Music filled the air, light-up art cars flashed by, and with the Tower Bridge on one end and the Capitol on the other, downtown Sacramento turned into a colorful celebration Feb. 28 during the fifth annual City of Trees Parade and Mardi Gras Festival.

What began as a simple wish has become one of Sacramento’s most lively annual traditions.

“The principal way that it’s evolved is it’s gotten bigger,” said Wes Samms, founder and lead organizer of the parade. “We have more performers, more attendees, and more community groups represented every year.”

The parade takes inspiration from Mardi Gras in New Orleans, but has a spirit unique to Sacramento. Samms, who spent eight years living in New Orleans, said he wasn’t deeply involved in parade culture there. Instead, he wanted to see Sacramento celebrate its own identity.

Hundreds Unit, an inclusive women’s dance troupe, performs at the City of Trees Parade. Seth Patterson, OBSERVER
Hundreds Unit, an inclusive women’s dance troupe, performs at the City of Trees Parade. Seth Patterson, OBSERVER

“Mardi Gras is an opportunity for any place, any people, to celebrate themselves, their town, their heritage, their music,” Samms said. “Any individual person can be their funky self to the maximum.”

After organizing protest marches through his nonprofit, March for Science Sacramento, Samms realized during the pandemic that “the logistics of a protest and a parade were basically the same.” In 2022, the first parade launched in partnership with the Sacramento NAACP, Sacramento Valley Spark, and Wide Open Walls.

Now drawing between 10,000 and 20,000 attendees annually, the mile-long parade features about 1,300 participants. Samms said the economic and cultural impact is significant.

Floats wind through downtown Sacramento during the City of Trees Parade. Seth Patterson, OBSERVER
Floats wind through downtown Sacramento during the City of Trees Parade. Seth Patterson, OBSERVER

“We spent more than $20,000 on the artists and performers in our parade,” he said. “As far as I know, we’re the only parade in Sacramento that pays its paraders instead of having them pay us.”

Organizers say the event helps reshape perceptions of downtown and Old Sacramento.

“A lot of people don’t feel like downtown is a place where they can have fun,” Samms said. “When you’re there and the magic is happening, the floats are rolling by, beads are flying, kids are playing with bubbles — it feels safe.”

The parade prides itself on reflecting Sacramento’s diversity. For attendees like Simone Wilson, that diversity is part of the appeal. She and her son have attended the festival three times.

The parade, held for the fifth time, drew an estimated 10,000-20,000 to downtown Sacramento. Mom Candice is shown with her daughters Deijah, Desiree, and Destiny during the festive event. Seth Patterson, OBSERVER
The parade, held for the fifth time, drew an estimated 10,000-20,000 to downtown Sacramento. Mom Candice is shown with her daughters Deijah, Desiree, and Destiny during the festive event. Seth Patterson, OBSERVER

“I really love how the festival brings residents together to celebrate the diverse Sacramento culture,” Wilson said. “I really hope the festival keeps happening yearly.”

As Sacramento continues to define itself not just as farm-to-fork but also as the city of trees, the parade has become a growing symbol of creative expression and civic pride.For Samms, the goal extends beyond one night of celebration.

“I hope people feel inspired,” he said. “I hope they feel proud. I hope they see something they’ve never seen before from this community and realize there’s so much more right here.”Organizers already are looking ahead to next year and encourage community members to get involved through the parade’s website.