Folsom's Rainbow Bridge will close to vehicle traffic from 8 a.m. to midnight on Sunday, September 13, 2026, so crews can transform the historic span into a 350-seat dinner table for the city's inaugural “Dinner on the Bridge.” The closure marks Folsom's 80th anniversary as an incorporated city, and it will end with a 250-drone aerial show lighting up the sky above Lake Natoma at around 8:30 p.m.
An Anniversary Dinner on a Landmark Span
The event is organized by Choose Folsom, which combines the city's chamber of commerce, economic development corporation and tourism bureau, according to the Sacramento Bee. Ticket pairs for the sit-down dinner sold for $700 — $350 per seat — with remaining non-sponsor seats distributed through a randomized public lottery that closed on August 13, according to the Folsom Times. The 80th-anniversary framing traces back to April 20, 1946, when local residents voted 285 to 168 to officially incorporate the City of Folsom, per Gold Country Media.
Culinary duties for the multi-course meal fall to three regional chefs: Michelin Bib Gourmand-recognized Nixtaco chef Patricio Wise, Scott's Seafood Roundhouse executive chef Nicholas Blessing, and Vacanza Romana executive chef Devin Dedier, who previously cooked at Sacramento's 2025 Tower Bridge Dinner, the article notes. The Sacramento Bee reports that Blessing and other chefs from restaurants in and around Folsom will prepare the food served atop the bridge. A wider circle of local restaurants is pitching in on appetizers, including Sutter Street Steakhouse, Zócalo, Plank Craft Kitchen + Bar, Manderes, Crawdads, Encanto and Poor Red's, with dessert handled by Julian's Pâtisserie, according to Choose Folsom. Organizers have also designated a portion of ticket proceeds to benefit the local Twin Lakes Food Bank, per a post on Facebook.
Detours, Foot Traffic and a Free Drone Show
Drivers who need to cross the American River during the closure can use Folsom Boulevard instead, the Sacramento Bee reports. Beyond helping organize the event, the City of Folsom is a Platinum sponsor, managing traffic control, electronic sign messaging and detours along Greenback Lane and Folsom Boulevard, according to the City of Folsom. Even with the roadway shut down, Rainbow Bridge's pedestrian and bicycle paths on the historic truss bridge will stay open throughout the closure, and the Folsom Historic District will remain open and accessible.
Those without a $350 seat at the table aren't shut out entirely. The Sacramento Bee notes that people not attending the dinner can still watch the drone show from portions of the historic district, including the historic truss bridge and the walking path at Lake Natoma Crossing. Dignity Health is sponsoring the 10-minute, 250-drone finale, which organizers designed to celebrate both Folsom's 80th year of cityhood and America's 250th anniversary, according to the Folsom Chamber of Commerce.
Why This Bridge, Why Now
Rainbow Bridge has carried plenty of history long before Sunday's dinner party. Completed in 1919 to replace an earlier 1893 truss bridge, the span is a concrete arch that crosses the American River, according to Bridgehunter. The bridge also has a long transportation history.
The bridge has also drawn attention for less celebratory reasons. That history sits alongside Sunday's celebration as a reminder of the bridge's dual identity as a civic landmark.
