By Angela Cisneros

Contributing Writer

Happy New Year! I hope you had a holiday season filled with love and connection. 

Did you get a chance to walk amongst the lights downtown Atascadero this holiday season? The city is continuing the Garden Lights and Winter Nights light display till mid-January to give you more time to enjoy it.  Take an evening to stroll under the lights, have a quiet dinner downtown at one of our many restaurants, shop the after-Christmas sales, or just reflect on what you want 2025 to look like for you. I am always so sad the holidays are over, so I am looking forward to extending the warm feelings of the season! 

On January 31, there will be a brand new event for families with the Mother-Son Dance. The Father-Daughter dance in February is a great success and will continue, but this will be a chance for mothers and sons to bond and create their own lasting memories.  Maybe a few silly pictures will end up on the wall. You can find a link for tickets in the event section of visitatascadero.com 

January is the kind of month to try out new things in order to solidify your New Year resolutions. Indulge your creative side with a pottery class at The Pottery. Get in touch with your mystical nature with the evening classes and events at Green Omen Apothecary, where you can also have a yummy hot beverage! Pick a different genre of book to read and find it at the Book Odyssey. Make your lumberjack dreams come true with a night of axe throwing at A-Town Chop Shop. 

Another way to find new things to do in 2025 is to pick up the Atascadero Recreation Guide, which you can find at City Hall or the Atascadero Chamber office.  The guide is a great place to find information on the classes and activities offered throughout the city. Did you know there is an adult kickball league? How fun is that?!  

For me, staying warm is a full-time job this time of year. If you plan on walking under the lights at Sunken Gardens, you will need to be dressed appropriately. I have found many warm things at Black Sheep and Farron Elizabeth on Entrada. Across the street, at Bloke, you’ll find warm flannels for men, which are needed for axe-throwing adventures at A-Town Chop Shop. Dewy Rose on Traffic Way is a new clothing store that has a big selection of women’s clothing. And, across the street in El Paseo Plaza, you’ll find D.S. Fisher’s Men’s Apparel, where the business-casual kind of man can shop.  

It is nice to know that we don’t have to have 2025 all figured out by New Year’s Day, so take your time and ease into the year. Enjoy the beautiful city we live in quietly or out loud, depending on your personality. Atascadero definitely has options for both! 

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