It was a beautiful day at Candlestick Point State Recreation Area as the community came out to celebrate this unique 252-acre urban oasis and vital state park. California State Parks and Parks California hosted its second Growing Together Day – a free community event – where people of all ages and families enjoyed music, performances, food, non-profit displays and, of course, the park’s recreational activities including hiking, picnicking, biking, fishing and bird-watching.
A special highlight of the day was the live art installation and community-centered mural creation led by local resident and muralist Joe Colmenares. Colmenares painted a new mural on two buildings near the Pelican Picnic area and invited members of the community to paint with him.
With panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay, the East Bay Hills, and San Bruno Mountain as the backdrop, representatives from California State Parks and Parks California spoke about how we are partnering to make Candlestick Point SRA a more welcoming environment for the community of Bayview and beyond. Together and with a network of non-profit organizations, we’re working to elevate Candlestick Point State Recreation Area as a critical community hub.
This wasn’t the first time the community participated in a mural creation at Candlestick Point. Addressing the crowd, Director of California State Parks Armando Quintero spoke about why art is so important to parks: “Public art brings tremendous cultural and social value to parks. It adds meaning to our spaces and uniqueness to our communities. We are honored that, once again, Joe Colmenares will share his creative vision and invite the Bayview community to take part in creating the murals. By creating art here today, you are establishing a deeper relationship with Candlestick Point itself.”
If you didn’t get a chance to join us last weekend, we encourage you to explore this incredible place and learn more about Candlestick Point’s history of becoming California’s first urban State Recreation Area in 1977. Visit Candlestick Point’s website for more.
