Elk Grove’s popular Western and Strauss festivals on hold until 2022 because of COVID
COVID-19 has again sidelined a pair of signature Elk Grove events until 2022.
The Strauss Festival of Elk Grove set for July and May’s Elk Grove Western Festival have been canceled due to the ongoing pandemic and local health restrictions prohibiting large gatherings.
For disappointed Strauss festival organizers and their generations of supporters, the celebration of the Austrian composer at Elk Grove Regional Park with its music, waltzing dancers and colorful period costumes will sit on the shelf for a second consecutive year.
This week marks one year since the coronavirus was declared a worldwide pandemic emergency, and California was thrust into lockdown.
“We’re bummed,” said Strauss Festival co-chairwoman Marjorie Jones Friday afternoon. “We start preparing for the following year’s festival right after the festival ends.”
Months of workshops, auditions, and finally, rehearsals, bring the summer festival to life each July.
But with Sacramento County still in the grip of the virus, the window to a 2021 festival had closed.
“There’s no way with the short timeframe that we can possibly put it together,” Jones said.
But festival organizers are not giving up on the year, planning a smaller Strauss Showcase Oct. 16 at The Center at District 56, the city’s newly opened community center, at 8230 Civic Center Drive.
Part-introduction to the new center and District 56 — also home to a city-run aquatic center and senior center all but idled during the year-long pandemic — it also in Jones’ words, “keeps Strauss out there, to celebrate Strauss. This is kind of our way to celebrate.”
The Elk Grove Western Festival began as a fundraiser for the city’s schools more than 60 years ago. That mission remains as the festival, with its Old Town parade, Kansas City barbecue competition and carnival, has become one of Elk Grove’s most enduring and popular events drawing tens of thousands of people to Elk Grove Regional Park.
But the pandemic has again scuttled the spring festival originally set for May 1 and 2 and now longtime organizer Ken Johnston is setting his sights on 2022.
The decision to cancel the 2021 event became clear after talking with city and Cosumnes Community Services District officials.
As with Strauss festival organizers, relaunching the festival in time for May was out of the question, Johnston said.
“It doesn’t look like we have a few months for that. We’ll just have to put it off,” Johnston said. “We’re all watching the (COVID-19) statistics,” he said, then added, “When we get to do this again, it’s going to be one hell of a party.”
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