FOLSOM, Calif. \u2014 For one evening next month, drivers crossing one of Folsom\u2019s best-known landmarks will have to find another route.<\/p>\n
The Rainbow Bridge will be closed to vehicle traffic from 8 a.m. to midnight Sunday, Sept. 13, as Folsom transforms the bridge spanning the American River into the setting for a 350-seat dinner celebrating the city\u2019s 80th anniversary.<\/p>\n
The event, called Dinner on the Bridge<\/strong>, is being organized by Choose Folsom and is designed as a large-scale showcase of the city and regional culinary scene. The event takes its cue from Sacramento\u2019s better-known Tower Bridge Dinner, but puts Folsom\u2019s own landmark, restaurants and chefs at the center of the celebration.<\/p>\n \u201cCelebrate Folsom\u2019s 80th year of cityhood with an extraordinary dining experience unlike any other,\u201d organizers say on the event website.<\/p>\n For residents of El Dorado County, the event has a particularly local connection.<\/p>\n Chef Devin Dedier, executive chef of Vacanza Romana in El Dorado Hills<\/strong>, is one of three lead chefs preparing the dinner. Dedier helped open the Roman-inspired restaurant in 2023 and has built his cooking around traditional Italian techniques and Northern California\u2019s seasonal ingredients.<\/p>\n Dedier also has experience with Sacramento\u2019s Tower Bridge Dinner. In 2025, he was selected as one of four lead chefs for that event, becoming the first chef from the El Dorado Hills-Folsom area selected for the role, according to Choose Folsom.<\/p>\n He will be joined by Patricio Wise of Nixtaco and Nicholas Blessing, executive chef of Scott\u2019s Seafood Roundhouse in Historic Folsom.<\/p>\n Wise is the chef-owner of Nixtaco Mexican Kitchen & Distillery and is known for Northern Mexican cuisine. Blessing brings a strong Folsom connection to the event, leading the culinary operation at Scott\u2019s Seafood Roundhouse in the Historic District.<\/p>\n The restaurant describes its Folsom location as part of a relationship with the city dating back decades. Scott\u2019s opened in Folsom in 1999 before moving to its current Sutter Street location in 2020.<\/p>\n The dinner will not be limited to the three lead chefs.<\/p>\n Crawdads on the Lake, Encanto Cocina & Tequila Bar, Manderes, Plank Kitchen + Bar, Poor Red\u2019s Bar-B-Q, Sutter Street Steakhouse and Z\u00f3calo are slated to provide appetizers. Julian\u2019s Patisserie & Cafe will provide dessert.<\/p>\n That lineup gives the event a broader regional flavor, bringing restaurants from Folsom and surrounding communities together rather than relying on a single culinary concept.<\/p>\n For El Dorado County residents, Dedier\u2019s participation provides a direct connection between Folsom\u2019s anniversary celebration and the growing restaurant scene in El Dorado Hills.<\/p>\n The dinner comes with a significant transportation impact for anyone who normally uses the Rainbow Bridge.<\/p>\n According to Choose Folsom, the bridge will be closed to traffic beginning at 8 a.m. and is scheduled to reopen at midnight. The Historic District will remain open during the closure, and the Historic Truss Bridge will remain available to pedestrians and bicyclists.<\/p>\n Drivers who normally use the Rainbow Bridge to cross the American River will be directed to Folsom Boulevard. Electronic message signs and marked detours are planned to alert motorists before and during the closure.<\/p>\n That means residents traveling between Folsom\u2019s Historic District, the Lake Natoma area and communities south and east of the river should account for additional travel time that Sunday.<\/p>\n The dinner itself will be only part of the anniversary spectacle.<\/p>\n A 10-minute drone show featuring 250 drones is planned for after the meal. Organizers say the aerial presentation is intended to be visible to people beyond the event\u2019s 350 dinner seats, giving the broader community an opportunity to participate in the celebration.<\/p>\n The show will recognize both the 250th anniversary of the United States and the 80th anniversaries of Folsom and the Folsom Chamber of Commerce.<\/p>\n That community-wide component is significant because access to the dinner itself is limited.<\/p>\n The public ticket lottery offered remaining seats after sponsor allocations. Tickets were offered in pairs for $700, or $350 per person, and lottery selections were scheduled to be notified Aug. 17.<\/p>\n Organizers are also tying the event to a charitable cause. A portion of proceeds from Dinner on the Bridge will benefit Twin Lakes Food Bank, which provides food and essential resources to people and families in the Folsom community.<\/p>\n The event is backed by a broad group of corporate and community sponsors, reflecting the scale of the undertaking required to temporarily turn a working bridge into a large outdoor dining venue.<\/p>\n For Folsom, the evening is intended to be both a celebration of 80 years of cityhood and a showcase of the businesses, chefs and community organizations that shape the city today.<\/p>\n For El Dorado County, the event also puts a familiar regional face \u2014 an El Dorado Hills chef \u2014 at the center of one of Folsom\u2019s biggest anniversary celebrations.<\/p>\n And for motorists, there is one simple fact to remember: On Sunday, Sept. 13, the Rainbow Bridge is a dinner table, not a through route.<\/p>\n Event details:<\/strong> Dinner on the Bridge is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. Rainbow Bridge will be closed to vehicles from 8 a.m. to midnight. The Historic District will remain open, and motorists are encouraged to use Folsom Boulevard as an alternate crossing.<\/p>\n Sources:<\/strong> Choose Folsom \u2014 Dinner on the Bridge<\/a>; Sacramento Business Journal coverage<\/a>; Folsom Living event overview<\/a><\/p>\n One of Folsom\u2019s most recognizable landmarks will become a dinner table. The Rainbow Bridge will close Sept. 13 as Folsom celebrates 80 years with a high-end culinary event and a 250-drone finale.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13867,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"format":"standard","override":[{"template":"7","parallax":"1","layout":"no-sidebar-narrow","sidebar":"default-sidebar","second_sidebar":"default-sidebar","sticky_sidebar":"1","share_position":"float","share_float_style":"share-normal","show_share_counter":"1","show_view_counter":"1","show_featured":"1","show_post_meta":"1","show_post_author":"1","show_post_author_image":"1","show_post_date":"1","post_date_format":"default","post_date_format_custom":"Y\/m\/d","show_post_category":"1","post_reading_time_wpm":"300","post_calculate_word_method":"str_word_count","show_zoom_button":"0","zoom_button_out_step":"2","zoom_button_in_step":"3","show_post_tag":"1","show_popup_post":"1","show_comment_section":"1","number_popup_post":"1","show_author_box":"1","show_post_related":"1","show_inline_post_related":"1"}],"image_override":[{"single_post_thumbnail_size":"crop-500","single_post_gallery_size":"crop-500"}],"trending_post_position":"meta","trending_post_label":"Trending","sponsored_post_label":"Sponsored by","disable_ad":"0","subtitle":"A 350-seat culinary celebration will turn one of the region\u2019s most recognizable bridges into an open-air dining room Sept. 13"},"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":{"view_counter_number":"0","share_counter_number":"0","like_counter_number":"0","dislike_counter_number":"0"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13866","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events","category-weather_roads"],"yoast_head":"\nEl Dorado Hills chef brings county connection<\/h3>\n
Local restaurants will add to the menu<\/h3>\n
Rainbow Bridge closure will affect Sunday traffic<\/h3>\n
Dinner ends with 250 drones over Folsom<\/h3>\n
More than a dinner<\/h3>\n
<\/h1>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"