3 Summer Events You Won’t Want To Miss In OUR Community

By: Josh Cross, CEO & President of the Atascadero Chamber of Commerce

Ready for summer? I know I certainly am! It wouldn’t be summer without fun events for our community. The team and I at the Chamber are excited for these three summer events that businesses and residents alike can enjoy in the upcoming months.

1. Shop Local Bonus Program
Kick-off June 1st

I’m particularly excited about the Shop Local Bonus program. With the community’s support, the Chamber has raised funds to help small businesses and reward shoppers! (It’s a win-win.) Starting June 1st, shoppers are rewarded with $20 gift cards to local shops if they submit receipts equaling $100 or more from participating organizations. My hope is to see a wave of community support for shopping locally to help our small businesses this summer! If you’d like to participate in the program as a business, you can register by clicking here. Ready to start shopping? Check out our Q&A for more information about getting rewarded for supporting local by clicking here.

2. A-Talks
June 2nd | 5 -6 PM

Join us for a virtual free community event that’s all about Atascadero! Mingle and network with others in the community while learning about happenings in Atascadero from the city and Chamber team. This month, our guest speakers include Barbie Butz from the Atascadero Lakeside Wine Festival Committee, Stacy Salame from RISE, and Joe Whitaker from SCORE.

This month’s happy hour partner is our friends at MEA Wine, who opened their doors in Atascadero on May 1st (just another great reason to go shopping in downtown Atascadero! There’s nothing quite like enjoying a glass of wine after a shopping trip). For the A-Talks Tasting Kit, MEA Wines will feature their 2019 Costera white wine blend. Tasting Kits are only $25 and include an entire bottle of Costera wine from MEA Wine – a savings compared to the regular price! You can purchase your tasting kit or register for A-Talks by clicking here.

3. Atascadero Lakeside Wine Passport
Kick-off June 26th

We’re rolling out a new passport program for the 25th anniversary of the Atascadero Lakeside Wine Festival! Your Chamber team, in partnership with the Atascadero Lakeside Wine Festival Committee, will kick off the passport event on Saturday, June 26th, with live music, games, wine pull,  and more. The passport program continues until December 31st. You can enjoy complimentary tastings (one per location), at twelve wineries, six breweries, and one distillery. You’ll also receive complimentary corkage fees at participating restaurants and discounts on local hotel stays. Talk about summer fun all year long!

When you purchase your passport, a portion of the proceeds will help support the Atascadero Charles Paddock Zoo. You can also opt to buy a lunch or two for your favorite zoo animal!

Passports can currently be purchased for $65 with an early bird special at https://WinePassport.givesmart.com until June 18th. Once the discount ends, passports will be $75. Once purchased, you can pick it up from the Atascadero Chamber of Commerce (located at 6907 El Camino Real, Ste. A Atascadero) or have it mailed. Get a 25% discount coupon for 2022’s in-person Atascadero Lakeside Wine Festival if you complete your passport!

This is only a handful of the dozens of fantastic events on the horizon for summer 2021. From wine tasting with live music to shopping deals and more, our business community has great things planned for the upcoming months! If you’d like to see all of the events, check out our community calendar by clicking here. If your business is having an event, deal, etc., send an email to Vicki@AtascaderoChamber.org with the details, and we’ll get all member events up on our site! (Or you can put it up yourself by logging into your membership portal.)

I can’t say it enough, here at the Chamber, our number one priority is OUR incredible business community. We want to see entrepreneurs, small businesses, and the community thrive! The team and I work hard to ensure that your Chamber is a Catalyst for business, a Convenor of leaders, and a Champion for local business because what you do as a small business owner makes a positive difference in our community. As always, your Chamber team is here for you! If you’d like to learn more about membership or about the upcoming opportunities you have as a member, give us a call at (805) 466-2044 or email Vicki@AtascaderoChamber.org.


Josh Cross

President & CEO of the Atascadero Chamber | Josh Cross

Josh Cross is a longtime Central Coast local, having grown up right here in Atascadero. He has a strong knowledge of governmental and community issues, in addition to economic development. Previously he worked as the Director of Economic Development for the Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce, and has always been passionate about the incredible work Chambers can do for their community.