By Councilmember Cameron Smyth
The City of Santa Clarita encompasses the four communities of Canyon Country, Newhall, Saugus and Valencia. As the third largest city in Los Angeles County, you can bet there are many events and fun happenings taking place in our City.
In addition to providing general City services such as streets and parks maintenance, did you know the City also hosts many family-friendly events and recreational services?
One of our most recognized events is the Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival that takes place annually in April. This year we’re celebrating the festival’s 25th anniversary! We also host free weekly entertainment and nightlife on Main Street in Old Town Newhall every Thursday evening as part of our Thursdays@Newhall series. Every Thursday we transform Old Town Newhall from a bustling retail and dining destination by day, to a thriving arts and entertainment district by night!
My personal favorite is the SENSES Block Party, which brings live music, food trucks, themed activities and adult beverages to Main Street. It’s so much fun to see folks from all over Santa Clarita come out to dance and enjoy the night together.
With so much happening in the City, what is the best way to stay in the know? Luckily, depending on your choice of communication – whether that’s e-mail or strictly social media – there are various ways you can get updates directly from the City.
If e-mail is your favorite way to receive notifications, then your best bet will be to sign up for our eNotifications. The City of Santa Clarita offers an e-mail notification system that provides up-to-date information on topics or events of interest. Simply sign up to be notified via e-mail for topics of your choosing such as arts and events, general news and information, public meeting notices, programs and projects and much more. Our eNotification system allows you to customize the information you receive. Sign up today at santa-clarita.com/eNotify and begin receiving notifications.
If you enjoy reading blogs, I highly recommend checking out City Briefs, the City’s official blog at SantaClaritaCityBriefs.com. The City’s blog provides more in depth reporting and behind-the-scenes stories regarding City projects and events.
If social media is more of your forte, the City has got you covered! The City can be found on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn. In addition to our official City accounts, we also have accounts for our many different departments and events, such as Santa Clarita Arts (@ArtsinSCV) and Hike Santa Clarita (@hikeSCV). To get a listing of all of our social media accounts, please visit santa-clarita.com/Social.
City updates cover more than just fun events, they’re also vital during emergencies when seconds count. Residents of the City of Santa Clarita and those in neighboring communities can subscribe to receive emergency notifications through a notification system called Nixle via text by texting SCEMERGENCY to 888777. This free service provides subscribers with safety alert messages during emergencies. These messages are also where you will get the latest information on evacuations from agencies that serve your area including the City, Fire Department and Sheriff’s Station.
To learn more about Nixle, as well as other emergency information resources such as AlertLA and the Santa Clarita Emergency Blog (SantaClaritaEmergency.com), please visit santa-clarita.com/ealerts.
As time passes and technology trends come and go, we are always doing our best to adapt our communications depending on the needs of our residents. These channels also provide a wonderful opportunity for you to share your feedback and comments with us. I hope you take the moment to explore our blog and social media accounts and stay connected with us at the City.
Cameron Smyth is a Santa Clarita City Council member and can be reached at: [email protected].
