Thanksgiving Holiday
To minimize the spread of COVID-19 and ensure families stay safe during the 2020 Thanksgiving holiday, the County of San Diego has provided guidance about celebrating safely here.  City of Escondido facilities will be closed on November 26 and 27, with emergency services always available. The Weekly Activity Report will resume on December 3. Happy Thanksgiving, Escondido!

Mountain View Park Fitness Court Now Open!
On November 18, City leadership unveiled Escondido's new outdoor Fitness Court located in Mountain View Park. The court is now open and is a great spot for a socially distanced workout!

This project is part of the National Fitness Campaign that aims to help cities build and fund healthy infrastructure. This court is part of a larger network of courts that will be installed throughout the region, including four more in Escondido.

The fitness court is a seven-station system that has an accompanying free mobile app to help guide your workouts! There will also be free workout classes held at the court guided by our Fitness Court Ambassadors. More information about the court and ambassador program can be found here: https://recreation.escondido.org/fitness-court-1.aspx

Escondido Businesses Stick Together
On Saturday, November 14 local artists and creators utilized unused outdoor space along Grand Avenue for a Second Saturday Art Walk. This socially distanced event followed all County guidance and was a success; restaurant patios were busy, local art was displayed along Grand Avenue, and retail businesses saw an uptick in sales. Check out the 10News coverage of the day here.

Church of RB “Serve Day”
Last Saturday, November 14, members of The Church of Rancho Bernardo gathered at Kit Carson Park and Grape Day Park for their annual “Serve Day.”  The Church of Rancho Bernardo is a faith-based organization committed to being good neighbors in North County and wanted to volunteer for park improvements in Escondido.  Over 200 socially-distanced and “masked-up” members gathered at Kit Carson Park and painted signage, removed trash and replaced mulch in planter boxes to stop erosion.  Another group of 65 members worked concurrently at Grape Day Park and planted roses, mulched planter boxes and placed flowers in areas near and around City Hall.  We are incredibly thankful for their efforts!

Volunteer Hub Wins Golden Watchdog Award
The San Diego County Taxpayers Association has awarded Escondido their Metro Golden Watchdog Award for our use of technology with the Volunteer Hub. Since the launch of the Volunteer Hub in 2019 the City has received over 7,500 visits to the site, and overall their volunteer efforts have resulted in taxpayer savings of over $800,000. More information about the award can be found here. Great job team!

Small Business Saturday – November 28
Supporting our local small businesses is more important than ever this year. The City of Escondido, Chamber of Commerce, and Downtown Business Association have partnered this year to support our small businesses. Let’s “Shop local, support local” every day and especially on Small Business Saturday, November 28.
Merchants and consumers can learn more about Shop Small, Small Business Saturday and how to get involved by visiting www.ShopSmall.com.

Escondido Eats
Great news! Escondido Eats will be continuing through the holidays with “Escondido Eats, 25 Days to Go!” Promotions will run from December 1-25 to encourage curbside pickup and to-go of gifts and food leading up to the holidays! Stay tuned for more information.