Fall and Halloween Events and Activies for Elk Grove--Elk Grove Edge Newsletter

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October 23, 2025

Mike Linley

Oct 23, 2025

Quote Of The Day

"Believe you can and you're halfway there." - Theodore Roosevelt

Calling All Writers, Storytellers & Creatives!

The 4th Biennial Elk Grove Writers Conference returns Saturday, October 25, 2025 at the Holiday Inn on Stockton Blvd — right here in Elk Grove!

This full-day event brings together local and regional authors, editors, and industry professionals to inspire and equip writers at every level. Learn about AI tools for writers, marketing yourself as an author, editing tips, memoir writing, storytelling, and more.

Featured Speakers Include:

Chris Hennessy • Karen Trinkaus • Shawn Langwell • Joan Griffin • Jordan Rosenfeld • Jessica Larios-Zarate • Dr. Lally Pia • Gini Grossenbacher

Event Details:

Holiday Inn, 9175 W. Stockton Blvd, Elk Grove

Saturday, October 25, 2025

Check-in at 7:00 AM with complimentary breakfast and all-day coffee service

Registration: $60 opens April 20, 2025

Whether you’re writing your first story or your next novel, this is a great opportunity to learn, connect, and be inspired by fellow writers in our community.

For questions, contact Loy Holder at

loyholder77@gmail.com.

Help Keep the Exchange Dream Alive for Phuong from Vietnam

A local exchange student is in need of a caring Elk Grove family who can open their home and heart for the remainder of the school year.

Meet Phuong!

Phuong is a 16-year-old student from Vietnam who’s already thriving in school, making friends, and adjusting wonderfully to American life — but she needs a new host family to stay and finish her year.

Host Families Provide:

• A welcoming home and supportive environment

• A bed, daily meals, and some transportation

• Guidance as the student experiences life in Elk Grove

Phuong is bright, kind, and eager to learn. She enjoys bowling, singing, cooking, dancing, and volunteering and she’s fluent in English!

Hosting an exchange student can be a rewarding experience that builds lifelong friendships and cultural understanding.

Interested?

Please contact Heather Christensen directly for more information:

Call or text (206) 265-2420

Visit www.CETUSA.org

Council for Educational Travel, USA (CETUSA)

Wilton Rancheria Expands Land & Elevates Sky River Casino in Elk Grove

Wilton Rancheria, the federally-recognized tribe behind Sky River Casino has purchased 10.8 acres of land across four parcels along Promenade Parkway (between Kammerer Road and West Stockton Boulevard), less than a mile south of the casino. The $12 million deal closed October 2. (Purchase does not include the Chevron on the corner)

But that’s part of a much broader story: the tribe is assembling large tracts of mostly undeveloped land and is actively moving ahead with major expansion plans at the casino.

Here’s what to know:

The Land Moves

• The 10.8-acre purchase deepens the tribe’s land-holdings around the casino, following previous buys of ~50 + acres in 2023-24 and ~43 acres earlier in 2025.

• These parcels are largely undeveloped (one had been a truck yard) and were previously slated for a retail-hotel project that never materialized.

• The strategy appears to go beyond mere land banking: it’s part of a deliberate build-out around the casino, aligning with the tribe’s “land back / ancestral homeland” vision and sovereignty goals.

Casino Expansion Plans

Sky River Casino is not staying static. Key development plans announced by the tribe and casino include a two-phase build-out:

• Phase 1: A multi-story parking garage offering ~1,600 vehicle spaces along with an enhanced valet & porte cochère area. Work has begun and is targeted for completion by summer 2025.

• Phase 2: A full-scale resort enhancement — a 300-room state-of-the-art hotel, luxurious day spa, outdoor pool, expanded gaming floor (including ~400 additional slot machines), elevated High-Limit/VIP gaming, and multi-use event/entertainment space. Completion is targeted by early 2027.

Implications for Elk Grove & the Region

• The expansion positions Elk Grove and surrounding Sacramento County to become more of a destination locale and not just a local casino but a resort, hospitality, event hub.

• For the tribe, the growth supports economic development, sovereignty, and the goals of returning and managing ancestral lands.

• For residents and the city: more jobs (the expansion mentions ~200 new jobs in addition to the current ~1,600 at the casino).

• Parking and traffic have been a visible concern since the casino opened. the new garage should relieve pressure in surrounding neighborhoods.

Quick Facts

• Location: 1 Sky River Parkway, Elk Grove (off Hwy 99)

• Opened: August 15 2022

• Gaming footprint: ~100,000 sq ft (or more) with ~2,100+ slots and 80+ table games currently.

• Landholdings: Tribe now holds ~140 acres including casino site + surrounding parcels.

McConnell Estates Winery’s Halloween Flight is back from the dead

Looking for something spooky and delicious to do in Elk Grove?

Head to McConnell Estates Winery on Saturday, October 25th & Sunday, October 26th (11 AM–5 PM) for a hauntingly good time in the Tasting Room!

$30 gets you a Halloween Flight of four festive wine elixirs featuring two sparkling wines and two sangrias

Available these two days only in the Tasting Room.

Reservations are required so book your spot on their website before it disappears!

McConnell Estates Winery, Elk Grove

Open 11 AM – 5 PM

Bring your ghouls and goblins for a spooky sip weekend

Hallo-Palloza and Trunk Or Treat

Calling all goblins and ghouls: celebrate an Elk Grove Halloween with fun fall activities for all.

Get your little ones dressed up in their costumes and come down to District 56 on Friday, October 24 from 5pm - 8pm for Hallo-Palooza & Trunk-or-Treat.

Enjoy food, activities, and an evening filled with family excitement!

Wide Open Walls Unveils Third Major Mural in Celebration of Elk Grove’s 25th Anniversary

Wide Open Walls, the nonprofit organization renowned for transforming neighborhoods with over 400 murals across the greater Sacramento region, proudly announces the unveiling of its latest artistic gift to the City of Elk Grove.

Following the completion of two celebrated works, the Elk on the Bartholomew Barn and the Girl on the Swing at the XHOPElocal Foundation—Wide Open Walls is excited to reveal The Sunflowers, a vibrant mural created by local artists Tim Lindsey and Daniel Pedersen on the exterior of the Elk Grove Food Bank.

This milestone marks another chapter in Elk Grove’s 25th anniversary celebration and highlights the city’s vision of making art an integral part of a thriving, connected community.

Upcoming Events

6th Annual Kiwanis Club Halloween Home Tour

8929 Emerald Park Dr, EG 95624

Elk Grove, CA 95758

(916) 296-5907

Emerald Lakes Fall Festival

October 23rd

Grant Line District10651 E. Stockton BlvdElk Grove, CA 95624

(510) 677-1797

Pets To Go Halloween Costume Contest

October 25th

10-5 PM

9098 Laguna Main St #59328

Elk Grove Blvd #140

Camden’s Fall Festival & Craft Faire

8770 Goldy Glen Way

1-3 PM Saturday 10/25