Arroyo Grande Wins Again at the
2013 America In Bloom Symposium!

• Arroyo Grande received the "Outstanding Achievement Award"   The objective of the Outstanding Achievement Awards is to recognize an overall winner of excellence in each of the six judging criteria plus community involvement.  The overall impression of Arroyo Grande is of a clean city where everyone-municipal government, businesses and residents – are all dedicated to creating beauty and proud of what they can accomplish when they work all together.  From elegant benches, planters and bike racks to bright flowers and healthy trees to lovely historic bridges and buildings, this city is an oasis of beauty.  Everything ties together aesthetically from the buildings, this city is an oasis of beauty.  Everything ties together aesthetically from the 3 welcome signs to the city to each nook and cranny where flowers are carefully tended.  Although surrounded by the golden parched grasses of the dry landscape of the Central Coast of California, a broad palette of drought tolerant bright green plants with the rich agricultural fields give the impression that Arroyo Grande is blessed.

• PLUS, Arroyo Grande received “The Best Historic Restoration Project Award”.  The historic Swinging Bridge across the Arroyo Grande Creek brings you to the Heritage Square Park and back to another era of time.  One steps back in time to the one room Santa Manuela Schoolhouse that has been saved, moved several times to save it, restored and furnished with period schoolhouse furnishings.  The Barn Museum which was built to hold an astounding collection of early artifacts from the area including a fire truck, model T-truck, and I bet no one could pick out that early lawn mower.  Two historic residences are also part of the complex.  A newly installed Victory Garden, an old millstone and a gazebo designed with historic architectural detail complete the complex.  It is all beautifully landscaped.  This is truly a model for other communities on how to revitalize an area of the city while celebrating the heritage of the community.