By Cameron Smyth
Santa Clarita City Mayor
The City of Santa Clarita continues to celebrate the “CAN DOs” instead of dwelling on what we cannot do under current health guidelines and COVID-19 restrictions.
There are many CAN DOs that residents can safely enjoy — support local restaurants by dining al fresco, take home a Grab and Go Craft Kit from the Santa Clarita Public Library or enjoy some fresh air on one of our community’s trails or in one of the many picturesque City parks.
In fact, venturing to our beautiful parks can earn you a prize if you choose to take part in the City’s new 35 Parks Challenge!
The 35 Parks Challenge invites residents to travel to every park in Santa Clarita, while also tracking their visits on a free downloadable challenge checklist.
During these visits, I encourage residents to not only enjoy the beauty of our parks, but to also utilize the amenities that remain open and available to the public!
Head to the hiking trail in Central Park, play pickleball in Bouquet Canyon Park, stroll along the walkways in the new Plum Canyon Park and much more. Each park has unique features and amenities that residents can continue to safely enjoy.
Learn more about the different amenities at each of Santa Clarita’s parks and facilities by visiting Santa-Clarita.com/Residents/Parks-and-City-
Facilities.
Access both English and Spanish versions of the 35 Parks Challenge checklist at Santa-Clarita.com/Can
Dos. Once you download your checklist, you will see a list of each of our parks, along with the address. As you visit, check off each park, then let us know which park and which amenities are your favorites in the spaces provided on your downloaded sheet.
Completed checklists should be emailed to 35ParksChallenge@santa-
clarita.com to get your prize. Those who are able to complete this challenge will receive a super-cool, limited-edition 35 Parks Challenge t-shirt!
The quicker you complete the challenge, the quicker you can redeem your t-shirt before they’re gone!
Families can get involved in a parks challenge designed for kids by participating in the Parks Passport Adventure. The Parks Passport Adventure, like the 35 Parks Challenge, encourages you to explore each of the amazing parks in our community with an added word hunt for kids to enjoy.
The adventure runs from Sept. 1 through Nov. 30. Each month will feature a new Parks Passport Adventure edition and a new set of parks to explore.
Every downloadable edition sheet will ask families to search for a letter or word hidden in each park featured. Once all letters or words are collected, unscramble the message and submit your completed edition to reserva
[email protected] to redeem a prize package!
Download the current Parks Passport Adventure edition today from Santa-Clarita.com/VirtualRecCenter.
This year has been challenging for so many in our community and nation, so I hope that our City’s CAN DOs will help lift spirits and encourage everyone to enjoy the safe activities, amenities, events and more that Santa Clarita has to offer.
Mayor Cameron Smyth is a member of the Santa Clarita City Council and can be reached at csmyth@santa-
clarita.com. The views expressed in his column are those of the City and do not necessarily reflect those of The Signal.
