A lingering whiff of barbecuing tri-tip hung in the air. Overhead, a powder blue sky dotted with puffs of cottony clouds provided cover for the 92nd annual Santa Maria Valley Pioneer Picnic held on Saturday, July 9, at Pioneer Park, near the corner of Foster and Blosser roads.
Several hundred people of all ages attended the multi-generational event. The sons and daughters of the pioneers were blessed with super good weather. Not too hot. Not too cool. Not windy. It was a perfect day for a gathering of the very congenial descendants of Santa Maria’s early settlers.
“This is so much fun,” Mayor Alice Patino told me. “We get to see people we grew up with, people we went to school with.” Alice’s enthusiasm was par for the course among the attendees, who clearly enjoyed each other’s company.
Five to six hundred is the size of the crowd normally anticipated at the picnic. Because of competing events, this year’s attendance hovered around 350.
Traditional picnic fare provided for by the $11 ticket consisted of tri-tip, beans, salad, garlic bread, and coffee.
Families and friends shared tables and brought along such staples as potato salad, deviled eggs, brownies, watermelon, and strawberries, as well as wine, beer, and soft drinks. Huge snow cones were available at no cost to children at a very popular stand.
This year, Herschel Rouse headed up the all-important barbecue committee and crew, a slot once held by Ike Simas. As all the Pioneer members know, Ike retired from his longtime tenure at this esteemed post.
President of the Pioneer Association Gary Saunders and Sandy Openshaw Saunders sat with friends at a big table near the barbecue pit. Patrick Ferini was one of the passersby who stopped by to chat. Nearby were Nancy Stewart with sons Jeff and Barry and granddaughter, Skyler. We also spied board member Theo Cain.
Rick Klein flagged me down to show me a picture of a 1925 Pioneer pin. A while back, he gave one that he found at an antique store to the Historical Society. Now he wants another to keep. Does anyone have one that they don’t want?
Among the crowd were Toru and Jeanne Miyoshi. Toru is a former City Council member and a former county supervisor. Board member Jane Donati Rouse gave me the skinny on the event.
There are about 1,000 members of the Pioneer Association. Membership is secured by a one-time payment of $20. There are no annual dues. For those who do not qualify for membership by virtue of when their ancestors arrived in the Santa Maria Valley, membership is doable for a one-time $30 fee.
Besides the annual July picnic, the Pioneers hold a dinner dance in the fall at the Elks Club.
A great and visible accomplishment of the Pioneer Association is the Pioneer Park, developed by the association in the early 1990s. Members donated the time, labor, and materials necessary to transform a place that was just “dirt and trees,” according to Jane Donati Rouse, into an attractive, functional chunk of land with tables, benches, bathrooms, barbecue pit, children’s play area, and gazebo.
The picnic officially starts at 11 a.m., but folks are known to arrive as early as 8 a.m. to snag a great table in the shade.
If you want to hobnob with Helen, you may contact her at [email protected].