Fiesta, food & family fun

By Angela Cisneros · Tue May 19 2026

The first weekend of May is the kind of spring weekend where you turn off your work email and texts to hang out with friends and family. You won't be sitting around, though, Atascadero has wine, tamales, dancing, and music, just to name a few things, to keep the weekend lively!

Fiesta Friday, on May 1 at 5 p.m., starts off a fabulous weekend with tamales, live music, and strolling through our beautiful downtown. This is the perfect night to sample the various tamale vendors before the Tamale Festival the next day. This is when I like to buy my tamales, and I know exactly who I will be buying from this year! Bring a bestie or two and dance off your tamale consumption with the Zongo All-Stars band.

Save some vigor for the 10th annual Tamale Festival on Saturday, May 2, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Sunken Gardens. Come hungry and ready for a full day of family fun! One of my favorite things is watching the dancing horses. It is incredible to see those beautiful horses moving with precision and skill. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes to dance to the live music and peruse the great merchandise and food vendors. And, someone will be crowned the Tamale Champion! All the proceeds for the adult beverages on Friday and Saturday will benefit the Central Coast Zoo. There is so much going on that day, and you can find out more at atascaderotamalefest.com.

Mother's Day is May 10, and now would be a great time to plan dinner or lunch for the special mom in your life. Treat her to a unique meal at Kula Hawaiian Kitchen, where they specialize in Hawaiian comfort food. If mom would prefer Italian food, take her to Cielo Ristorante for their delicious pasta, pizza, and savory appetizers. Cielo also has gluten-free options! Dessert at Negranti Creamery or LOL Yogurt with a walk around the park might cap off a beautiful day spent with mom.

April showers did bring May flowers! Bee's Blossoms Floral Design has a monthly flower subscription that would certainly make mom (or anyone) feel special every month. For the plant-lover, they also carry a selection of indoor plants that always brighten the room. They even have terracotta watering bulbs, cute plant misters, and a moisture meter, for those of us who enjoy plants but are a little challenged in taking care of them.

The Atascadero Veterans Memorial Foundation will host the annual Memorial Day Ceremony at the Faces of Freedom Memorial on Monday, May 25. The ceremony begins at 11 a.m. and will last about an hour. This is a beautiful way to express your gratitude for those who have served or are currently serving.

Whether you crave excitement and dancing of Tamale Festival or quiet walks around the park with mom, Atascadero is the best small city to do that in! It's possible that I am biased, but I am so proud to call Atascadero home.