Vocabulary, vernacular, colloquialisms, and slang unique to the Sacramento region defined:

  • The Big Tomato is a nickname for Sacramento. The nickname came about because Sacramento was once hosted many tomato canneries. It was also one of the main shipping hubs for the delicious red fruit.
  • "The Camellia City" is one of Sacramento's unofficial names. Cultivation of the flower started locally in the 1850s. It became immediately popular and inspired many a gardener, many who passed their camellia lore to their young'uns, who passed the info to their seedlings. Today there are still many businesses with "Camellia City" in their name. The symphony is named after the flower, as well as a post office. There are "Camellia Day" events every March 1, though the Camellia Festival and the Camellia Ball are no more.
  • The Camellia Classic Steel Tip Dart Tournament is one of the longest running steel tip dart tournaments in the US. Every February, The Sacramento Valley Darting Association (SVDA) continues to hold their annual Camellia Classic event. 2020 marks the 44th anniversary of the event. The event is the largest on the West Coast. 
  • "Suttertown" is a long lost name for Sacramento, derived from the name "John Sutter", an early settler of Sacramento and founder of Sutter's Fort. During the 1970s & 80s, publisher/writer Tim Holt named his community weekly paper The Suttertown News. Sadly the News no longer exists.
  • "The Delta Breeze" is weather phenomenon unique to the Sacramento region that brings relief to the hot weather. Similar to the temperature regulation that occurs on the coast, the geographically huge river delta region cools the baking valley air as the predominant northeastern winds blow past. This is why Sacramento has many more pleasant summer days than places such as Redding that are inland, but do not benefit from delta cooling patterns.