The Carpinteria Planning Commission will meet on Monday, Nov. 4 at 5:30 p.m. to consider the Monte Vista Dog Park and the City’s 2023-2031 Housing Element. Members of the public may attend the meeting at City Hall, 5775 Carpinteria Ave., or view the meeting live at https://carpinteriaca.gov/, on Government Access Television Channel 21 or by logging into the Zoom webinar.

The following topics are highlights of the agenda. Additional details and numerous ways for the public to provide comments can be found at https://bit.ly/3Ux5qEN.

• Monte Vista Off-Leash Dog Park Temporary Use Permit Status Report: The Commission will receive a status report following six months of operation of the Monte Vista off-leash dog park pilot program.
• Zoning Amendments for the 2023-2031 Housing Element: The Commission will consider three proposed ordinances that would implement Program 1 (Adequate Sites to Accommodate Regional Housing Needs) of the City’s 2023-2031 Housing Element and provide recommendations to the City Council regarding adoption of the ordinances.

Just weeks after this year’s highly successful California Avocado Festival, the Carpinteria City Council unanimously approved a proclamation in honor of the 38th anniversary of the annual celebration of Carpinteria’s favorite fruit. 

Festival Producer Mike Lazaro and Festival Director Olivia Sorgman accepted the proclamation and thanked the Council for its support. 

The festival annually brings tens of thousands of people to downtown Carpinteria for an event that raises funds for local nonprofits, underscores the importance of the avocado to Carpinteria Valley’s economy, and brings the community together for three days of peace, love and guacamole!

Several members of the City of Carpinteria team attended the 2024 League of California Cities Annual Conference that took place at the Long Beach Convention Center from Oct. 16 to 18. Featuring general sessions, workshops and networking events, the 2024 conference provided tools for local government leaders looking to take their organization to the next level. Hundreds of leaders from all over the state attended the annual conference and heard from over 100 speakers. Our staff reported that the conference was a tremendous opportunity to learn and grow. After three days of intensive programs, they left equipped with important new knowledge, resources, and tools to serve the community of Carpinteria.

What’s more fun than LEGO-ing alone? LEGO-ing together at the Carpinteria Community Library!  The Library will host two LEGO Engineering Workshops on Friday, Nov. 1 designed for young Lego lovers who want to learn more. The first will take place from 1 to 2:30 p.m. and the second from 3 to 4:30 p.m. The workshop is for 6-10 year olds. Materials will be provided and space is limited in the free workshops. Call the library at 805-684-4314 to register.

The Carpinteria City Council will hold its next regular meeting on Monday, Oct. 28 at 5:30 p.m. Members of the public may attend the meeting at City Hall, 5775 Carpinteria Ave., or view the meeting live at https://carpinteriaca.gov/, on Government Access Television Channel 21 or by logging into the Zoom webinar. 

The following topics are highlights of the agenda. Additional details and numerous ways for the public to provide comments can be found at https://bit.ly/4hj8QVs.

• Proclamation recognizing and celebrating the 38th anniversary of the California Avocado Festival.
• Presentation on Status Report of Carpinteria and Montecito Libraries, including recommendations regarding Montecito Library joining Carpinteria Community Library 
• Code Compliance Quarterly Report Q3, 2024.
• First Quarter Department Reports for Fiscal Year 2024/25 Budget

Join us for a free screening of “Over the Garden Wall” on Friday, Oct. 25 at 6:30 p.m. at the Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave.

The wonderful miniseries and Halloween classic from Cartoon Network follows the adventures of two brothers, Wirt and Greg, who get lost in a strange forest called the Unknown and must find their way home.

Snacks will be served. Costumes are encouraged!

Get your Día de los Muertos on this weekend with two events designed to celebrate and honor our loved ones who have passed.

On Saturday, October 26, Carpinteria Community Library will host a Dia de los Muertos craft event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Families can prepare decorations for their homes and ofrendas.

The next day, Sunday, Oct. 27, the Carpinteria Cemetery will host a Día de los Muertos event coordinated by Artensenía para la Familia. This free family event will include dancing, live music along, art and many ways to celebrate the dead.

Calling all CERT program grads interested in brushing up on their emergency preparedness skills!

On Thursday, Nov. 7, Dave Baker of the Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Protection District will lead a CERT Refresher course from  6 to 8 p.m. at the fire station located at 911 Walnut Ave. RSVP for the course at http://bit.ly/3N4Qs4C

CERT stands for Community Emergency Response Team and is a program that educates volunteers about disaster preparedness for the hazards that may occur where they live. CERT trains volunteers in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization and disaster medical operations.

Additional CERT courses, including basic training, will be offered soon. Please watch for more information if you are interested in becoming a trained CERT volunteer.

Local merchants in the Downtown “T” will be stocked up on treats and ready to welcome little trick-or-treaters on Thursday, Oct. 31 from 3:30 to 5 p.m.

Sponsored by the Downtown “T” Business Advisory Board on behalf of the Downtown Carpinteria Merchants, the annual Downtown Trick-or-Treat event is free and open to the public. Merchants with orange pumpkin signs in the front window of their business will be handing out goodies, and at 5:30 p.m., the Carpinteria Arts Center will hold a costume contest at 865 Linden Ave.

A note to anyone driving in the Downtown T during the afternoon event: Please drive cautiously and expect delays. There will be lots of excited tykes trick-or-treating along our sidewalks!