One of Sacramento's biggest events is this weekend: SacAnime.
The twice-a-year event brings tens of thousands of people — many dressed as their favorite characters — to downtown Sacramento to celebrate anime, manga and the wider world of pop culture. Organizers said that nearly 14,000 people are pre-registered, and 29,000 attended the summer show in September.
J. Alexander Arevalos, communications director for SacAnime, said both the popularity of the genre and event is driven by family.
“You have to remember that the media of anime, manga and all that is continuously ongoing. But the reality is that no one ages out,” he said. “You have teenagers that were watching ‘Sailor Moon,’ that were watching ‘Vampire Hunter D’ in the early ‘90s, late ‘80s, and now they're full adults with their own kids.
“They bring their family up with the media that they like and so these kids watch [Hayao] Miyazaki. They watch these old animes and then they get introduced to current animes and then they have new favorites.”
Attendees line up outside SacAnime on Jan. 5, 2024. Around 29,000 people attended the summer version of the show in September.Mike Hagerty/CapRadio
SacAnime started as just a few tables inside Sunrise Mall on a weekend 20 years ago. Now, it's a multi-day event featuring workshops, panels hosted by famous voice actors, elaborate roleplaying and merch — lots of merch.
“We have a gaming area. We have a vendor area. We have 35 voice actors that represent different media,” Arevalos said. “One of the voice actors has been in Dragon Ball Z for 20 years. We have the voice of Bender from Futurama, John DiMaggio.”
Arevalos says to take public transit if you can because nearby parking can be scarce and expensive, and to wear comfortable shoes, as the event's workshops, exhibit halls and vendor displays involve a lot of walking.
SacAnime runs Friday until 10 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m to 6 p.m. Tickets for Friday are $30, Saturday's $40 and Sunday's $25. A weekend pass is $60, and children 11 and younger are free.
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