By Kyla Skinner
Guest Contributor
October is the month when we are all ready for autumn, but it’s still summer in Atascadero … the fuzzy, cozy Halloween costumes will have your child suffering from heat stroke! Alas, it’s still warm, but we have lots of fun fall-themed events this month to get us in the spirit.
Starting off October 4, we have the Downtown Atascadero’s First Friday event. Live music will be on platforms throughout the downtown streets, food trucks, and general fun. Carbon City Lights will be the featured band. If you are a business owner, we encourage you to stay open a bit later these evenings to contribute to the happening vibe. We may have a year of construction — hopefully, at this point, halfway done, but we have such a cool downtown regardless. You guys, we’ve got this! Keep the energy and hold the pace.
The weekend fun continues with Atascadero Colony Day, the 50th anniversary celebration of the parade. It will take place on Saturday, October 5, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The parade will start at 10 a.m. and run down El Camino Real from Davis Auto Body to West Mall and Palma Avenue by Sunken Gardens. The parade is so much heartwarming to watch and it always makes me tear up a bit — I don’t know why. I love seeing the kids performing and just in general, happy families coming together to enjoy our town! The Festival will start immediately after the parade and continue until 3 p.m. There will be a variety of vendors, entertainment, and food in and around the Sunken Gardens. Wiener dog and small dog races will start at 12 p.m. Nothing cuter.
Moving on to another busy day, Saturday, October 26. We have the Bovine Classic, a gravel bike race that brings cycling enthusiasts from far and wide to enjoy a challenging course through the beautiful wine region. Cow-themed, this is headed by local Bryan Yates, who will surely have many cow puns ready to go … he has brought a fresh new energy to our town with an enthusiastic event that appeals to all ages. Last year, I saw people in their 80s and teenagers,all competing together. It is a serious race with a lighthearted spirit. We showed up to cheer them off in the morning, the race starts en masse at 8:30 a.m. at the beautiful Sunken Gardens/City Hall. There were cow costumes, cowbells, and of course, more tears of enthusiasm from me (hidden by my sunglasses) … why do these things get to me? We cheered them on, then wandered over to BackPorch Bakery for breakfast. The Festival continues at Sunken Gardens from 12:30 to 6 p.m. with vendors and music as people trickle back from the ride. Awards and raffle starts at 4 p.m.
Also, on October 26, we have Zoo Boo at Charles Paddock Zoo from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Dress up and enjoy the Zoo with carnival-style games and candy treats. $16 per person, $15 for zoo members, and free for two and under. Tickets can be purchased at visitatascadero.com.
October 31, Halloween, we have Trick or Treat downtown. Local businesses go all out to treat our kiddos (and kids at heart) to a safe and fun gathering of everyone in their costumes with the business providing experiences and candy.There will be games and costume contests for the family and pets. Poppy, our corgi, made the perfect taco last year, although she was absolutely petrified of the blow-up dinosaur costumes. If you hear of a dinosaur being deflated, it was her. The taco corgi. Because the costume was perfect and needs to be re-used.
Happy Autumn downtown!
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