San Carlos Week of the Family to celebrate its 25th year amid the city’s centennial

“The definition of what a family is has changed in San Carlos,” Rose said. “A family can be a group of friends who cherish each other, it can be a couple with no children, it can be an older couple whose children have moved away.” 

A resident in San Carlos for nearly four decades, Rose said she has seen the changing dynamics of families, but a through line has remained in residents’ civic engagement. The focus on volunteerism in San Carlos suggests that community is much more of an action than anything else, Rose said. 

“When we talk about the community, we don’t view it just as people who live in San Carlos,” Rose said. “It’s our neighbors and how they serve people in need, how to engage to have a positive impact on people’s lives.” 

The Week of the Family is usually held at the end of January, at times anchoring around Martin Luther King Jr. Day as another nod to honoring community service, Rose said. 

“Being run solely by volunteers is really a testament that people do want to engage, they do want to be involved, there’s a strong commitment to volunteerism,” Rose said. 

A major component of the weeks’ plans is what’s called “100 acts of kindness” on Saturday, Jan. 25. While a community service event is annually included in the week’s plans, this year is bigger and better, with a day filled with opportunities to volunteer, in honor of the city’s centennial and its priority of community engagement.  

A dozen different activities will get residents engaged, from collecting eyeglasses, canned goods and books, to making valentines for residents at the local senior facilities or rock painting for the rock garden outside of the youth center. 

However, similar events that demonstrate the city’s engagement will be dispersed throughout the week, and will make sure to reach every corner of the community, Rose said. 

“One day we’re making valentines for those living at Elms, another day at the Elms they’re going to help veterans in the community and making PB&J sandwiches for the hungry,” Rose said. 

The Week of the Family was initially crafted with younger parents and children in mind, but activities have shifted to be gauged for people of all ages and group compositions. 

For drinking-aged adults, the Centennial Brewery Hop & Shop will take place Thursday, Jan. 30, and its counterpart for those who prefer wine will take place Friday, Jan. 31.

Kid favorites that are returning include the tour of the Fire Station 13 at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 1, and the family scavenger hunt on Sunday Jan. 26. The San Carlos children’s Theater will also be kicking off the week with multiple showings of their winter production of Mathilda held Jan. 24, 25 and 26. 

Returning to the week’s celebrations after five years without is the Community Foundation of San Carlos banquet. This formal sit-down at the Domenico Winery, the evening of Saturday Feb. 1, will honor the two recipients of the San Carlan of the Year award, as well as the nonprofit and business of the year. 

Capping the week will be the “Tour de Family” bike fair and fun ride, a huge event dedicated to bike repairs, maintained, safe riding education and fun obstacle courses. The community ride, open to the whole family at 10 a.m., will begin and end in front of Central Middle School. 

Special this year is also the Sunday, Jan. 26, unearthing of a time capsule established in 2000, which Rose said might be particularly interesting in the context of the city’s centennial. 

The Week of the Family is usually a “pretty bare-bones operation in the past” fully put on by donations and volunteers, but the city’s Centennial Advisory Committee dedicated money to “expand the offerings to make sure there’s something for everybody,” Rose said. 

“San Carlos being 100 years old, it’s amazing and fantastic and so many things are planned this year,” Rose said. “A number of our Week of the Family events are centered around that.”

Residents may go to sancarlosweekofthefamily.org for more information and details on slated events.