In a time when so many growing cities struggle to hold onto their identity, Folsom just delivered a powerful reminder that progress and hometown tradition can still go hand in hand.
This past weekend’s 80th birthday celebration and the triumphant return of the Great Folsom Snail Race wasn’t simply another city event. It was something much bigger. It was a living reminder of the charm, personality and community spirit that have defined Folsom for generations — and proof that even as this city rapidly grows, it still knows exactly who it is.
For many longtime residents, the Great Folsom Snail Race was more than just a quirky competition. It was part of the fabric of the community during the 1980s and 1990s, when the event became one of the city’s most recognizable hometown traditions. First launched in 1981, the race brought families, businesses, schools and local organizations together in a uniquely Folsom way that people still talk about decades later.
Like many beloved traditions over time, however, the snail race slowly faded into history as the city expanded and evolved.
That’s why when Mayor Justin Raithel announced during his 2026 State of the City address that the Great Folsom Snail Race would officially return as part of the city’s 80th birthday celebration, there was immediate excitement throughout the community. Suddenly, generations who remembered the original races were talking about it again, while younger residents who had only heard stories about the iconic event were eager to experience it for themselves. And by all accounts, it delivered in every possible way.
Held at Lions Park and the Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary, the event reportedly transformed the area into the kind of old-fashioned hometown celebration that feels increasingly rare these days. Families filled the park. Children proudly carried their racing snails to the starting poles. Community groups and local businesses joined the fun. Carnival-style games, entertainment, food, train rides and activities filled the day as the city celebrated not just 80 years of history, but the community spirit that continues to define it.
The races themselves sounded exactly as wonderfully chaotic and entertaining as you would imagine.
Competitors placed snails at the bottom of one-foot poles, hoping their tiny racer would slowly inch upward toward victory. Some competitors reportedly used lettuce to motivate their snails, including Mayor Raithel himself, who even advanced to the semifinal round before narrowly missing the finals. According to reports from the event, nearly 20 races took place throughout the day, reviving the same kind of laughter and unpredictability that made the event famous decades ago.
One of the more meaningful aspects of the event was seeing individuals connected to the original races return to witness its rebirth. Former Folsom Athletic Association president Tom Handy, who helped run the races during the 1990s, attended the event wearing a referee uniform and reflected on the race’s earlier years, recalling how “everybody that was anybody was here” during its heyday.
That statement says everything about why this event mattered. The Great Folsom Snail Race was never really about snails. It was about community.
It was about families making memories together. It was about neighbors gathering in the park. It was about kids laughing at something delightfully silly in an age where so much of life now revolves around screens and schedules. It was about preserving a piece of local identity that could have easily been forgotten forever.
Instead, the City of Folsom and the hardworking crew at Folsom Parks and Recreation chose to bring it back — and they deserve tremendous credit for doing so.
Reviving a long-dormant tradition isn’t easy. It requires vision, planning, creativity and a willingness to invest in something simply because it brings joy to the community. In this case, city leaders and staff clearly understood that celebrating Folsom’s 80th birthday deserved more than a generic ceremony or formal proclamation. They understood that the milestone deserved something uniquely Folsom.
And that is exactly what they created.
What makes this especially impressive is that Folsom today is dramatically different from the small community that first launched the snail race in 1981. The city has expanded tremendously in both population and development over the decades. Yet despite that growth, Folsom somehow continues to preserve the sense of hometown pride and community connection that many cities lose along the way.
That doesn’t happen by accident.
It happens because leaders continue to prioritize community traditions. It happens because city staff members put in the work behind the scenes to organize events that bring people together. And it happens because residents continue showing up to support those efforts generation after generation.
Unfortunately, I was unable to attend personally this weekend as I am out of town. Thankfully, my business partner and co-owner of Folsom Times, Adam Frick, was on hand throughout the celebration representing our publication and sharing the many details, photos and moments that unfolded during the day. The City of Folsom communications team also did an outstanding job documenting the event and helping share information throughout the celebration, while photographer extraordinaire Andrew Eggers captured many of the incredible images that truly showcased the heart and energy of the day.
From everything I have seen and heard, this was far more than a successful event.
It was a reminder.
A reminder that hometown traditions still matter. A reminder that community connection still matters. And perhaps most importantly, a reminder that even as Folsom continues to grow into one of the region’s premier cities, it has not lost the hometown heart that made people love it in the first place.
The Great Folsom Snail Race may move slowly.
But this weekend, it brought an entire community together in the best possible way.
Bill Sullivan is the co-founder/owner of Folsom Times, a digital product of All Town Media LLC operated in Folsom, California.
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