’s rise as a destination in its own right.

Coincidentally, three of our featured stories this week center around the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region, which is of particular interest to tourists due to its wine scene and waterfront. We love covering oft-overlooked Delta towns such as Locke and Hood, which has been scouted as a potential site of a new luxury hotel. Farther north, The Westin Sacramento Riverfront recently unveiled a revamped marina with convenient access to hotel amenities and Scott’s Seafood on the River.

– Dakota Morlan, managing editor

What a Delta Sewer Annexation Does to a Home Sale | Opinion

Sacramento’s Local Agency Formation Commission took up a proposal on August 5 that will not make headlines outside the Delta but will change how homes in Hood and Franklin are bought and sold: annexing both unincorporated communities into the Sacramento Area Sewer District.

Where Did the Birds Go? Once-Abundant Wetlands Are Drying Up After Federal Staff Cutbacks

CalMatters: A long decline in the number of people managing wildlife refuges in California, including the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge, accelerated after the Trump administration’s DOGE staffing cuts.

Dilemma of the Month: How Do I Handle an Anonymous Complaint?

If you ignore anonymous complaints, you not only put the company at more legal risk but also let employees know you didn’t take it seriously.

Some recommendations from our editors

Judy: I signed up for an AI boot camp put on by the Carlsen Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Sac State. I want to be clear that Comstock’s does not allow writers to use AI to write their stories, but I always want to keep up with technology and trends. The workshop was run by Averro, a staffing and solutions firm. We broke into teams and were tasked with creating a unique food truck. My team used Claude, Gamma and Lovable to create an affordable food truck for students called The Hangry Hornet, complete with a fun hornet logo and menu items such as the hornet burrito, stinger burritos and Delta breeze agua fresca.

Jennifer: This week I’ve been listening to the 2019 album “L’Étrange Pays” (The Strange Country) by Jean Leloup, a Canadian artist known for minimalist arrangements that set the abundant poetry of his lyrics in relief. One standout track is “Boulevard des rêves brisés,” which translates to “Boulevard of broken dreams” and must have been at least a little inspired by the 2004 Green Day hit.

Odds and ends

Our August issue explores Sacramento as a travel destination, “haunted” real estate and more. Read it now on your computer, phone or tablet.

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