This Friday, August 12, the City of San Clemente will be hosting the final “Island Nights” event at the Ole Hanson Beach Club.  The event will take place poolside at the Beach Club and runs from 6:30pm-9:00pm.  Live Caribbean music will be played throughout by Steel Parade, and dinner plates from Iva Lee’s can be purchased for a nominal fee.  Tickets to the event are $4 for adults and $3 for children.

For more information or to purchase advance tickets, please visit the City of San Clemente’s online registration section.

This Sunday brings the annual fireworks display off the San Clemente Pier commemorating the Fourth of July.  The yearly tradition is a favorite amongst San Clemente residents as the fireworks are truly spectacular and can be seen from all over the city.  The Central area of town gets incredibly crowded during the buildup to the show, which starts at 9pm; my advice is to get there early and relax on the sand.  The City of San Clemente has posted information on street closures on Sunday, mostly on Avenida Del Mar and Avenida Victora.  Barricades will be put up at noon, which will only allow residents in these select neighborhoods to pass with proper ID; the roads will then close to all cars at 7pm.

As always, San Clemente Coastal Living wishes you a very happy and safe Fourth of July!

The SC Times has released the results for the 4th annual Best of San Clemente People’s Choice “Ole Awards.”  The annual awards are voted on by the readers of the SC Times and honor the best businesses, places and services in San Clemente.  The results are entirely chosen by readers and reflect the pride that San Clemente residents show in the numerous local businesses and places that make San Clemente such a unique place to live and visit.

To view the winners of the “Ole Awards,” please click on this link.

If you are interested in discovering more of what San Clemente has to offer to residents and visitors alike, please visit our San Clemente Lifestyle section.

In an effort to raise the necessary funds to complete the long-planned La Pata/Vista Hermosa Community Park, the City Council of San Clemente has approved the sale of 14.8 acres of land adjacent to the development’s site to Target.  According to this article in the San Clemente Times, the sale will be for $13.8 million, with all proceeds from the sale contributing to the construction of the park.  If the deal is finalized, this will bring the total alloted amount of money set aside by the city for the park to $32.8 million, which covers the $32 million cost estimate of constructing this new park.

Obviously this is fantastic news for San Clemente residents and visitors.  The corner of Avenida La Pata and Avenida Vista Hermosa has long displayed signs of this proposed project, but like the long-delayed Marblehead Coastal development, the money has not been there to begin and finish construction.  Now that the City Council has approved the land sale to Target, not only will residents and visitors be able to enjoy the various sports’ fields and state-of-the-art aquatic’s center, but San Clemente will be gaining a great store in Target.  This will add more jobs to the area, both in construction and running the new Target, which can only be a good thing in these tough times.  The park will be a fantastic addition to the city of San Clemente, and a new Target is just icing on the cake.

To learn more about the La Pata/Vista Hermosa Community Park, including the proposed layout and features of the park, please visit this website.

On the future site of the Avenida La Pata/Vista Hermosa Sports Park and Acquatics Center, the annual San Clemente Carnival Colossal and Expo is returning to the city after a five-year absence.  According to this article in the Orange County Register, the carnival was a Labor Day tradition until the Marblehead Coastal developers started plans to build homes on the site of the yearly carnival.  As the carnival is sponsored by the City of San Clemente and the San Clemente Parks Foundation, the future site of the 42-acre sports park is a perfect setting for the revived carnival as it serves as a fundraiser for city park facilities.

The Carnival Colossal and Expo will be open today thru this weekend and is free to anyone wishing to attend.  Operating hours are 3 to 10pm today and 1 to 10pm on Saturday and Sunday.  Tickets for the rides in the Carnival Colossal may be purchased for full price at the event or at a discounted advance rate at City Hall (100 Avenida Presidio) or the Community Center (100 N. Calle Seville).  Besides the Carnival Colossal, there will be an Earth Day Festival from 10am to 2pm on Saturday at Parque Del Mar (622 Avenida Del Mar) and a Gardenfest at the Community Center on Saturday from 8am to 4pm.  Admission to both of these events is free.

For more information on the Carnival Colossal and Expo, please visit the San Clemente Parks Foundation website.  For a copy of the Carnival’s program of events, please click here.

This Saturday and Sunday, a variety of holiday-themed events will take place in San Clemente, providing a great deal of fun activities for kids and families.  There will be four events, three on Saturday and one on Sunday.  The Saturday events include: “Santa Claws and Paws,” an annual fundraiser sponsored by the San Clemente/Dana Point Animal Shelter, where children and their pets may have their pictures taken with Santa; “Christmas at the Casa,” a tree-lighting ceremony at Casa Romantica from 5:30 to 9:00 pm; and “Holly Jolly Hoopla,” a children’s event at the Community Center where it will be converted into the North Pole, complete with real snow, stories with Santa, crafts and games, and Mrs. Claus’ bakery where kids can decorate their own cookies.  There are pricing options for the Santa photos and Casa Romantica event, but “Holly Jolly Hoopla” is free to everyone.

On Sunday, Metrolink will be bringing its Holiday Toy Express Train into San Clemente at two separate times: 5:45 pm at the North Beach train station, and 8:45 pm at the San Clemente pier.  The train will bear more than 50,000 lights, and there will be a 15-minute live show and a special appearance by Santa.

For detailed information on these wonderful holiday events in San Clemente, please view the Orange County Register’s article about the weekend.

On Saturday December 6th, the City of San Clemente and the San Clemente Junior Woman’s Club will be hosting the San Clemente Candy Cane Carnival.  There will be arts and crafts, a magic show, and a toddler’s snow hill.  Children will get to visit with Santa and there will be a countdown to light the community Christmas Tree.  You can receive more information by contacting the San Clemente recreation division - (949) 361-8264