ELK GROVE, CA (MPG) - Several nights underneath the stars, timeless music, extravagant costumes and a magical atmosphere all make for an unforgettable summer memory. 

The award-winning Strauss Festival of Elk Grove, held at Elk Grove Park the weekend of July 25-28, was an enchanting event. Accompanied by the timeless music of Austrian composer Johann Strauss II, the experience was brought to life by the 40-piece Camellia Symphony Orchestra. 

The volunteer cast of 88 dancers, ranging from ages 4 to 80, wowed the audience with vibrant costumes and different varieties of dance, including polka, quadrille and waltz. 

“The Strauss Festival had several first-time dancers as well as veteran dancers that have been with Strauss for 20-plus years. This incredible legacy of volunteers and fans has grown over the last three and a half decades,” said Margie Jones, Strauss Festival Board of Directors co-chair.

Each year, the festival has a different choreographed storyline. This year’s theme, “Two Kingdom Tournament,” followed the story of two kingdom princes competing to win the heart of a beautiful princess. 

The audience was encouraged to cheer on and vote for their favorite kingdom, purple or red, as the story unfolded. Over the four nights, both the blue kingdom and the red kingdom were chosen twice. 

Free to the public, the festival drew in thousands. According to Strauss Festival of Elk Grove officials, the event welcomes about 18,000 audience members annually. 

“We had very good crowds,” Jones said. “The weather was cool, everyone was very enthusiastic, there was audience participation and we had a fantastic singer perform ‘One Enchanted Evening.’”

“Seeing a whole year’s worth of work come to fruition was my favorite part of it all,” she added. 

With grants and generous donors, along with plenty of fundraising, the festival offers free admission to the public. 

“This festival was started in 1987, and the founder wanted to always make sure it was free to the public no matter what, so any demographic could come enjoy,” Jones said. 

Performances took place on the stage at Elk Grove Park’s Strauss Island, and audiences viewed the show each night from a grassy knoll at the edge of a lake, making for an even more picturesque experience.

Additionally, there were many options of food and beverage trucks, including Bike Dog Brewery, Cowtown Creamery, Nick The Greek, and Kona Ice. 

Also on display was the Strauss History Booth, which showcased memorabilia from the past 35 years that the festival has been taking place. 

Accompanied by the Strauss classic “Blue Danube Waltz,” fireworks lit up the sky each night as the show ended, with attendees looking forward to next year’s Strauss Festival of Elk Grove.