18 Fun Things to Do in Sacramento with Kids Over Thanksgiving Break

With kids off from school, Thanksgiving break in Sacramento is the perfect time to enjoy seasonal adventures or check out festive activities. Some of the best holiday activities in Sacramento for families begin the week of Thanksgiving. There are even some activities open on the actual Thanksgiving holiday if you’re looking for something to do before or after feasting on turkey. Keep reading below for fun things to do in Sacramento with the whole family during Thanksgiving break.

November in Sacramento

➡️ Top Events in Sacramento with Kids This November

➡️ Sacramento Turkey Giveaways for Thanksgiving Meals

1. Thanksgiving Turkey Trots

Before stuffing yourself to the gills with turkey and all the Thanksgiving side dishes and fixings, burn some calories at one of the many turkey trots in Sacramento on Thanksgiving morning. There are several turkey trots all over the Sacramento Area, from Roseville to Folsom to West Sacramento. A good one for kids is the Elk Grove Gobble Wobble, which features a non-timed 1/4-mile kids’ fun run.

2. Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary

If you need to entertain kids on Thanksgiving morning, you’re in luck because the Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary happens to be open. Each year, they hold the annual tradition of feeding the animals a Thanksgiving Feast on Thanksgiving morning. The Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary will be open on Thanksgiving from 10am to 1pm, with last entry at 12:30pm.

3. Thanksgiving Day Free Bowling

Country Club Lanes in Sacramento will be offering free bowling on Thanksgiving Day! The only thing you’ll have to pay for is bowling shoes. They’ll even be offering each bowler a free slice of pumpkin pie at the Concourse Cafe while supplies last. Free Unlimited bowling will occur from 9am to 4pm. Country Club Lanes also participates in the Kids Bowl Free summer program.

4. Ice Skating Rinks

While many things are closed on Thanksgiving, a few ice skating rinks in Sacramento are open! Take the whole family ice skating before Thanksgiving dinner. The Downtown Sacramento Ice Rink and Folsom Historic Ice Rink are both open on Thanksgiving. The Folsom ice skating rink will have a Thanksgiving PJ Party during all of its sessions.

Ice Skating Rink operating times on Thanksgiving:

• Downtown Sacramento Ice Rink — 10am – 4pm
• Historic Folsom Ice Rink — 10am – 9:30pm

5. Dickens Street Faire — Elk Grove

Ring in the holiday season at the Dickens Street Faire in Elk Grove. This annual holiday festival always takes place on the Saturday after Thanksgiving at Old Town Elk Grove. Expect free entertainment, local vendors, and Santa getting rescued from the Elk Grove Fire Department.

While in Elk Grove, Cocoa & Cookies with Santa, one of the many free holiday events in Sacramento for kids, will be taking place on the same day. It would be easy to combine both of these events to kick off the holiday season.

6. Christmas Tree Farms

Many families make it a tradition to put up the Christmas tree the weekend after Thanksgiving to ring in the holiday season. With so many farms in the Sacramento area, there are ample locations to grab a real Christmas tree. If you’re up for a drive, one of the best Christmas tree farms near Sacramento is Silveyville Farm in Dixon. In addition to Christmas trees, they offer extra family-friendly activities such as a Christmas village, a Santa sleigh ride, and animal viewings.

The most Christmas tree farms near Sacramento are in Apple Hill. There is a wide range of farms with Christmas trees and additional family-friendly activities for the holiday season. Indian Rock Tree Farm is a popular choice in Apple Hill, and it opens in 2025, the day after Thanksgiving.

7. Santa at Apple Ridge Farms — Apple Hill

While Apple Ridge Farms is not one of the Apple Hill farms with Christmas trees, Santa will be visiting their farm over Thanksgiving weekend. If you plan to pick your Christmas tree from one of the many Christmas Tree Farms near Sacramento in Apple Hill, add a stop to Apple Ridge Farms for the kids to see Santa.

8. Santa Visits

For Santa visits closer to Sacramento, there are tons of different options. Snap those Santa photos early to add them to holiday cards sooner rather than later. Not all Santa photo ops will be available in time for Thanksgiving. Local Sacramento malls like Arden Fair and Westfield Galleria at Roseville have photos with Santa starting in early November.

