SPRING TRAINING GAMES COME FEBRUARY 21ST. THE SACRAMENTO RIVER CATS ARE PUTTING A NEW SPIN ON BASEBALL FOR THEIR UPCOMING SEASON. THEY’RE TURNING IT INTO A FESTIVAL STYLE EXPERIENCE THAT THEY HOPE WILL BRING OUT THE CROWDS. LET’S GET TO KCRA 3’S LETICIA ORDAZ LIVE AT SUTTER HEALTH PARK WITH MORE ON WHAT FANS CAN EXPECT. MIKE, THIS IS AN EXCITING NEW SEASON. IT’S REALLY BASEBALL REIMAGINED AND ZACH IS JOINING US HERE. HE’S A BROADCASTER FOR THE RIVER CATS. AND YOU GUYS ARE GOING BIG RIGHT? YOU’RE SAYING DON’T FORGET ABOUT ME. COME TO OUR GAMES. YEAH WE’VE WE’VE CURATED AND WE’VE GOT THIS POSTER HERE. THE FESTIVAL OF BASEBALL FOR 2026. SO THERE’S 75 HOME GAMES FOR THE RIVER CATS EACH YEAR. AND WE KIND OF DISTILLED IT INTO 13 DIFFERENT EVENTS. THE HOME STANDS ARE ABOUT A WEEK LONG, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE FIRST ONE, WHICH IS ONLY THREE DAYS. BUT EACH HOMESTAND HAS A THEME, AND THERE’S GOING TO BE A GIVEAWAY EVERY FRIDAY, FIREWORKS EVERY SATURDAY, KICKING OFF ON MARCH 27TH. SO IT’S IT’S WE’RE EXCITED. ABSOLUTELY. AND DINGER IS READY TO PARTY. HOW IS THIS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT THAN OTHER YEARS? THIS IS NOT JUST FOR BASEBALL FANS. NO. YOU KNOW SACRAMENTO IS A FESTIVAL TOWN, WHICH IS WHY WE CAME UP WITH THE FESTIVAL OF BASEBALL, AND WE REALLY WANTED TO JUST KIND OF WEAVE IN A LOT OF COMMUNITY ELEMENTS WITH WHAT WE’RE DOING. YOU KNOW, THE RIVER CATS ARE SACRAMENTO TEAM. I KNOW THE A’S HAVE COME IN AND THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF BASEBALL BEING PLAYED HERE, BUT REALLY, SACRAMENTO RIVER CATS TOWN. AND WE WANTED TO HAMMER THAT HOME THROUGH OUR PROMOTIONS. WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS NEVER BEEN TO A GAME, AND THEY HAVEN’T DISCOVERED YET THAT THEY ARE FANS? YOU TRUST ME, YOU ARE A BASEBALL FAN. IF NOT A BASEBALL FAN, YOU’RE A FAN OF COMING OUT TO THE BALLPARK AND GETTING GREAT DEALS AND GOING HOME WITH WITH GREAT GIVEAWAY ITEMS. YOU HAVE ABOUT 40 OPPORTUNITIES THIS YEAR TO COME HERE AND TO GO HOME WITH SOMETHING WITH A GIVEAWAY ITEM. THEY HAVE DISCOUNTED CONCESSION ITEMS, DISCOUNTED BEER ON THURSDAYS. THERE’S SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE AND IT’S A BIG HIT WITH FAMILIES. EVEN IF YOU’RE NOT A BASEBALL FAN. OF COURSE, WE CAN’T FORGET ABOUT THE FOOD. OF COURSE. NO, THE FOOD IS HUGE, AND YOU CAN GET TICKETS TO ANY OF OUR UPCOMING GAMES FOR 2026. USE A PROMO CODE PLAY BALL. THE TICKETS GO ON SALE GENERAL PUBLIC TOMORROW WITH THE PROMO CODE. YOU CAN GET TICKETS. ALL RIGHT. READY TO PARTY HERE AT BASEBALL? APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU GUYS FOR COMING OUT. ALL RIGHT. SO THE SEASON STARTS MARCH 27TH. GOES ALL THE WAY UNTIL SEPTEMBER. I UNDERSTAND YOU CAN SNAG SOME TICKETS FOR AS CHEAP AS $10. SO QUITE THE DEAL TO EXPERIENCE THE FESTIVA
Sacramento River Cats unveil “Festival of Baseball,” launch 2026 season as a summer-long celebration
Updated: 11:28 AM PST Feb 9, 2026
Baseball in Sacramento is getting a festival-style transformation.The Sacramento River Cats announced the launch of the River Cats Festival of Baseball, a new season-long experience that reimagines each homestand as a curated celebration of music, food, culture and community.Instead of a traditional 75-game home schedule, the River Cats are framing the 2026 season around 13 distinct homestands, each with its own theme, personality and vibe. Every homestand will be anchored by a Saturday night theme event, with experiences woven throughout the week including giveaways, specialty food and drinks, in-game entertainment and fan engagement.From Farm-to-Fork and neighborhood markets to major music festivals like Aftershock and Country in the Park, Sacramento has built a reputation around shared experiences. Team leaders say the Festival of Baseball builds on that identity while placing baseball at the center.“Sacramento is a festival city at heart,” said River Cats President and COO Chip Maxson. “The Festival of Baseball reflects who we are as a community and how our fans live, connect and celebrate together. It’s about music, food, culture and community staged around the game of baseball.”The Festival of Baseball officially opens Friday, March 27 with Opening Night at Sutter Health Park.Throughout the season, fans will see a lineup of recurring weekly promotions designed to appeal to a wide range of audiences.Toyota Two-For-Tuesdays will feature two-for-one concession menu items, $2 hot dogs and novelty ice cream, along with select two-for-one ticket offers.Bogle Wine Wednesdays will spotlight local wine country with $2 off all Bogle Wines throughout the stadium and a rotating Frosé flavor of the month served in a souvenir cup.Taps and Trivia Thursdays will combine interactive in-game trivia with drink specials, including $9.16 rotating 16-ounce local beers and $5 domestic draft selections at main concession stands.SMUD Orange Fridays will celebrate the River Cats’ affiliation with the San Francisco Giants as the team takes the field in signature orange uniforms. Fans can enjoy happy hour pricing, live music in the Beer Garden from gates to first pitch, and giveaways for the first 2,500 fans throughout the season.Sutter Health Fireworks Saturdays will serve as the main stage of every homestand, featuring a rotating theme night, a Family Fun Pack, a featured chef’s item and