2026 Best of Times Winners to be celebrated; winning businesses asked to RSVP by Sept. 4 for Sept. 23 community celebration
The votes have been counted, the winners have been announced and now it’s time to celebrate the businesses, organizations and individuals selected by local readers as Folsom’s best.
Folsom Times is preparing to host its 2026 Best of Times Winners Celebration on Wednesday, Sept. 23, bringing together this year’s award recipients for an evening recognizing the people and businesses that help make the greater Folsom community thrive. The event will take place at FLB Entertainment Center at 511, East Bidwell Street in Folsom.
Before the celebration arrives, winning businesses have one important item to complete: winner registration must be submitted by Friday, Sept. 4.
Local businesses can check to see if they are among this year’s winners and register for the Sept. 23 celebration at BestofFolsom.com.
The registration process allows winners to claim their recognition, provide attendance information for the celebration and select their award option. Winners planning to receive an official 2026 Best of Times plaque are especially encouraged to register before the deadline so their personalized award can be prepared in time for the event.
The 2026 Best of Times competition invited readers to cast votes across a wide range of categories encompassing restaurants, retailers, professional services, health and wellness, home services, entertainment, recreation, automotive businesses and many other areas of the local economy.
Rather than being selected by an editorial panel or purchased through an advertising program, Best of Times winners were determined by votes submitted by the public. The result is a broad collection of businesses ranging from longtime Folsom establishments to independent professionals, service providers and newer businesses that have earned the loyalty of their customers.
For Folsom Times founders and owners Adam Frick and Bill Sullivan, the upcoming celebration is about more than presenting awards. It is an opportunity for the locally owned news organization to celebrate the businesses and people it reports on throughout the year and strengthen its connection to the community it serves.
“Last year’s Best of Times celebration was an incredible success, and seeing so many local business owners and community members together in one room really showed us what this program is all about,” Frick and Sullivan said. “We’re looking forward to making this year’s celebration even bigger and more fun. As a local news organization, we spend every day reporting on this community, but it’s equally important to us to be part of it. The Best of Times gives us an opportunity to step beyond reporting on our local businesses and actually celebrate the people behind them, the work they do and the role they play in making this community what it is.”
A night to celebrate local success
The Best of Times Winners Celebration will take place Wednesday, Sept. 23 starting at 5:30 p.m. with all of the registered winners and their guests invited to connect and celebrate alongside fellow local business owners and community leaders. The community is also invited to come cheer on their local businesses. The event will feature live music prior to the awards along with small plates and tastings from area restaurants who we winners in 2026 and others as well as beverages, raffle prizes and more. The event takes place through a community partnership between Folsom Times and the Dreher family, owners of FLB Entertainment Center and longtime advertising supporters of Folsom Times since its inception.
“FLB Entertainment Center is thrilled to be there official host of the Folsom Times’ Best of Times Awards,” said Dreher, who’s family has owned the facility for nearly 50 years and is about to embark on a major renovation and expansion.”It’s only fitting since we’ve been producing the best local entertainment in Folsom for all these years. We’re looking forward to celebrating these amazing business owners and all they’ve done to enhance our community.”
The celebration also provides an opportunity for business owners who often spend their days serving customers, managing employees and operating their businesses to meet others who share that same investment in the community.
Businesses are encouraged to check the 2026 Best of Times results and complete their winner registration as soon as possible and no later than Friday, Sept. 4.
Registration allows winners to provide their business and contact information, make arrangements for their recognition and indicate attendance for the Sept. 23 celebration. Businesses securing the official award package will receive a personalized 9-by-12-inch 2026 Best of Times winner plaque and two Best of Times window stickers, providing winners with a way to display the recognition at their business.
For businesses, the award is more than something to hang on the wall. It represents a vote of confidence from the customers and community members they serve — and gives winners something they can display throughout the year as a reminder of that support.
Check to see if your business won and register for the Best of Times Winners Celebration here.
The Best of Times program is presented by Folsom Times and Folsom.biz, both digital products of All Town Media LLC, as part of an effort to recognize local businesses through direct community participation and give readers a voice in celebrating their favorite places, professionals and services.
For the businesses recognized in this year’s competition, Sept. 23 will be their opportunity to trade the daily routine of doing business for an evening devoted to celebrating it.
Copyright © 2026, Folsom Times, a digital product of All Town Media LLC. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
