A few hometown favorites
I've called Valley Center home for more than 20 years, and it's also where my husband and I raised our girls. Over that time, we've seen new places become part of the community, spent countless afternoons at familiar favorites, and made plenty of memories at the events that bring everyone together each year. Here are a few that have become part of our life in Valley Center.
Photo courtesy of The Purple Spoon
01 The Purple Spoon
Valley Center has a new reason to make an ice cream run.
The Purple Spoon is one of the newer additions to Main Street, and it didn't take long for it to feel like it belonged here. My family and I always find a way to justify a trip there at least once a week! The soft-serve flavors rotate periodically so make sure you ask what the current flavors are.
One thing I appreciate is how much it feels like Valley Center. A lot of the people behind the counter are local high school students, and they're always friendly and welcoming!
Worth knowing
- More than 24 hand-scooped flavors
- Fresh waffle cones made in the shop
- A rotating soft-serve twist
02 McLaughlin Park
An ordinary afternoon can be the whole plan.
McLaughlin Park has been part of our family's Valley Center life for a long time. Our girls grew up going there, we've held birthday parties in the shelter building, and these days I still spend plenty of time walking our Shih Tzu, Charlie, around the pond.
- Splash pad and playground
- Disc golf
- Pond and walking path
- Shelter for gatherings and birthday parties
There's a splash pad, playground, and disc golf course, but one thing I like about McLaughlin is that it doesn't have to be a big outing. Sometimes it's just a walk around the pond or a place to spend an hour outside.
Learn more about McLaughlin Park
03 Valley Center Fall Festival
A weekend when Valley Center feels especially like Valley Center.
Fall Festival is probably the weekend when Valley Center feels most like home to me. We've been going for years, and one of my favorite parts is seeing Main Street lit up at night, with people gathered all along it. There's something about that evening that always feels special.
The parade is one of my favorite parts of the festival weekend. Main Street fills up, there's often a small plane circling overhead, and our girls have even been part of the parade over the years. Breezy, the penguin mascot from Breezy's Snow Shack, and its float are familiar parade sights that have become part of Fall Fest for us. It seems like we run into someone we know every few steps!
And come hungry. There's usually plenty of festival food, but roasted corn and the root beer stand are two things I associate with Fall Fest. There's also a beer garden that's a good place to stop for a while.
What each of these Valley Center favorites has in common is that it has become part of how I think about this community. One is new, one has been part of our family's life for years, and one is a tradition we look forward to every fall.
They're very different pieces of the community, but in their own ways, they're all part of what makes this feel like home.
I've already got a few more Valley Center favorites in mind for another day.
Curious about Valley Center?
My Valley Center guide shares more about the community and a few practical things to consider if you're thinking about a move.