Open House at the Luck Museum

This Saturday, October 10, 2015, the San Juan Bautista Historical Society will be holding an open house at the Carl Luck Memorial Park on the corner of Third and Monterey Streets in San Juan Bautista. The free event will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Here's the schedule for the day.

Relay for Life

Downtown Hollister is swimming in purple to support Relay for Life that's taking place this weekend at the San Benito High School football field. This local annual event is a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.

Participants form teams and each member takes turns walking around the track for 24 hours from Friday evening (July 31). According to the Hollister Relay for Life web page, 27 teams and 198 participants have raised nearly $56,000 so far. For more information about this event, click here.

Today I'm participating in Our World Tuesday. If you'd like to join or check out posts by other participants, click here.

November – December 2015 Annual Events in San Benito County

Here are some annual events taking place in November and December of this year in San Benito County. Click the following links to find out about events in other months.

• March - May 2015
• June - July 2015
• August - October 2015

NOVEMBER 2015

November 11: Veterans Day Parade  

November 28: 25th Annual Lights On Celebration  For its Facebook page, click here. 

DECEMBER 2015

To Be Announced: 4th Annual Holiday Stroll Through Time in San Juan Bautista

To Be Announced: 10th Annual Holiday in Lights Parade in San Juan Bautista 

December 18: Annual Holiday Bonfire/Hayden Christmas Celebration in San Juan Bautista

December 21: Winter Solstice at the Old Mission San Juan Bautista

August – October 2015 Annual Events in San Benito County

Here are some annual events taking place in August through October this year in San Benito County. Click the following links to find out about events in other months.

• March - May 2015
• June - July 2015
• November - December 2015

AUGUST 2015

August 6 - 8: The Good Old Fashioned Blue Grass Festival  at Bolado Park

August 9: 51st Annual Antique and Collectibles Fair sponsored by the Rotary Club of San Juan Bautista  

To Be Announced: Vaquero Heritage Days in San Juan Bautista

To Be Announced: 2nd Annual Boots and Brews Family Fest   at Jardines de San Juan in San Juan Bautista

SEPTEMBER 2015

September 13: Mexican Independence Day Parade in Downtown Hollister

September 19 - October 18: Northern California Renaissance Faire at Casa de Fruta (weekends only)

September 26 - 27: Annual Cactus and Succulent Show Fall Sale in San Juan Bautista  

September 25: Double Road Race in San Juan Bautista

OCTOBER 2015

October 1 - 4: San Benito County Fair 

October 1 - 31: Pumpkin Junction at Casa de Fruta

October 17: 3rd Annual San Benito Olive Festival

October 23: San Benito High School Homecoming Parade Downtown Hollister

To Be Announced: 7th Annual San Juan Bautista Ghost Walk  sponsored by the Rotary Club of San Juan Bautista

To Be Announced: Alfred Hitchcock's "Vertigo Day" at San Juan Bautista State Historic Park

To Be Announced: Swank Farms Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch

June – July 2015 Annual Events in San Benito County

Here are some annual events taking place in June and July of this year in San Benito County. Click the following links to find out about events in other months.

• March - May 2015
• August - October 2015
• November - December 2015

JUNE  2015

June 20 and 21: Hollister Airshow  

June 20 - 21: Annual Early Days at San Juan Bautista State Park 

June 6 - 28: San Benito County Saddle Horse Show & Rodeo is a month-long event. Some events are free.

• June 6: Miss Rodeo Contest 
• June 20: Memorial Ranch Rodeo
• June 21: Roping competition 
• June 25: Saddle Horse Parade and Fiesta in Downtown Hollister
• June 26–28: San Benito County Saddle Horse Show and Rodeo 

June 28: Old Mission San Juan Bautista Fiesta  Update: The fiesta for the public has been cancelled. But, the parish will still hold a parish gathering in the grove.

JULY 2015

July 3 - 5: Hollister Freedom Rally 

July 4: Fourth of July Kiddie Parade  

July 11: 19th Annual Indian Canyon Storytelling and Indigenous Gathering 

July 18: 29th Annual Street Festival, Car Show and Swap 

March – May 2015 Annual Events in San Benito County

Who else wants to know when the annual events are happening in Hollister, San Juan Bautista, Aromas, and other places in San Benito County? Yup, me, too. Over the next few days, I'll post dates for upcoming events in 2015.  Today, check out what will be up in March, April and May. Click the following links to find out about events in other months:
•  June - July 2015
•  August - October 2015
•  November - December 2015

MARCH 2015

March 20: Champagne Tea and Treasure Fundraiser for the Women's Club and Friends of the Library 

March 28 - 29: Annual San Juan Spring Arts and Crafts Festival  

March 29: Top Hatters BBQ and Blessing of the Bikes 

APRIL 2015

April 3 - 5: 25th Annual Arts, Crafts and Music Festival at Casa de Fruta

April 11: Walk a Mile in Her Shoes

April 18: Hollister Downtown Association Plant Sale and Garden Expo 

April 18 - 19: Annual Cactus and Succulent Spring Show and Sale in San Juan Bautista, sponsored by the Monterey Bay Cactus & Succulent Society of America

April 25 - 26: Open Studios Art Tour throughout San Benito County

MAY 2015

May 2: Downtown Wine and Beer Stroll 

May 2 - 3: 31st Annual California Indian Market & Peace Pow Wow

May 6 - September 30: Certified Farmers' Market — every Wednesday, from 3 to 7:30 p.m., in Downtown Hollister

May 16 - 17:  Annual San Juan Bautista Rib Cook-Off

Spotting Santa Around Hollister

The spirit of Santa Claus has been all over Hollister, from cute Santa dolls at the grocery stores to happy Santa prints in shop windows.

