Best Ways To Spend New Years Day With Your Family In Sacramento

By Christopher Millard

A new year brings hope, promise, good tidings, and a day off. So, look for an excellent way to ring in the day with one if these choice activities ffor the whole family.

Downtown Sacramento Ice Rink
St. Rose of Lima Park
7th Street and K Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 442-5563
www.godowntownsac.com/events/signature-events/ice-rink

Established in 1991, the Downtown Sacramento Ice Rink has brought holiday joy to young and old, alike. Placed in the heart of downtown, at the doorstep of the Golden 1 Center in St. Rose of Lima Park, the rink is as iconic as the season itself. It's a unique experience for Sacramentoans who seldom see ice, much less play on it. And no worries, the rink will provide gloves, socks and skates for a price. General admission is $12, with children (Age 6 and Under) skating for $6. Make your season complete at the Downtown Sacramento Ice Rink.

Global Winter Wonderland
Cal Expo
Sacramento, CA 95815
(510) 962-8586
www.globalwonderland.com

Come celebrate the worlds winter holidays at Cal Expo. Come see the amazing light displays representing how winter is done around the globe. Watch the Circus of Light perform mesmerizing feats, and entertain with dance and song. Eat and shop at the holiday market. Play games, enjoy the amusement park rides, and visit with Penny the Penguin. Even Santa will be there for pictures and to take your wishes. Presented by International Culture Exchange Group at Cal Expo, this multicultural festival is fit for all ages.

Amazing Scavenger Hunt Adventure Sacramento
4422 Y St.
Sacramento, CA 95822
(805) 603-5620
www.urbanadventurequest.com

See Sac in a whole new way, as you take on the Amazing Scavenger Hunt Adventure Sacramento. Wind through some of the most iconic spots in SacTown, like: the Capitol Building, the Crest Theater, the Delta King, Old Sacramento, Golden 1 Center and more. Use any smartphone as a guide to turn your town into a giant board game. Go at your own pace, and discover in some of the lesser know sites in Sac, as well. Cost is $49, but if you use the promo code SAC365 you'll save. It's $39.20 for a team of 2-5 people. So, bring the whole family!

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Center for Railroad Photograph and Arts Exhibit
California State Railroad Museum
125 I Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 323-9280
www.californiarailroad.museum

If you're looking for a more chill start to the year, you can take in the Center for Railroad Photograph and Arts Exhibit. Check out the gorgeous paintings and photographs at the museum exhibits. Take in the majesty if a transit gone by. The settling of the West came by train, and the California State Railroad Museum visually documents it all. A picture is worth a thousand words, and the museum is an open book. $12 gets you in, with ages 6-17 costing $6. Age 5 and under? Free.

Off the Clock: Sports Clubs of the Southern Pacific
California State Railroad Museum
125 I Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 323-9280
www.californiarailroad.museum

And since you'll be right there, check out the California State Railroad Museum's exhibit chronicling the traveling sports teams that rode the rails to play ball or race. Southern Pacific employees participated in sports clubs that traveled town to town to rival each other. On display are athletic artifacts such as a bow and arrows, track shoes, a wool bathing suit and more, circa the 1920s. General admission is 10, with youth being $5, while small children are Free to admit. It's a playful and fun exhibit to kick off your year.

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