postgame fireworks set to music that matches the night’s theme.Kids Rule Sundays will focus on younger fans with Dinger’s Kids Club lawn tickets, kids-focused promotions, pregame player autographs, postgame run-the-bases and a value menu designed for families.For the first time in team history, the River Cats season will be framed by 13 themed homestands. The season opens with Dinger’s House Party from March 27 to 29, followed by Play It Again from April 7 to 12, featuring a fan meet-and-greet with Giants legend Kirk Rueter. Additional homestands include Pals & Confidants, highlighting Pride Night, Golden Girls Night and Dinger’s Birthday, and Wild West from August 4 to 9, bringing back a country-themed week. The season wraps up with That’s All Folks from September 15 to 20, a high-energy, cartoon-style celebration of River Cats baseball and Sacramento culture.Individual theme nights are also returning, mixing fan favorites with new experiences. Returning nights include Dorados de Sacramento games as part of Minor League Baseball’s Copa de la Diversión, Hispanic Heritage Night, AANHPI Night, Pride Night, Star Wars Night, Christmas in July, and more.Tickets, promotional schedules and more information about the River Cats Festival of Baseball are available at rivercats.com.Team officials say the goal is to turn every trip to the ballpark into a summer festival experience — with baseball as the centerpiece.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Baseball in Sacramento is getting a festival-style transformation.
The Sacramento River Cats announced the launch of the River Cats Festival of Baseball, a new season-long experience that reimagines each homestand as a curated celebration of music, food, culture and community.
Instead of a traditional 75-game home schedule, the River Cats are framing the 2026 season around 13 distinct homestands, each with its own theme, personality and vibe. Every homestand will be anchored by a Saturday night theme event, with experiences woven throughout the week including giveaways, specialty food and drinks, in-game entertainment and fan engagement.
From Farm-to-Fork and neighborhood markets to major music festivals like Aftershock and Country in the Park, Sacramento has built a reputation around shared experiences. Team leaders say the Festival of Baseball builds on that identity while placing baseball at the center.
“Sacramento is a festival city at heart,” said River Cats President and COO Chip Maxson. “The Festival of Baseball reflects who we are as a community and how our fans live, connect and celebrate together. It’s about music, food, culture and community staged around the game of baseball.”
The Festival of Baseball officially opens Friday, March 27 with Opening Night at Sutter Health Park.
Throughout the season, fans will see a lineup of recurring weekly promotions designed to appeal to a wide range of audiences.
Toyota Two-For-Tuesdays will feature two-for-one concession menu items, $2 hot dogs and novelty ice cream, along with select two-for-one ticket offers.Bogle Wine Wednesdays will spotlight local wine country with $2 off all Bogle Wines throughout the stadium and a rotating Frosé flavor of the month served in a souvenir cup.Taps and Trivia Thursdays will combine interactive in-game trivia with drink specials, including $9.16 rotating 16-ounce local beers and $5 domestic draft selections at main concession stands.SMUD Orange Fridays will celebrate the River Cats’ affiliation with the San Francisco Giants as the team takes the field in signature orange uniforms. Fans can enjoy happy hour pricing, live music in the Beer Garden from gates to first pitch, and giveaways for the first 2,500 fans throughout the season.Sutter Health Fireworks Saturdays will serve as the main stage of every homestand, featuring a rotating theme night, a Family Fun Pack, a featured chef’s item and postgame fireworks set to music that matches the night’s theme.Kids Rule Sundays will focus on younger fans with Dinger’s Kids Club lawn tickets, kids-focused promotions, pregame player autographs, postgame run-the-bases and a value menu designed for families.
For the first time in team history, the River Cats season will be framed by 13 themed homestands.
The season opens with Dinger’s House Party from March 27 to 29, followed by Play It Again from April 7 to 12, featuring a fan meet-and-greet with Giants legend Kirk Rueter.
Additional homestands include Pals & Confidants, highlighting Pride Night, Golden Girls Night and Dinger’s Birthday, and Wild West from August 4 to 9, bringing back a country-themed week.
The season wraps up with That’s All Folks from September 15 to 20, a high-energy, cartoon-style celebration of River Cats baseball and Sacramento culture.
Individual theme nights are also returning, mixing fan favorites with new experiences. Returning nights include Dorados de Sacramento games as part of Minor League Baseball’s Copa de la Diversión, Hispanic Heritage Night, AANHPI Night, Pride Night, Star Wars Night, Christmas in July, and more.
Tickets, promotional schedules and more information about the River Cats Festival of Baseball are available at rivercats.com.
Team officials say the goal is to turn every trip to the ballpark into a summer festival experience — with baseball as the centerpiece.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel