May events beckon you to get outside
Welcome to one of my favorite times of the year in the Clayton area, because of the increased opportunity for outdoor activities.
The rains have greened up our picturesque valley and hills, and the warming weather entices us to get outside. It’s a great time to enjoy our yards, gardens, parks, trails and sports like walking, biking, soccer and loads of baseball – with Little League, Clayton Valley Charter High School, the Giants and A’s.
With our busy, sometimes stressful lives, it’s good to remember we have the relaxing, stress-reducing, low-cost exercise option of walking in our beautiful area. Clayton has been rated one of the top walking communities in the country due to our citywide trail system that connects neighborhoods with the downtown. It also extends to our two neighboring protected areas, Mt. Diablo State Park and Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve.
I encourage you to walk, run or bike our trails, discovering new areas of interest. Trail maps available for $2 at City Hall provide descriptions of many of the area’s trails, as well as city information and a street map of Clayton.
If you walk with your dog, please remember that Clayton’s leash law applies to dogs on the trails too. And help us keep our trails clean and natural by picking up after your dog, disposing of doggie bags in trash cans.
A number of community activities will give you even more reasons to get outside, starting with the first Concert in The Grove on Saturday, May 12, followed by our second concert on Saturday, May 26. These free concerts are held at The Grove Park downtown, 6-8 p.m. every other Saturday through Sept. 16. The season schedule is available as an insert in the Clayton Pioneer and on the city’s website.
Two other events are also scheduled for Saturday, May 12. The annual Clayton Valley Garden Club Plant Sale will be 8 a.m.-1 p.m. at Endeavor Hall, 6008 Center St. This is the club’s primary fund-raiser and proceeds are used for garden-related beautification and education of the Clayton community. The club maintains the public planters on Main Street and the flowerbeds at the Clayton Library and Museum, among other community projects.
The second event on May 12 is the kick-off of the Clayton Community Farmers Market, held 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays in the KinderCare parking lot at 6095 Main St. This is an open-air market with fresh fruit, vegetables and other food items from local growers. It’s a great way to obtain fresh, locally grown and/or prepared food and further support our local farming community.
The last community event scheduled in May is the annual Memorial Day Program sponsored by VFW Post 1525. It is held at the Veterans Memorial Flagpole Monument at Oak and Main streets in Clayton, starting at 10 a.m. May 28. It’s a moving memorial event honoring the fallen veteran heroes from our area.
My initial thought was to continue describing how the city is organized in this month’s column, but I decided to share all these activities to help promote them and as an added incentive to push you out of the house to enjoy our beautiful, active community.
I look forward to sharing more information about Clayton items and activities in upcoming months. See you out on the trails and, as always, feel free to send comments to me at khaydon@ci.clayton.ca.us.