New ink, old engines: Sacramento tattoo & car show draws visitors from near and far
Arden Arcade was buzzing with activity on Saturday, literally.
The sound of tattoo machines droning at different pitches filled the air at the fifth annual Capitol City Classic tattoo convention, on Saturday afternoon, the second day of its three-day run.
Tattoo artists, art vendors, food trucks and other booths filled two stories of the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Sacramento’s ballrooms, plus a decent section of its scorching parking lot. This year’s milestone fifth yearly convention was larger than ever before, with new additions to the schedule beyond the usual hours of nonstop tattooing.
Britton McFetridge, organizer of the convention and owner of Royal Peacock Tattoo in Sacramento, previously told The Bee that he chose to move the show from its former home at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center in downtown Sacramento to create a more intimate event atmosphere.
Return attendee Nick Struyf said he could see how many changes had been made to the convention, and he enjoyed the expansion.
“(The organizers) changed it up with a low rider show, so that made it even better,” Struyf said.
The Capitol City Classic is at the DoubleTree hotel in Arden Arcade Sunday from noon-7 p.m., and tickets are still available online starting at $40 per person plus fees.
Tattoo enthusiasts travel to the state capital
A high school history teacher from Chico, Struyf traveled to Sacramento for his third Capitol City Classic to finish up his two-year-long endeavor of tattooing his whole body. He said he enjoys that the convention attracts a wide variety of artists from all over the world — last year, he was tattooed by an artist from Beijing.
On Saturday, Struyf topped off his “bodysuit” with a tattoo that spanned his entire scalp by Sacramento tattoo artist Angelo Madrigal.
“This was the final piece, and the wife approved it,” Struyf said. “(As for) the school, I’ve been there for so long, I mean, I’m not different because of the tattoos.”
Tattoo artist Kelsey Cearnal traveled from the opposite direction to attend the Classic. It was the Santa Barbara-based artist’s first time in Sacramento and only her second-ever convention. While the first convention she attended was “super chilled,” Cearnal said this weekend had been hard work, with six tattoos on her books over the Friday-Sunday event plus a chance of walk-up clients.
Still, Cearnal said she was enjoying her time in Sacramento and at the convention thus far, though the unexpected weekend heat was an unpleasant welcome for the coast dweller.
“I’m really happy to be here,” Cearnal said. “I’m honored I got to come to the convention.”
One of the most highly anticipated artists at the convention is celebrity artist and Sacramento newcomer Megan Massacre, real name Megan Woznicki. Earlier this year, the formerly New York-based tattooist moved cross-country to raise her son closer to her family in the capital region, and she’s been working with Royal Peacock Tattoo ever since.
While adjusting to the California heat after years of tough New York winters, Woznicki is also learning the nuances of Sacramento’s tattoo community.
“I’m noticing that the style of traditional tattooing is very prevalent in this area,” Woznicki said. “In New York, there’s many different styles that are popular, including traditional, but it’s a very big mix. I do realism, so I am out of my element here ... It’ll be really interesting to see how I blend into the community.”
Extra fun in the sun
While live tattooing is the main event at the Capitol City Classic, the convention team prepared additional activities and programming for attendees who aren’t going under the needle.
The DoubleTree’s sun-bathed parking lot was not only packed with commuter cars from attendees and hotel guests, but also pinstriped lowriders, vintage roadsters and even a flame-painted hearse as part of the convention’s new car competition.
Attendees and artists alike, including Cearnal, were excited to see the eccentric display throughout the weekend.
“I’m gonna check out the cars, but I’m gonna wait for it to cool down a little bit,” Cearnal said.
In the middle of the blazing mid-afternoon heat, two other shows dazzled convention attendees who were grabbing a bite to eat or shopping at vendor pop-up tents outside.
Grupo Telpochkalli, a North Sacramento-based group of Mexican dancers practicing traditional Aztec dance, performed twice on Saturday in brightly colored regalia.
Natalia Itzali, a dancer with the group, said the convention organizers from Royal Peacock Tattoo reached out to the troupe asking them to participate. Itzali said she and her fellow dancers appreciated the tattoo convention team amplifying pre-Columbian Mesoamerican tradition at their event, as Mexican and Chicano culture is a major theme across tattoo art.
“If we don’t practice our culture, it will die,” Itzali said.
A pin-up competition followed closely after the dance performance, with the audience voting on their favorite red-lipped model.
As is traditional at tattoo conventions, each day of the Capitol City Classic wraps up with a tattoo competition, with judges awarding prizes to artwork in various styles. Winning artists receive various tattoo supplies and a hand-painted plate made by McFetridge as prizes.
The biggest award of the weekend — Best in Show — is still yet to be selected, and perhaps yet to be inked with one day of the Classic remaining.
“It’s fun, it’s exciting,” Cearnal said about the convention. “It’s been busy, people are getting tatted.”
This story was originally published June 14, 2026 at 10:15 AM.
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