By Angela Cisneros
Fall is magical in Atascadero! Brisk weather, colorful leaves, and hot beverages with friends are the small, magical moments I savor this time of year. There are bigger magical moments and events, though, that are just as important. I love how Atascadero has events the whole family can participate in, but they can also be date nights or friend nights.
First Fridays kicks off November 1 with a Dia de Los Muertos theme and festive entertainment. Be sure to bring a low-back chair to enjoy the music when you aren’t cutting a rug on the dance floor! Why cook dinner that night? Enjoy something from one of our many downtown restaurants.
The holidays seem to officially begin in Atascadero with the annual Holiday Boutique at the Pavilion on Saturday, November 9, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be over 50 vendors with handmade goods just in time for gift-giving, decorating, or something for yourself. It is kind of like your own Etsy market where you don’t have to wait weeks to receive it!
Every year, the Atascadero Veterans Memorial Foundation hosts the Veterans Day Ceremony at the Faces of Freedom Memorial on Morro Road. The ceremony starts at 11 a.m. and is very meaningful, whether or not you know a veteran.
My most favorite event of the year, Fall Fest, is happening in the Sunken Gardens on November 15 through the 17th. Think full-scale carnival and Hallmark movie combined. It’s the best! Kiss your sweetheart on top of the Ferris Wheel (or death-grip each other in fear, whichever you like), eat some cotton candy, buy something from one of the great vendors, and groove to the great music.
What does a tiger do with a pumpkin? How about a spider monkey? Will the meerkats go inside one or just eat it? Come to Pumpkin Smash at the Charles Paddock Zoo on Saturday, November 23, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to see what the animals do. It is also a great time to buy an annual pass to the only zoo on the Central Coast as a holiday gift. There aren’t a lot of people in the world who can say they have stood 6 feet away from Malayan tiger and lived to tell the tale!
Thanksgiving is on Thursday, November 28, and it can be the kind of pause we all need from the hustle and bustle of life. It can also be a hard day remembering the loved ones who are no longer with you, or dealing with irritating relatives (let’s be real here). No matter the feelings the day evokes for you, I encourage you to take time out to be in gratitude of the people, places, and things that mean something to you. I have even started a practice of being grateful for the good things that have not happened yet! I hope that you, along with me, are grateful to live in Atascadero. We are a small but mighty community. Happy Thanksgiving!
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