Colony Buzz

The COLONY BUZZ

Atascadero Fall Festival Back for Second Year

Atascadero residents, out-of-towners, and Central Coast residents from all over headed to the Sunken Gardens the weekend of November 18 through November 20 for the second annual Atascadero Fall Festival. The free fest, put on by En Fuego Events and presented by Visit Atascadero and the City of Atascadero, was back and bigger than ever. This year included more rides, more bands, and over 18,000 attendees.

ECHO turkey trot raises $60K on Thanksgiving morning

On Thanksgiving morning, November 24, families trotted for a cause in Atascadero at the El Camino Homeless Organization (ECHO) annual Turkey Trot. Over 500 people came out and participated in this year's fourth annual event. Each year, the Trot grows in popularity, with about 100 more participants; this year, the proceeds amounted to just over $60,000. Local foundation B Loved joined ECHO again to match their donations, which is included in that final total.

'Day of Giving' Supports Nearly 500 North County Families

Close to 500 families received help for Christmas at the 28th annual Day of Giving on December 10 at the Paso Robles Event Center.

The Toy Bank of Greater Paso Robles organized the free event each year and was joined by Coats for Kids to give additional help from the community. Around 1,000 children were signed up for this years event.

SLO County District 1 Supervisor John Peschong presented a Certification of Recognition to both nonprofits before opening. The recognition came as a much appreciated surprise and a great way to begin the day.

One change this year was the decrease in COVID protocols. The past two years have been different for the Day of Giving with the restrictions, which did not allow volunteers to help families shop for toys.

Coats for Kids has been helping keep families warm for 35 years. Their mission has always been to distribute warm items such as coats, jackets, sweaters, and sweatshirts directly to North County families, not just kids, in need.

Leftover coats were brought to the El Camino Homeless Organization, which had locations in Paso Robles and Atascadero. About six boxes of coats each for women, men, and children were brought to the organization for distribution.

Find more information on Coats for Kids here coatsforkidsslocounty.org.

Atascadero's 18th Annual Winter Wonderland Brings 10,000 People Downtown

A steady stream of locals brought close to 10,000 people to Sunken Gardens Friday night for Atascadero's 18th annual Winter Wonderland, which took place on December 10. The event was brought to the community by The City of Atascadero.

The night had all the joy and magic of the holidays packed into one event. With a total of 75 tons of snow brought in, more than any other year, it was truly a Winter Wonderland.

The snow slide was made by Kiwanis of Atascadero, who's been building it yearly since Winter Wonderland's inception in 2001. Glacier Ice Company of SLO also had a hand in creating the slides this year.

On top of the 75 tons of snow brought in, the event also boasted plenty of other attractions for the whole family, including bounce houses, Bubble Fun 101, face painting, Euro bungee jumping, and even Joe's Little Train, brought to the event by The Elks Club of Atascadero.

The evening was a huge, snow-filled success.

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