GOOD NEWS REAL NEWS HOMETOWN NEWS
SINCE 1916 Making Communities Better Through Print.™ VOL. CX, NO. XLVIII
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2025
atascaderonews.com • $1.00 • WEEKLY
David Kudija (in back) and his fellow volunteers teamed up to serve 1,500 residents in the Thanksgiving for Paso Robles event Nov. 27 at the Centennial Park Activity Center. Photo by Camille DeVaul/ATN
41st annual Thanksgiving for Paso Robles serves neighbors Hundreds of volunteers serve more than 1,500 meals as organizers work to keep holiday tradition thriving By CAMILLE DEVAUL camille@atascaderonews.com
PASO ROBLES — Now in its 41st year, Thanksgiving for Paso Robles continued its mission of bringing the community together for a free, home-cooked holiday meal served with kindness, dignity, and fellowship. More than 1,500 residents took a plate during this year’s celebration, held Thursday, Nov. 27, at the Centennial Park Activity Center. Guests filled the dining room to enjoy a traditional sit-down Thanksgiving feast, including turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, vegetables, and all the trimmings. A to-go service followed, helping ensure that no one in the community spent the holiday without a warm meal. The annual dinner is entirely volunteer-driven, supported by hundreds of local residents, families, churches, students, and businesses who donate time, money, and supplies to
keep the tradition going. Volunteer David Kudija, said this year’s turnout reflected the community’s ongoing need and strong spirit of support. “It’s going well. Um, we have more people than normal, because things have been difficult,” he told the Atascadero News during the event. Despite the high turnout, the kitchen kept pace. “We’re hoping our food holds out … so far it has been.” Kudija said he took time this year to personally sit among guests. “For the first time this year, I’ve sat down with a group that is eating and I’m getting to know from the ground level how people enjoy it,” he said. “I met a very nice family.” Behind the scenes, it takes roughly 230 volunteers throughout Thanksgiving week to prepare, serve, deliver, and clean up. Planning begins in August, when the event’s steering committee starts meeting every two weeks to organize CONTINUED ON PAGE A2
The turkey-themed costumes were out in full force for the ECHO Turkey Trot in Atascadero Lake Park on Thanksgiving morning, Nov. 27. Photos by Rick Evans/ATN
Thanksgiving Turkey Trots draw record crowds Paso Robles Youth Wrestling Club and ECHO events bring community together
4 Less parking lot off Creston Road. All proceeds supported the Paso Robles Youth Wrestling Club, a nonprofit that directly funds the Paso Robles High School wrestling program. This year’s 10K winners are:
By CAMILLE DEVAUL camille@atascaderonews.com
NORTH COUNTY — Thanksgiving morning brought excitement, fun, and community spirit to Paso Robles and Atascadero as two Turkey Trots drew record crowds. The Paso Robles Youth Wrestling Club marked a milestone Thanksgiving morning as its 20th Annual Turkey Trot: Turkeymania drew the largest turnout in the event’s history. Over 80 participants arrived in their Hulk Hogan best to support Paso Robles High School Wrestling. The event began Thursday, Nov. 27, with registration opening at 7 a.m., followed by the start of the 10K, 5K, and Family The turkey-themed costumes were out in full force for the ECHO Turkey Trot in Fun Run at 8 a.m. in the Food Atascadero Lake Park on Thanksgiving morning, Nov. 27.
Elementary Ezekiel Lopez – 59:00 High School Brian Cruz – 34:20 Open Division Daniel Giroux – 40:38 60+ Masters Jeff Fell – 51:23 Men Joey Flora – 34:15 Barry Main – 36:23 Kevin Wof – 36:50 Women Olivia Mitchell – 45:31 Imuri Pacheco – 46:05 Alison Borgsmiller – 47:00
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Holiday spirit shines in Atascadero
With city meetings on pause for the season, Atascadero lights up December with festive community celebrations and the vital work of nonprofits during the season of giving By HAYLEY MATTSON Publisher, Editor in Chief
ATASCADERO — As the holiday season arrives in Atascadero, the city is taking a brief pause from its regular business. All official city meetings are on hold for the remainder of the year and will resume in January. But while the meeting calendar may be quiet, the community calendar Attendees holding candles gather in a colorful Downtown Paso Robles during the Lighting Ceremony on Nov. 28. Photo by Camille DeVaul/ATN is anything but. From festive celebrations to nonprofit milestones, Atascadero is buzzing City park comes alive with holiday cheer as thousands gather for festive celebration with seasonal cheer and meanBy CAMILLE DEVAUL visitors together to celebrate the season. Mrs. Santa Claus and local officials ingful local work. camille@atascaderonews.com Hosted by the Paso Robles Main Street greeted attendees at the downtown bandAssociation and the City of Paso Robles, stand. As volunteers distributed candles “Light Up the Downtown” PASO ROBLES — Downtown Paso the event kicked off at 5:30 p.m., filling and songbooks, the crowd began to sing Holiday Celebration – Robles sparkled on Friday, Nov. 28, as the city park with excitement, music, along to traditional holiday carols. At the This Friday the 39th annual Downtown Lighting and the cheerful anticipation of turning stroke of 6 p.m., Mrs. Claus flipped the Downtown Atascadero will Ceremony brought families, friends, and on the lights. come alive this Friday, Dec. 5, CONTINUED ON PAGE A2
City sparkles at 39th Annual Downtown Lighting Ceremony
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for the beloved “Light Up the Downtown” Holiday Celebration. Running from 5:30 to 8 p.m., the event marks the official start of the holiday season and is one of the city’s most anticipated traditions. Festivities begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Sunken Gardens with performances by the Fine Arts Academy Honor Choir and the Atascadero Community Band. At 6 p.m., residents will join the mayor and City Council for the annual countdown to light up Historic City Hall. More than 3,000 lights will transform City Hall, Sunken Gardens, and surrounding areas into a glowing holiday display as part of the second annual “Garden Lights & Winter Nights,” which will remain on CONTINUED ON PAGE A2
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