Sacramento’s Fairytale Town welcomes back Santa Claus for family-friendly holiday event
Families were greeted with holiday decorations, Christmas carols and winter festivities on Saturday, the first day of Fairytale Town’s annual Winter Wonderland event.
The farm animals and storybook attractions that Sacramento’s iconic play park is known for, serve as the backdrop for a family-friendly holiday event.
Families can meet Santa Claus on the Mother Goose stage. Kids can experiment building toys in “Santa’s workshop” in the Story Center. Parents can peruse the holiday-themed vendors.
The event’s accessibility and holiday magic is what drew many of Saturday’s visitors, including Candy Chan and Janet Voong.
The Fairytale Town regulars have attended other holiday-themed events at the park with their families. The mothers have remained friends since they met in Sacramento schools in the third grade, but they didn’t come to Fairytale Town until they each started a family.
“It’s so welcoming and the kids always have fun,” Chan said as her son clambered on Santa’s nearby sleigh.
“We appreciate how well thought out everything is,” Voong added. She noted how accessible the Fairytale Town event is for families with strollers.
Chan said staff and volunteers scattered through the park are more than willing to take photos for adults so they can pose with their kids in front of the holiday decorations or with Santa.
Santa is free to meet kids and take photos every day of the event until 6 p.m., organizers said. The Grinch, from the Dr. Seuss book, would also be making an appearance throughout the weekend. Although no precipitation is forecasted, organizers said families could expect a snowfall at 6 pm “made possible by Santa’s magic.”
Rachel Alves said the event was perfect for her 9-year-old daughter, Audrey, who is nonverbal and loves the Christmas decorations. After attending the annual Winter Wonderland event last year, Alves said she and her family made a point of coming back this year.
“We love that it’s outside and during the day,” Alves said after taking photos of her daughter with Santa Claus. She noted that a lot of other opportunities to meet Santa are often located in malls, which is a less accommodating setting for her daughter.
Families can bring their own food and non-alcoholic beverages to enjoy in the park. Or they can order food at the park’s Dish and Spoon Cafe.
The event helps keep the nonprofit park at 3901 Land Park Drive open throughout the year, said Kevin Williams, the park’s director of advancement. Williams noted it also helps keep Fairytale Town’s farm animals well-cared for.
Winter Wonderland festivities continues from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Dec. 14-15.
This story was originally published December 7, 2024 at 4:42 PM.
