The Strauss Festival gives Elk Grove a waltz-on-the-water tradition

Elk Grove has old stage-road roots, farm edges, parks, newer subdivisions, and busy Sacramento-area growth. The Strauss Festival gives the city something more surprising: a local waltz tradition on an island in the park.

The idea came from Iris Zimbelman after a trip to Vienna, where she was taken with outdoor waltz performances. Elk Grove’s first festival began in 1987, and the event grew into a community performance with dancers, music, costumes, and a setting that feels a little different from a normal park concert.

That is how a local tradition can begin. One person brings home an idea, neighbors help, families rehearse, and a public place becomes known for one special summer ritual. A city does not need a postcard-old downtown to build a tradition of its own.

For Elk Grove, the festival adds softness to a fast-growing city. It reminds people that parks are not only for sports fields and playgrounds. They can also hold memory, music, and a yearly reason for residents to gather around the same water and lights.