Hundreds Attend Bayside Family Festival For MidPen's 50th Anniversary

EAST PALO ALTO, CA — More than 800 people attended the Bayside Family Festival last weekend as part of a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District.

The festival, held at the Ravenswood Open Space Preserve and Cooley Landing in East Palo Alto, allowed people to go on a Discovery Journey walk along the Bay Trail, with naturalists talking about the trail at different educational systems.

The first 500 attendees received a field guide.

Other activities included demonstrations from the Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center, face-painting, musical entertainment and food from a popsicle cart and local food trucks.

Many local organizations also had exhibit booths at the event.

Midpen, created in 1972 out of a grassroots effort by community members who wanted to address impacts of development and growth, has worked to protect public open space and agricultural lands in the greater Santa Cruz Mountains region and along the San Mateo County coast.

The district said it has protected a greenbelt of more than 65,000 acres of public open space in the Santa Cruz Mountains and cared for nearly 250 miles of trails in 24 preserves in San Mateo County.

The festival was one of several community events planned this year to celebrate the district's 50th anniversary.

Visit openspace.org for more information.