Kensington Community Council's Annual Parade and Picnic

Halloween is around the corner and the Fall days are getting shorter! There could be no better way to spend time than with our friends and neighbors at the annual Parade and Picnic! As has been the tradition in Kensington for so many years, the Kensington Community Council (KCC) will be having this year’s Parade and Picnic on Sunday, October 19th from Noon to 3:00 p.m. The parade participants will gather at the ACE Hardware parking lot at Amherst and Arlington at 11:30. As a token of appreciation for the years of service to our community, our Grand Marshals will be Kimberly Wilkens and KASEP teacher Sandy Thacker. As usual, local organizations and groups are invited to participate in the parade. Wear your Halloween costume and join the crowd as the parade makes its way up the Arlington to the Kensington Community Center. Then the party will begin in earnest! Stay for the delicious BBQ lunch and local music. Tickets for the BBQ lunch can be purchased on site for sausage, hamburger, hot dog, or vegetarian burger lunches.

Music will be provided by the Fred T. Korematsu (formally Portola) Middle School band. We will also have the smooth jazz of The Inside Men. We will also be honoring community member Joan Gallegos with the dedication of a park bench in her honor. This will be followed by a coloring contest, 4 Cats Art booth with pumpkin decorating, and Halloween games for the children. To enter the Mechanics Bank Coloring Contest drop by the Kensington branch of Mechanics Bank to pick up your coloring sheet after October 1st. The deadline to return your masterpiece to the bank is Wednesday, October 15th. The prize for the winners this year is a $25 gift card for each age group: 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12.

Don’t forget the Marvin Gardens Pumpkin Decorating Contest too! You can pick up your pumpkin from the Kensington or El Cerrito office of Marvin Gardens on or after Tuesday, October 14th. Prizes will be awarded in several age categories for best pumpkins (there is a suggested $2 donation to UNICEF for each pumpkin).
Special thanks to our KCC Parade and Picnic sponsors: Marvin Gardens, Mechanics Bank, and 4Cats Art Studio. If your organization is interested in participating in the parade please contact Marty Westby at 525-0292.