Atascadero celebrates the holidays
The trees in Atascadero’s Sunken Gardens were lit for the holiday season Friday night. Photo by Heather Young
Though it’s early December, Atascadero events on Saturday and Sunday were gifted with fairly dry and warm evenings as local residents welcomed the holiday season. Friday night, the city of Atascadero lit the trees in Sunken Gardens in front of the City Administration Building. Mayor Tom O’Malley, as well as Mayor Pro Tem Brian Sturtevant, Councilwoman Roberta Fonzi, Councilman Bob Kelley and Councilwoman Heather Moreno, greeted the assembled crowd, which was smaller than in past years, it having rained all day.
Houses decorate for the season and were a part of the Atascadero Lake Association’s annual Musical Holiday Walk Around the Lake on Dec. 6. Photo by Heather Young
After several Atascadero High School musical groups performed holiday favorites, O’Malley gathered all of the young children on the steps of city hall, including his granddaughter, Joy, who has attended six tree lighting ceremonies. With the encouragement of the children, the lights were switched on to the joy for the couple hundred attendees. After Santa arrived via the Atascadero City Fire Department’s antique fire truck, children of all ages lined up to visit with Santa inside city hall — a city tradition that had been moved for the nine years that the building was closed after the December 2003 San Simeon Earthquake. Atascadero resident Paige Bartel said it’s her 5-year-old son’s favorite event of the entire year, so they wouldn’t miss the tree lighting ceremony.
At the same time, the Atascadero Art & Wine Tour took place around downtown Atascadero. The event, sponsored by Atascadero Main Street, has been held in conjunction with the tree lighting ceremony since 2008, replacing the organization’s wine and wassail holiday event. About 20 businesses hosted artists and wineries and opened their doors to the community. Though attendance was lower, many business owners said, people were out enjoying wine and doing their Christmas shopping.
Atascadero resident Michele Coombs gets a taste of wine inside Heartwork Studios during the Atascadero Art & Wine Tour on Friday. Photo by Heather Young
Atascadero resident Michele Coombs said she was excited to get a lot of her shopping done while supporting local businesses. The next event will be held in the spring.
The next evening, the Atascadero Lake Neighborhood Association held its 16th annual Musical Walk Around the Lake around the empty lake, though there was a small puddle around the island, as a full moon rose high in the sky adding light to the fairly dark walk that Boy Scouts lit with luminaries.
“Full moon, 55 degrees, beautiful night sky and Atascadero Lake neighbors go all out to work together to host a better event each year,” organizer Barbara Combs said. “Many families enjoy this event as a yearly family reunion of three to four generations. I enjoyed my 95-year-old father walking the lake with our two adult children and two grandchildren dancing in the street under the laser light show.”
Atascadero’s next large event is Winter Wonderland and will take place on Friday, Dec. 12 from 5 to 9 p.m. in Sunken Gardens. It will include snow slides, snow piles, Santa and more.
Santa arrives to the tree lighting ceremony in the Atascadero City Fire Department’s antique fire truck Friday night. Photo by Heather Young
