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“There’s like a whole educational piece that I think is really, really cool to see, in a formalized setting like this.”
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Thousands filled downtown Sacramento this weekend for day two of the Terra Madre Americas and the Farm-to-Fork Festival, which made its debut at a new location outside the Safe Credit Union Convention Center.
The event brought visitors from across the world, with food taking center stage in the outdoor portion of the festival.
“This was the first time it was actually here, and I think that Terra Madre inclusion was a really unique collaboration because I learned a little bit more,” said festival goer Beverly Nguyen. “There’s like a whole educational piece that I think is really, really cool to see, in a formalized setting like this.”
Inside the convention center, visitors found food, drinks and demonstrations. Outside, vendors and live music added to the weekend’s warm-weather atmosphere.
“Inside the Convention Center, we’ve got food, drink, demonstrations, all kinds of things going on,” said Kari Miskit, chief operating officer of Visit Sacramento. “And again, of course, this wonderful festival experience behind me. We’ve got vendors, farm-to-fork vendors that people have come to know and love over the years.”
The festival also drew first-time attendees. “This is actually my first time here, even though I’ve been in Sacramento for a few years,” said festival goer Aditya Voleti. “It was really fun. What brought me out was to see Passion Pit and to check out the food, and also I heard that Terra Madre was the first year here, so I wanted to see what that was like too.”
Vendors reported selling out at higher rates than in previous years, a sign of the festival’s popularity. Miskit said Visit Sacramento is still collecting visitor and economic impact numbers but expects them to be significant.
“At Visit Sacramento, our primary goal is to bring in overnight visitors into the market who stay in our hotels, who support our restaurants, who are supporting our local businesses,” Miskit said. “And that’s why we made this decision to merge our event with Terra Madre. To bring in more folks from out of the area.”
Local businesses also welcomed the crowds. “It’s a renaissance for Sacramento,” said Scott Prenez, owner of Mojo’s Local Tap and Kitchen. “I believe we’re making a lovely comeback after COVID, which was hard on everybody. We had a common feel for what that was like, and now to see people wandering around listening to music, enjoying themselves, being together is just such a—it’s an important thing for our community.”
Festival admission is free. Both the indoor market and the outdoor Farm-to-Fork Festival reopen Sunday for the final day, closing at 6 p.m.
WATCH MORE ON ABC10 | Terra Madre Americas 2025: Sacramento hosts international food and wine festival
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