The Sactown Weekend Update for August 9-11
This weekend in the Sacramento region will be a moveable feast, with everything from a Japanese food bazaar at a Buddhist church to a banana festival in Land Park and a tomato fair in Woodland. Eat your heart out!
The Woodland Tomato Festival
On Saturday, this annual food festival—which celebrates the nearly 40,000 tomato-growing acres of Yolo County—will paint the town of Woodland red for the sixth time. Events will include a tomato tasting featuring more than 30 varietals and a cooking competition where chefs must create a three-course meal highlighting the vine-ripened vegetable. Culinary competitors will also be feeling the heat during a salsa-making throwdown. Free. Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Heritage Plaza. 600 Main St. Woodland. 530-666-2626. woodlandtomatofestival.com
Japanese Food & Cultural Bazaar
March to the beat of a different drummer this Saturday and Sunday at the 67th annual Japanese Food & Cultural Bazaar, where you can take in performances by colorful percussion group Sacramento Taiko Dan as you sample Japanese fare like barbecued chicken teriyaki, shrimp tempura and mochi on a stick. (Come hungry: two tons of rice, 10,000 pounds of chicken and 500 pounds of shrimp will be cooked during this two-day affair, hosted by and benefiting the Buddhist Church of Sacramento.) You can also catch the Tokyo drift by strolling through the temple’s rock garden, trying your hand at calligraphy and viewing the displays of handmade Kimekomi dolls. Free. Open Saturday and Sunday from noon to 9 p.m. Buddhist Church of Sacramento. 2401 Riverside Blvd. 446-0121. buddhistchurch.com
Sacramento Banana Festival
Thousands of attendees will be going bananas on Saturday and Sunday for this fourth-annual affair benefiting the Sojourner Truth Multicultural Art Museum. This year’s activities will include everything from ping-pong tournaments to a contest to see who can create the most festive Carmen Miranda hat. Little ones can check out the “Banana Jungle” kids’ zone, which will be filled with bungee jumping, hands-on art booths, banana-themed inflatables and bounce houses. The potassium-rich yellow fruit will fuel the day’s fun with tasty fare like banana burgers, banana pudding and sweet potato fries with banana sauce. $5 (free for children ages 5 and under). Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday from 10 a.m. to
5 p.m. William Land Park. Sutterville Rd. and Freeport Blvd. 320-9573. bananafestival.sojoarts.net
