Imaginarium holiday light festival returns to Sacramento this week. Here’s what is new

Imaginarium has returned to Sacramento for the winter, bringing a colorful holiday twinkle to the city.

The theme for this year’s holiday lights festival, presented by Global Winter Wonderland, is “Light Up the Night” and features a wide array of family-friendly entertainment, displays and new activities.

Festival producers expanded the experiential event this year, according to its website, adding more light exhibits, vendors, food and expanding the carnival. Here’s what to know about the 2022 Imaginarium festival in Sacramento:

Where and when is Imaginarium?

The festival opened Friday and will run to Jan. 2 at Cal Expo, 1600 Exposition Blvd.

How to get Imaginarium tickets

Tickets can be purchased online. General admission for weekdays starts at $25 for adults and $19 for seniors 62 and up, and kids 4 to 12 years old.

General admission for weekends starts at $27 for adults and $21 for seniors and kids 4 to 12 years old.

Children under 3 enter free every day.

Pre-sale tickets for general admission are currently available, dropping prices by $2-3.

With general admission tickets, you can enjoy the light exhibits, live performances, entertainment, activities and shops. You can also purchase add-ons to your tickets for ice skating, laser tag, laser maze and carnival ride passes.

What’s at the Imaginarium?

Spanning 15 acres, the lights festival features colorful holiday lights, shows, themed characters and entertainment.

For the first time this year, the event will have an ice skating rink, more than 25 carnival rides, augmented reality displays, a fantasy land, laser tag and a wishing tree.

There will also be balloon drops throughout the day, live entertainment, Santa, a 30,000 led-light rose garden and beer garden.

This story was originally published November 15, 2022 at 8:31 AM.