Since 1957, the community of Elk Grove has celebrated its western heritage with its Annual Western Festival.
Unfortunately, after being shut down because of the pandemic, followed by delays in getting reorganized with some new board members, we discovered that we could not get insurance coverage for the Western Festival. Our consultant did some digging and advised us that if we changed the name of our festival, we could qualify for insurance and could move forward in the Spring of 2026.
After much deliberation, and a few arguments between board members who did not want to change the name, we finalized on a new name and we are excited to introduce our new Elk Grove Spring Palooza which will have it’s innaugral opening during the first weekend in May 2026. One of the most important additions to the festival is the addition of a Kids Zone, something that was missing in the past.
While we are building a new festival to take us into the future, please take a few minutes to read about our historic Elk Grove Western Festival in the information below.
Celebrate Elk Grove’s Future While Remembering it’s Western Heritage
Discover the essence of Elk Grove’s Annual Community Celebration, showcasing our vibrant events and shared local history.
The History of
The Elk Grove
Western Festival
In 1957, there were about 2,000 people living in the greater Elk Grove/Wilton/Franklin area.
The Elk Grove Elementary School Mothers’ Club needed to raise funds to assist their children and their school. To do so, they organized the first Western Festival. The committee chose the first weekend in May to celebrate the beginning of Summer.
During the week prior to the festival, weeds were pulled in the cemetery, the trees lining Elk Grove Boulevard were whitewashed, western apparel was sold in local stores, and businesses encouraged their employees to dress in western attire. The festival parade had 60 entries. Anyone could enter and there were lots of students riding bicycles they had decorated. After the parade, all the festival activities were held in the high school cafeteria, now Kerr Middle School’s multi-purpose room.
The event was a great success. After paying festival expenses, the club was able to buy glasses, give medical assistance to needy students, purchase record players, records, rainy day games for the classrooms, and new furniture for the teacher’s room.
It has been 69 years since the first parade, but after a hiatus that started with the Covid 19 shutdown, this year we will be back in the saddle with Elk Grove’s 1st Annual Spring Palooza.
Today there are approximately 200,000 people living in the greater Elk Grove/Wilton/Franklin area. The festival is a two-day event and is held in beautiful Elk Grove Regional Park. The parade has over 150 entries consisting of floats, bands, color guards, drill teams, classic and historial vehicles and equestrian units. The parade is still open to everyone. The event has become a major happening in Sacramento and the surrounding counties with visitors coming from Sacramento, Stockton, Roseville, Folsom and surrounding towns.