Coronavirus canceled Pinedorado. Here’s what to expect in Cambria over Labor Day weekend
Whaaaat? No Pinedorado in Cambria this Labor Day weekend?
For some people, that’s like saying the sun won’t come up or the Pittsburgh Pirates will win the World Series, assuming there is one this year.
With continuing restrictions imposed to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic that’s rocked the world for most of 2020, the Lions Club board of directors unanimously determined July 16 that it just wasn’t feasible to mount a full-fledged, safe, socially distanced Pinedorado, with a parade down Main Street, car show, Follies, barbecue, games and flocks of visitors and locals.
The directors have followed the path of caution trod by many event organizers since the pandemic triggered shutdowns, shelter-in-place orders and huge battles over requirements to wear masks.
The organizers toyed for a while with the concept of sponsoring a smaller event, which eventually was reduced to a free drive-through barbecue of burgers and franks Sept. 5 — a plan that was unanimously approved at the July meeting. But even that idea got shot down late last month by the more cautious in the group.
Lions Club board president Aaron Linn posted on social media that the group is “super saddened” by the need to postpone until 2021 the next Pinedorado, already dubbed “Lions Come Roaring Back.”
Due to state regulations on holding festivals and gatherings, Linn wrote, “There is no way: 1) we could have Brian (Morrow) or any of our usual barbecue specialists willing; 2) the community would tolerate us doing so without tarnishing the Lions’ reputation, even if we are doing good things; and 3) we wouldn’t get into trouble or worse yet, allow for further spread of the virus.”
He added that he and his board “simply cannot stand behind the endeavor” of mounting such a large, multi-day event in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic. “There simply isn’t any way risk outweighs the gain here, folks,” Linn wrote.
Some Lions, however, weren’t willing to totally abandon their visible presence in town on the holiday weekend that, over the past seven or so decades, has come to define their nonprofit service club.
Pinedorado also is the Lions’ primary fundraiser. The event helps to pay for the club’s sponsorships of the Friday farmers market, ArtBeat for youth and Cambria Chorale, as well as annual scholarships and donations to various community groups. (Donations can be made to the Pinedorado Lions Foundation, P.O. Box 717, Cambria, CA 93428.).
According to Jim Bahringer — club treasurer, member of the budget committee and Pinedorado cheerleader — there will still be a Pinedorado surprise on Saturday morning.
I’m not going to blow the element of that surprise, but I will say to watch your neighborhood’s main streets and listen for a familiar Pinedorado sound.
Once that unofficial official Pinedorado mini-event is done, though, I wondered what people might do with the rest of the weekend that would normally be filled with delightful unexpected reunions on the grounds, shared meals of perfectly barbecued chicken and tri-tip, corn on the cob, slices of Linn’s pie, the bottle toss and fishing booth, art teacher Suzette Morrow’s murals, dozens of classy cars and roars with laughter at the Follies’ hijinks.
So, I asked about the community’s plans, using social media as my conduit.
Their answers mirrored what they’d told me for Memorial Day and July 4: Nearly half of them plan to stay home.
Respondents said they’re huddling at home, avoiding the holiday influx of tourists — or, as Jennifer Wharton of Cambria put it so succinctly, “staying in my bubble at home.” John Shankle said his clan will be doing “the same thing we’ve been doing the last 173 days.”
Some Cambria residents, such as Deanna Haddow Voelker, Tarren Collins and Ramona and Jim Voge, plan to go for a hike or run before heading back home.
Dan Eller will watch the Dodgers’ game at home. Kim Miller will celebrate her birthday, which falls on Labor Day this year, while planning for a California road trip.
Evelyn Morales said she’ll search through her photos, videos and, “maybe a Smilebox or two” to walk down Memory Lane with images of previous Pinedorado festivities.
Some said they plan to do their own barbecues at home, subbing for the legendary Lions Club meals overseen by longtime griller Brian Morrow.
Dave Siegele hopes to christen his new raku kiln and fire up the smoker for ribs and/or bacon.
Shirley and Bill Bianchi will “probably have a masked/social distancing picnic outside in our yard with our two local daughters and spouses,” she said. “It is wonderful. They bring the food, and Bill and I eat it!”
Michele Sherman still holds out hope that the Lions will do their drive-through barbecue.
Many among us must work on the busy weekend, such as hotel worker Lorienne Schwenk and art potter/gallery owner Peggy Vrana of Amphora. The latter wrote that, “usually Labor Day weekend is pretty slow in East Village, so I’m curious to see if it’s a busier weekend for us with no activities at Pinedorado,” which is held on the eastern edge of West Village.
Also tracking that will be Claudia Alexander, who said she’ll put in a few hours at Alexander Denny Jewelers, then head home for a barbecue “away from the overcrowding of tourists bringing with them germs and leaving behind their trash. The weirdest summer ever. Missing my local friends.”
Cambria Community Services District director Cindy Steidel may meet friends outside at Linn’s restaurant for breakfast “as we usually would do (inside) before the parade.” She added that “one thing I am absolutely sure of is not logging into a Zoom meeting” during the weekend, especially after spending five hours of Aug. 27 on the teleconferencing app.
Mike Lyons, chairman of the North Coast Advisory Council, and his partner will pack up a picnic, folding table and chairs and head out in search of an isolated, scenic spot so they can “pretend we are on a grand adventure. We have been thrilled by the amazingly beautiful places all over this region. All it takes is a sense of adventure … and gratitude.”
Other Pinedorado-related events also have been canceled, such as the AFS Pinedorado 5K Race that raises money annually for students’ exchange-program trips.
Some holiday traditions continue, though. Don Dockstader reminded us that Sons of the American Legion will be hanging up the town’s American flags, as usual.
Sandi Gross-Pound wrote that “we’re staying home and not laboring. But we will be sure to remember all those who came before us and made our lives better than theirs as a result of their labors.”
Alan Macedo, son of our beloved Consuelo Macedo, offered to take me surfing. Thanks, Alan, but the mind boggles.
