Today marks the start of my favorite time of year in Paso Robles. Well, actually it all kind of kicked off last night here with the “Safe and Fun Halloween Downtown” , an event put on by the downtown businesses to give kids a safe place to trick or treat. Although we did not attend last night we have been in years past and I absolutely love it. I’m sure we’ll be back to it next year when Sammy will be two years old and will get more enjoyment out of it.
This Halloween event marks the start to a series of amazing events in Paso Robles:
Paderewski Festival – If you don’t know about it be sure to check out the website, such amazing history in this area.
Garagiste Festival – An amazing wine event!
Elegant Evening Downtown – Just a fun time cruising around downtown bumping into friends and checking out the shops.
Downtown Lighting Ceremony – The sign that Christmas is coming!
Christmas Light Parade – One of those quaint small town Christmas parades.
Vine St. Victorian Showcase – They block off parts of Vine St. so you can walk up and down the street checking out all the Christmas lights, pretty fun.
New Year’s Eve “Glow In The Park” – Pretty sure this is the first one they’ve done but it sounds like fun and they are marking the event with fireworks as we go into 2014 which is Paso’s 125th anniversary!
As I’ve stated before, Paso Robles is the first place I’ve ever really felt home. I have felt like I am part of this community not just on the outside looking in. We all have different ways of doing things and different political views, but it seems evident that the city management, officials, the downtown organizations, and the Chamber all care on some level about this town.
Some of them may not do things the way that you or I would like them to but that’s life. The fact that these people are putting on those downtown events really shows they want this community to come together. I think it’s those events, along with all the other events they do throughout the year downtown, that really give us (the citizens) a city center to congregate in and be proud of. Are things perfect? No, they never are. There are issues with development, water, street repair, and so on…but it seems that is par for the course almost anywhere you go.
I guess I’m just trying to remind myself, and you, that life is as good as you allow it to be. We can be frustrated by the things that are not going the way we want or we can enjoy the things that are going right. As we enter November I am trying to focus on this amazing time of year in this amazing place that my wife, son, and I call home.
The one thing I always go back to in this area is the people. Some of the most amazing people I know I’ve met in the last six years since Annie and I started going out into the community here. I’ve been fortunate to know important figures in local government, the Chamber of Commerce, prominent business people, entrepreneurs, winery owners, winemakers, stay at home parents, teachers, and on and on…they are each an important asset to this area and I hope (actually I know) that this will continue long into the future for my son to be part of.
So happy start to the Holiday season, happy end of harvest or almost-end-of-harvest, and whether you’re local or not, get out there and enjoy some of the above mentioned events…and while you’re doing that look around, my hunch is that you’ll be surrounded by some really cool folks!
Stephen & I visited downtown Paso Robles yesterday for the Halloween event with our three grandchildren & daughter-in-law who just moved to the area from WA. Each of us thoroughly enjoyed the festivities! We will definitely attend again next year! Hope we see you guys down there with Sammy, Matt & Annie. A huge ‘thank you’ to everyone who helped put together this fun event for the community to enjoy!
Cheers to that, Diane. We have really enjoyed this event downtown in years past. Gotta love Paso! 🙂
Matt and Annie – so true, Paso Robles is the first place where I truly felt at home, too! Thanks for sharing all the wonderful things that this town offers, I know I am looking forward to the Vine Street Victorian Showcase! Cheers and happy holidays.
Cheers to you, Sophia, and thanks. There is definitely something special about this area and I really think it comes down to the people. Hope to see you soon! 🙂
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