Sam Hicks Monument Park
Fun Times at the Summer Bazaar in Temecula CA
Fun at the Summer Bazaar (Sam Hicks Monument Park, 41970 Moreno Rd, Temecula, CA 92590)
Ever since they started construction at the Sam Hicks Monument Park Temecula CA in the downtown area, I’ve been a little hesitant about the whole plan. The monument, of course, is beautiful, but it didn’t really feel like a park yet. There were no playgrounds, no swing-sets, no picnic tables, or even really any grass! Around town, everyone felt like the park wasn’t really much of a gathering spot. So I wasn’t jumping up and down with joy when I heard about the Summer Bazaar they were holding there this past summer. In fact, I figured it would be a bit of a bust. I’m glad I went, though, because now I can see the potential for this new park, and it was beginning to feel like home.
When I got to the park around 9:30am, there were already a few families mulling about, and around 15 booths set up in long rows. Local farmers, artists, and business owners were hawking their wares in an improvised farmer’s market along the side of the monument. Of course, the wineries all were represented, but there were other groups there as well. Local churches, community centers, even the animal shelter was there—and they had set up a play pen with adoptable puppies! As the day wore on, more and more people arrived, until there was a big crowd moving around the booths. The park is right in front of Temecula Valley Museum, where docents were offering guided tours on the half hour, provided the children left their cotton candy outside of the building. All in all, it was a blast.
For the first time, I was able to see the Sam Hicks Park as a real potential gathering spot for the community in Temecula. I noticed things I had neglected before, like just how close the park is to both the museum and the main commercial street. Once permanent tables and benches are installed, I’m sure this spot will be heavily trafficked by tourists looking for a moment of rest after a long afternoon of shopping downtown. And the monument itself is gorgeous—I had seen it from afar, but this was the first opportunity I had to really get a close look at it. The monument, entitled “They Passed This Way”, features an enormous boulder bearing the names of 56 of the first settlers in Temecula. The piece really puts history in the foreground of the environment, and in my eyes, it’s a welcome addition to our town’s wonderful downtown area. This wasn't the only monument honoring local natives, so I decided to pay tribute at Temecula Duck Pond Park as well.
Ever since they started construction at the Sam Hicks Monument Park Temecula CA in the downtown area, I’ve been a little hesitant about the whole plan. The monument, of course, is beautiful, but it didn’t really feel like a park yet. There were no playgrounds, no swing-sets, no picnic tables, or even really any grass! Around town, everyone felt like the park wasn’t really much of a gathering spot. So I wasn’t jumping up and down with joy when I heard about the Summer Bazaar they were holding there this past summer. In fact, I figured it would be a bit of a bust. I’m glad I went, though, because now I can see the potential for this new park, and it was beginning to feel like home.
When I got to the park around 9:30am, there were already a few families mulling about, and around 15 booths set up in long rows. Local farmers, artists, and business owners were hawking their wares in an improvised farmer’s market along the side of the monument. Of course, the wineries all were represented, but there were other groups there as well. Local churches, community centers, even the animal shelter was there—and they had set up a play pen with adoptable puppies! As the day wore on, more and more people arrived, until there was a big crowd moving around the booths. The park is right in front of Temecula Valley Museum, where docents were offering guided tours on the half hour, provided the children left their cotton candy outside of the building. All in all, it was a blast.
For the first time, I was able to see the Sam Hicks Park as a real potential gathering spot for the community in Temecula. I noticed things I had neglected before, like just how close the park is to both the museum and the main commercial street. Once permanent tables and benches are installed, I’m sure this spot will be heavily trafficked by tourists looking for a moment of rest after a long afternoon of shopping downtown. And the monument itself is gorgeous—I had seen it from afar, but this was the first opportunity I had to really get a close look at it. The monument, entitled “They Passed This Way”, features an enormous boulder bearing the names of 56 of the first settlers in Temecula. The piece really puts history in the foreground of the environment, and in my eyes, it’s a welcome addition to our town’s wonderful downtown area. This wasn't the only monument honoring local natives, so I decided to pay tribute at Temecula Duck Pond Park as well.