Old Sacramento's Most Eccentric Shop Rises From the Ashes

After more than a year of silence, Evangeline’s is throwing open its doors again on Saturday morning—and Sacramento’s quirk-loving residents couldn’t be more relieved.

The Old Sacramento landmark shut down last summer following a fire that rocked the beloved costume and novelty shop. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident. But the closure hit different. This isn’t just any retail space; it’s a destination where steampunk devotees, Halloween enthusiasts, and anyone with an appreciation for the delightfully weird gather to find something they can’t get anywhere else. Owner Deborah Shasta—who named the business after her mother—has spent the past year gutting and rebuilding the store’s second and third floors, painstakingly restoring the magic that made Evangeline’s a regional draw.

The restoration wasn’t simple. Every single item had to be moved out, cleaned, processed, and brought back in. According to Shasta, the journey has been intense but worth it. The store is reopening looking fresh as ever, with new displays and inventory that maintains the shop’s commitment to the aesthetic trends it’s championed over the years. While steampunk may not be as culturally dominant as it once was, Shasta and her team remain genuinely committed to the style and the community that loves it.

What makes this reopening matter beyond the obvious local pride is what Evangeline’s represents: a brick-and-mortar haven for niche culture in an era when everything’s moving online. Old Sacramento needs places like this—spots with personality, history, and a clear sense of purpose that can’t be replicated by an algorithm. The fact that Shasta’s team rallied to bring it back, rather than cut their losses, says something about the place’s roots in the community.

Saturday morning marks the return of a regional treasure. If you’ve been missing that particular brand of Old Sacramento magic, tomorrow’s your day to step back inside.