4 Best Places to Shop in Sacramento and the Gold Country, California

This vibrant shop sells Mexican art, jewelry, and gifts. Look for the pithy Keepin' It Paisa line of T-shirts, hoodies, and ball caps in the adjacent Placita MX space, where several vendors sell furniture, clothing, and other items.

For more than a half-century a de rigueur stop between the Bay Area and Lake Tahoe, Ikeda's started as a produce stand selling fruit harvested from its Japanese-American owners' orchard and the freshly baked pies brimming with that fruit. A café known for a dozen-plus burgers, fries, shakes, and pie slices came later.

The five-block Saturday-morning market's wares include prepared foods, street food, housewares, clothing, and artisanal crafts, so there's plenty to enjoy even if you don't need organic or sustainable produce. The market also sponsors family activities, and musicians perform.

The people running this packed-to-the-gills shop are as jolly as the housewares, cards, knickknacks, and souvenirs on display. Sacramento socks, T-shirts, and other local products are sold here, too.