From Peaches To Soap Box Racers, Historic District Fun O'plenty Is Ahead

Greetings and happy summer in Historic Folsom

Phew…has it been hot! It’s a strange moment when the chief goal in a day is to stay inside all day long. I am grateful for the cool nights that Sacramento is famous for, and glad that we’re close enough to benefit from the Delta breeze here in Folsom. Yet another check mark in the “amazing” column for Folsom.

If you’ve read anything I’ve written, you know that I have a warm spot in my heart for the Soap Box Derby that takes place in the Historic District in October. Five years ago, my friend Mike McKernan (who raced SBD cars when he was a kid) and I brought a Soap Box Derby event to the Historic District. It’s been a smashing success and is now one of the signature SBD events in the western region (CA, NV, UT, WA, OR). When I signed off last month, I mentioned the Soap Box Derby World Championships in Akron, Ohio. Mike and I just returned from that event in Akron…it was amazing!

Congrats to our two Folsom racers, Kira and Evelyn, who made it all the way to the World Championships!!! It was so great to be there and cheer for them. Did you know that Folsom has Soap Box Derby history? In the 50’s there was a dedicated track that ran down the hill where our library is now…it was long and steep and had LOTS of competitors and LOTS of spectators. A series of pictures turned up after the first year we did this event….I now display those pictures at the Derby each year. It’s amazing to see the attendance, the geography of the area at the time, and most importantly, the racers! Mark your calendars, October 7+8 are the dates of this years’ event. SBD is an amazing way to get kids involved in engineering skills, mechanical skills, and sportsmanship. If you are interested in racing, have volunteer abilities, or just want more information, please get in touch. 916-208-2253 or karen@karensbakery.com.

Getting back to the current events of the District…. I’ve attended a couple of Thursday night concerts this summer…what a lucky thing that we have such a wonderful community concert series here! I find it difficult to decide: is this event better because the quality of the music is so amazing? or is it better because of the opportunity to see so many friends and neighbors with a chance to catch up? Either way, we’re so lucky to have this venue, and the coordinating and organizing skills of the FHDA staff. Thanks to Judy Collinsworth, Krissy Mangan, Crystal Moore, Andy Payne, and Gloria Cunningham for the incredible organization that they bring to the summer concerts, but also to entire FHDA calendar all year long. How about that Hometown Parade? Incredible!! This group is driven to make our Historic District a success-and I believe they succeed! Thanks to all of you for the hard work you put into so many aspects of our Historic District!

The Peach Festival is coming to town on August 6th…. have you ever attended this event? It’s a whopper. For anyone who loves peaches…. there are so many good things-it’s just a peachy good time (I couldn’t resist). Peaches for sale, peach pies, peach pie eating contests, peach smoothies, peach art, peach shirts, peach, peach, peach….. Come early, as the farmers can only sell as many peaches as the trees will produce. The peaches always sell out. It’s sure to be a good time in the Historic District.

Here’s a tidbit that is interesting….yet another way our HD is improving: the Trader’s Lane parking lot (that’s the one on Leidesdorff, below the Hacienda and Gaslight buildings) is about to be renovated. There will be tree removal, a reconfiguration of the entrance/exit (entrance and exit will now be exclusively from Wool St), completely new pavement, striping, and lights. Trees will be replanted, so it will take a little time for them to grow to a size where they add ambiance…just be a little patient. The entire renovation is set to take one month. For those who count on that lot for daily parking, we encourage you to use the parking garage or the lite rail lots just a block down. For those who are visiting on the weekends, again, the parking garage and lite rail lots are your best bet. If it’s Friday or Saturday nights, this is your big chance to use the FHDA shuttle. It runs from 4:30-10:30 and can be accessed using our Historic Folsom Shuttle app. Find that app in the App Store, or wherever you usually find your apps. Easy to download, even easier to use, it’s our own personal ride-sharing app!

In the last few days, I’ve heard three or four references to “the kids going back to school.” Amazingly, summer seems to be halfway over. Enjoy your last half of the season, find ways to embrace it, and keep your eyes on the bright spots!

Karen Holmes is at the Immediate Past President on the Board of Directors for the Folsom Historic District and a partnering contributor with Folsom Times and All Town Media LLC.