What’s 916 Day? Here’s how the holiday honoring Sacramento began

The City of Sacramento is encouraging residents to celebrate 916 Day this weekend by volunteering at park events. 

City Council declared every Sept. 16 as 916 Day last year thanks to an effort led by the Parks and Community Enrichment Commission. 

The idea for an official proclamation started off as a text message, Parks Commissioner Joe Flores said. 

Flores texted then-Parks Commissioner Devin Lavelle on Sept. 16, 2021, saying the city should celebrate the date aligning with the area code. The conversation developed into a vision to show Sacramento pride through parks, volunteerism and an official proclamation, Flores said. 

He added that the evolving COVID-19 pandemic was an opportunity to revisit initiatives: Sacramento first acknowledged 916 Day to promote pride and healing in 2018, after years of unofficial events not hosted by the city. Flores said he couldn’t pinpoint particular groups or organizations that first started 916 Day, but noted other cities — such as San Diego — celebrate dates matching their area codes. 

“The co-opting of it by the City Council is a recent effort, but it acknowledges that past and that history [and] that our collective pride for our community,” Flores said. 

The commission and the Department of Youth, Parks and Community Enrichment, or YPCE, are hosting this year’s events throughout Sacramento’s neighborhoods. City 916 Day festivities focus on parks because one of the commission’s duties is to foster volunteerism across city parks, Flores said. 

Flores recommends residents celebrate the day by joining their council district’s park event and talking with their neighbors and representatives who participate. Events vary: A couple honor historic families tied to the parks, while others focus on tree planting, he added. 

“916 Day is a chance to join your neighbors to celebrate our City parks as the cornerstone of our community,” YPCE Director Jackie Beecham said in a city blog post. “The benefits they provide for social interaction, personal growth, a connection to the natural environment and wellness are invaluable.”

The city kicked off the events this past Saturday at William Land Park, where more than 110 volunteers planted trees to help replace some that fell during the winter storms. 

Volunteers can sign up online for the remaining city 916 Day events: 

• Blackbird Park on Hovnanian Drive in District 1
  • Friday, Sept. 15 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Oki Park on Wissemann Drive in District 6
  • Friday, Sept. 15 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Five Star Park on Doolittle Street in District 2
  • Saturday, Sept. 16 from 9 a.m. to noon
• Gardenland Park on Bowman Avenue in District 3
  • Saturday, Sept. 16 from 9 a.m. to noon
• Valley Hi Park on Center Parkway in District 8
  • Saturday, Sept. 16 from 9 a.m. to noon
• Woodbine Park on 52nd Avenue in District 5 
  • Saturday, Sept. 16 from 9 a.m. to noon
• Zapata Park on E Street in District 4 
  • Saturday, Sept. 16 from 9 a.m. to noon

Questions about specific events can be sent to parks commissioners via their emails listed on the city website. 

Besides the city, various organizations are also holding 916 Day events in the Sacramento area. Other festivities include a 916 Night Market at Cesar Chavez Plaza on Friday and an event at Old Town Plaza in Elk Grove on Sunday.