Annual Quota gathering honors Lon Allan’s legacy ahead of Saturday’s parade and community celebration
ATASCADERO — Before the parade makes its way through downtown this Saturday, Atascadero’s Colony Days celebration began with a gathering of the people who have helped carry its traditions forward. Past and present Colony Days royalty came together Sunday, Oct. 11, for the annual Quota of Atascadero Colony Days Tea, celebrating community service, local history and the connections that span generations. Held at Atascadero Bible Church, the gathering recognized this year’s royalty, Doug and Kathy Filipponi, and Parade Grand Marshal Doug Rice.
This year’s tea also honored the memory of longtime journalist and historian Lon Allan, whose decades of work helped preserve the stories behind many of the people and places celebrated during Colony Days.
Allan died in April at age 86. He moved to Atascadero in 1966 and became a familiar voice in the community through his teaching, newspaper work and dedication to local history.
He taught English, journalism and speech at Atascadero High School before joining the Atascadero News, where he spent much of his career as editor. His weekly column, “Along the King’s Highway,” chronicled local people, places and history for three decades in the Atascadero News and another 10 years in the San Luis Obispo Tribune.
Beyond the newspaper, Allan served as president and historian of the Atascadero Historical Society. His books included "Atascadero: The Vision of One — The Work of Many," "Atascadero’s Historic Business District" and "AHS First 100 Years."
His community involvement also extended to the Atascadero Kiwanis Club, Chamber of Commerce, Atascadero Printery Foundation and Estrella Warbirds Museum. Honoring him during a gathering devoted to Atascadero’s history connected the annual tradition with someone who spent decades documenting it.
Sunday’s gathering also placed this year’s honorees among the generations of residents recognized through Colony Days.
Doug and Kathy Filipponi have spent more than five decades building a life centered on family, agriculture, and community service. Their involvement has included support for youth programs and organizations serving families throughout the Central Coast.
For Rice, the celebration has been part of life since childhood. He marched in Colony Days parades with school bands and helped behind the scenes alongside his mother, parade founder Maggie Vandergon. His selection as Grand Marshal adds another chapter to that family connection.
The celebration continues Saturday, Oct. 17, when the “Wild About Atascadero!” Colony Days Parade begins at 10 a.m. downtown. Colony Days began in 1973, with its first parade held the following year, establishing a tradition built on local participation and volunteer work.
Atascadero Fall Fest will bring carnival rides, games, live music, vendors, and food to the Sunken Gardens area Oct. 16-18, extending the celebration throughout the weekend.