Summer Downtown: Intern Recap

Downtown Sac in Action | marketing — Jul 30, 2025

Hi! I’m Elise, and I spent this summer as the marketing intern for Downtown Sacramento Partnership. Over the past few months, I got a front-row seat to everything that makes downtown Sacramento so special. From creating content and covering events to exploring downtown through a new lens, it was such a fun and memorable experience—and these were a few of my favorite moments!

Weekly Newsletter

A big part of my work this summer was putting together the weekly “Booked & Busy” newsletter, sharing weekly events, downtown updates, and curated blog posts. It’s one of the best tools to stay in the loop, helping locals and visitors discover what’s going on each weekend! It gave me the opportunity to learn about the different type of events that happen downtown. Writing blogs and sharing events through this newsletter is how people can connect with us digitally. Email marketing is just one piece of marketing a city and it was rewarding to play a role on the team. You can sign up for the “Booked & Busy” newsletter and more below.

Stay In the Loop

Concerts in the Park

There’s really nothing better than a Friday night at Concerts in the Park (CIP). I got to capture the energy on and off the stage, take videos of the community, and help show off the downtown energy as the sun went down. My favorite show was The Expendables- hands down. Turning all of that content into a 30 second reel helped show off what makes downtown nights so special. I learned that events like CIP activate vacant space, are an opportunity for people to create positive memories downtown, and support local artists. Check out the Instagram Reel I created:

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Farmers Market Photo Days

Afternoons at the Capitol Mall and Bodega Market were always a favorite. I got to walk around, snap photos of colorful produce, friendly vendors, and all the little moments that make markets feel so special – and yes, I grabbed myself a sweet treat every time. Highlighting these weekly events on social media provided a resource to consumers, support vendors, and remind people that downtown mornings are worth showing up for. Similar to CIP, these markets provide a place for people to relax, grab lunch, and enjoy an otherwise vacant space.

Chocolate Fish Grand Opening

Being able to take photos at the Chocolate Fish grand opening was such a cool way to welcome a new spot to downtown. The energy was great, the space was beautiful, and the coffee was amazing. Downtown Sacramento Partnership is a resource to business owners helping with grand openings, event assistance, and more. The team was eagerly awaiting this grand opening and being able to capture the excitement of the event and putting it all into a short video (which will be shared soon) was a huge highlight of my summer.

Before You Go!

If there’s one thing I’d want someone to know about downtown Sacramento, it’s that there is always something happening. Whether it’s a morning market run, grabbing coffee from somewhere new, or Sunset Sips on Wednesdays, downtown is full of energy, character, and so many spots worth exploring. So if you haven’t experienced downtown recently, this is your sign!