Santa has also showed up at various holiday parties and events throughout the month, including the annual Filipino American Community of San Benito County's Christmas dinner.

I even saw Santa, incognito, walking up and down San Benito Street in search of one of his reindeer. Did Santa find the reindeer? What do you think?

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Today is Our World Tuesday, and that's where I'll be checking out other blogs from around the world. Come join me by clicking here.

A Downtown Reflection

 

As I was walking past the empty shop on San Benito Street, next to Wentz Alley, I noticed the  reflection in the shop's window. It's the biker mural on the side of the infamous Johnny's Bar & Grill. Click here to see how it looks first hand. A pretty cool mural, don't you agree?

Take 25 in Hollister is six years old today! Whoooo-hoooo! For the curious, here's the link to the first post, What a Cute Town! Hollister most certainly is.

I'm hanging out at Weekend Reflections today. To see other reflections from around the world, please click here.

Spring is Popping

This is somewhere along San Felipe Road. All of a sudden, the color just popped out at me as I was pedaling along on bicycle.

Z is for Zazzy

Zazzy as in feeling stylish while wearing this bling of a gown. This was in one of the display windows of Sylvia's  Jewelry and Gifts on San Benito Street, near Fourth Street.

I'm been going through the alphabet this month as part of the A to Z Blogging Challenge. This post marks the end of the event. Whoo-hoo! I think I deserve a zazzy treat. To check out other A to Z participants,  click here.

Y is for Yummiliciousness

Yeah, I know. I could've just said yummy. But, hey, might as well put all that learning about suffixes to good use. Besides, the food at Heavenly Bakery is exactly that.

I've been going through the alphabet this month as part of the A to Z Blogging Challenge. Tomorrow will be my last day.  Click here to check out some other A to Z Challenge participants.

X is for Xanthic

Xanthic? That means being of a yellowish color.

Just so you don't have to wonder, the preschool is not in that building.

Curious about the whereabouts of the sign? It's on the north side of Union Road as you approach San Benito Street.

I'm been going through the alphabet this month as part of the A to Z Blogging Challenge. Two more days left.  Click here to check out some other A to Z Challenge participants.

W is for Wire

Barbed wire is still a common sight inside Hollister city limits.

I'm been going through the alphabet this month as part of the A to Z Blogging Challenge. Only a few more days left to it.  Click here to check out some other A to Z Challenge participants.

V is for the Veterans Memorial Building

The Veterans Memorial Building was dedicated in November 1927. Today, the hall is rented to community organizations as well as to businesses and individuals for private parties, public meetings, and community events. For information about rentals, go to this link.

To see other views of this Hollister landmark, please click here and here .

I'm been going through the alphabet this month as part of the A to Z Blogging Challenge. Click here to check out some other A to Z Challenge participants.

U is for Umber

This umber colored brick building has been standing strong at the corner of Fifth and San Benito Streets for nearly 140 years. It is one of the oldest commercial buildings in downtown Hollister. 

I've been participating in the A to Z Blogging Challenge this month. About a week left to go. If you'd like to check out other blogs in the challenge, click here.

 

T is For Takino, Japan

This beautiful lantern, which stands in front of the City Hall, is a gift to Hollister from Takino, Japan. The two were sister cities for over 10 years.

According to Wikipedia, Takino merged with two other towns in 2006 to form a new city called Kato.

I'm been going through the alphabet this month as part of the A to Z Blogging Challenge. Click here to check out some other A to Z Challenge participants.

S is for Schwinn

Most people who grew up in Hollister got a Schwinn as their first bicycle. And, most likely it was bought from Muenzer's.

I'm going through the alphabet this month as part of the A to Z Blogging Challenge. Want to read other blogs? Click here.

R is for Rally

This July 5 and 6 is the 2013 Hollister Motorcycle Rally. Bikers will trek from all over the United States to take part in celebrating the birthplace of the American Biker. To learn more about the rally, please check out this post.

I'm going through the alphabet this month as part of the A to Z Blogging Challenge.  Click here to check out blogs by other A to Z participants.

Q is for Quaint

The city of Hollister was officially incorporated as a city in 1872. It was named after Colonel William Wells Hollister, the man who sold his land to the San Justo Homestead Association, the group of men who founded the city.

Many of the houses built in the early years of the city still stand. As you stroll down the tree-lined residential streets of downtown Hollister, you can see various  architectural styles, including the pioneer, Italianate, Queen Anne, Craftsman bungalow, and Mediterranean Revival styles. Quaint as all get out.

I'm going through the alphabet this month as part of the A to Z Blogging Challenge.  Click here to check out some other A to Z Challenge participants.

P is for Parade

Hands up: Who loves a parade?

Hollister is the place to be then. We have the:

Portuguese Festival Parade
San Benito County Saddle Horse Show and Rodeo Parade
Mexican Independence Day Parade
Hollister High Homecoming Parade
Veterans Day Parade
Lights On Celebration Parade

I'm going through the alphabet this month as part of the A to Z Blogging Challenge. If you'd like to check out other bloggers, please click here.