Bass Pro Shop in Rocklin has a popular Santa’s Wonderland in November and December. Appointments are available one week from the current day and become available at 12:01am for the next available day.

9. Magical Christmas Train — West Sacramento

There are more holiday train rides near Sacramento than you might realize. One of those experiences is the Magical Christmas Train in West Sacramento. The Sacramento River Fox Train will have its Magical Christmas Train chugging along the rails starting the day after Thanksgiving, November 28, 2025. Tickets go quickly! This year, expect an all-new Santa’s village with holiday lights, live entertainment, festive treats, and photo ops with Santa Claus.

10. Theatre of Lights — Old Sacramento

Theatre of Lights is one of the best holiday activities in Sacramento for families, and it’s free! The opening night of Theatre of Lights is November 26, 2025, Thanksgiving Eve, following the Old Sacramento Waterfront Tree Lighting Ceremony. If you’ve never heard of this annual Sacramento holiday tradition, a theatrical retelling of “Twas the Night Before Christmas” is shouted from the balconies of Old Sacramento buildings on K Street with lots of flashing lights, loud sounds, and special guests.

The free Theatre of Lights show lasts for about 20 minutes. There will be several performances of Theatre of Lights during Thanksgiving weekend. No performances will take place on Thanksgiving. Shows are every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings typically at 6:30pm through Christmas Eve.

11. Golfland Sunsplash Winter Wonderland Mini-Golf — Roseville

A fun way to get into the holiday spirit is to go mini-golfing in Roseville. Golfland Sunsplash is one of the best mini-golf courses in Sacramento. The mini-golf course gets a festive facelift starting on Thanksgiving evening. There will be dazzling holiday lights and decorations throughout the course, plus a light show synced up to holiday music.

12. Santa at the Woodland Train Depot — Woodland (Yolo County)

There are many fun holiday activities in Yolo County for kids. To start the holiday season, Santa will be at the Woodland Train Depot on Saturday, November 29, 2025. Kids can meet with Santa, receive a holiday ornament, see fire trucks, and enjoy a family-friendly holiday event while supporting the Sacramento Valley Historical Railways.

13. Nimbus Fish Hatchery

Thanksgiving break is an ideal time to visit the Nimbus Fish Hatchery. The salmon run and hatchery operations take place in November and December, so it’s peak time to visit the facility, which raises Chinook salmon and steelhead trout and releases them into the American River. Kids will get to feed the salmon and trout, explore the play area, and check out educational exhibits at this free activity. The visitor center is open on Thanksgiving Day from 8am to 3pm.

14. Mandarin Picking

While the focus will be on turkey over Thanksgiving break, it’s also mandarin season. There are a few farms that offer u-pick mandarins in the Sacramento area. One of those farms is Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits in Newscastle. They open for u-pick season on November 17, 2025 and reservations are encouraged. In November, they’ll have Satsuma mandarins and pomegranates for u-pick.

15. Black Friday Bash at Space To Play — Elk Grove

If you’re looking for an early break on Black Friday after all that shopping, Space To Play in Elk Grove will be having a special Black Friday Bash on the morning of November 28, 2025. Admission is $10 for three hours of play, which includes free admission for a parent or caregiver. There will also be free hot cocoa and coffee.

16. Letters to Santa — Folsom

Before Santa officially arrives at his Christmas Cottage in Historic Folsom for the season, kids can write letters to Santa with Snowflake the Elf, enjoy storytime, and create holiday cards. Letters to Santa is a free event held over Thanksgiving Weekend. Speaking of free, photos with Santa at the Christmas Cottage are some of the best free pictures with Santa in Sacramento.

17. Cordova Community Christmas Tree Lighting — Rancho Cordova

End Thanksgiving break in Sacramento at the Cordova Christmas Tree Lighting on Sunday, November 30, 2025. This free family event will include hay rides, train rides, snow, photos with Santa, a live nativity, and a fireworks show.

18. ‘Tis the Season — Midtown Sacramento

This year’s holiday show of the B Street Theatre’s Family Series has its first performance on Sunday, November 30, 2025. Enjoy a festive holiday performance of ‘Tis the Season, which spotlights Sacramento and Northern California traditions in a fun and lighthearted way. This show is for children ages 5+.