This section focuses on family-friendly events that are sponsored by the County Library, Museum, Regional Parks, Special Districts and other county departments and offices.
Doggie Pool-ooza makes a splash at Yucaipa Regional Park this weekend
San Bernardino County Regional Parks is excited for the return of Doggie Pool-ooza at Yucaipa Regional Park swim complex on Saturday, Sept. 7 for small dogs and Sunday, Sept. 8 for large dogs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The end of summer event gives our furry friends a chance to run, play, socialize and swim off-leash in the pool.
The event will also include a doggie fashion show, owner/dog look-a-like contest, doggie games, and a rubber duck derby 2.0 waterslide race (ducks will be available for purchase for $1 per duck).
Pet adoptions will also be available through San Bernardino County Animal Care. Vendors will be onsite as well as a special event food truck — and a DJ spinning all the tunes to get everyone in the pool-ooza mood.
Come prepared with your doggie towels, water and snacks, and anything else that is needed for the day. Unfortunately, owners will not be allowed to swim with their dogs as this is a dog swimming event only. Owners are allowed to walk in the shallow end with their dogs while on-leash, but not swim.
Doggie Measurements
Dogs will be measured prior to entering the pool area. Dogs will be measured while on all four paws from the front paw to the top of the head. Small dogs are considered 24 inches or shorter and large dogs are 25 inches or taller. No refunds will be issued for attending the wrong day. Please measure your dog prior to arrival.
Doggie Event Rules
Everyone participating will be required to sign a waiver and dogs must be at least six months old, have a current license, and have updated vaccinations to enter pool area. Owners are responsible for cleaning up after their pets. This is a family- and dog-friendly event. Dogs showing aggressive or dangerous behaviors will not be admitted and may be asked to leave.
Schedule of Events (both days)
- 10 – 10:30 a.m. — Welcome and Registration (measuring & waiver signing)
- 10:30 – 11 a.m. — Red Light Green Light Doggie Game
- 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. — Look-a-like Contest
- 1 – 1:30 p.m. — Doggie Meet and Greet
- 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. — Rubber Duck 2.0 Derby Waterslide Race
- 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. — Doggie Fashion Show
- 3:30 – 4 p.m. — Awards Ceremony & Closing Remarks
Skip the Line: Pre-Purchase Tickets
Park admission is $10 per vehicle. Event admission is $7 per person and $1 per dog, and kids under the age of three are free. To pre-purchase tickets, visit https://bit.ly/46sJo9S. The event is free for those camping with us.
Yucaipa Regional Park is located at 33900 Oak Glen Rd. in Yucaipa. For more information about the event, scan the QR code or visit parks.sbcounty.gov/doggie-poolooza. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for all event updates and park news.
Clear the Shelters continues with FREE adoptions through Sept. 10
It’s time for the Clear the Shelters campaign!
Celebrate the tenth annual Clear the Shelters event from Aug. 10 to Sept. 10 at the Big Bear and Devore Animal Shelters. Pet adoptions are free, with all pets spayed/neutered, microchipped and vaccinated.
The Animals aRe First Fund (ARFF) is sponsoring the pet adoption fees for dogs/cats adopted during this monthlong campaign. Throughout the month, NBC and Telemundo stations across the U.S. and Puerto Rico will team up with local animal shelters and rescue services to find loving homes for these adorable, loving animals.
Last year, this heartwarming campaign helped 168 animals within San Bernardino County Animal Shelters find their furever homes. We’re thrilled to see what this year holds!
Adopt a pet and gain a new family member! Give these precious pets a second chance at happiness and a loving home. Clear the Shelters is spreading love and joy, one adoption at a time. Be part of this incredible journey!
Visit ClearTheShelters.com for more information on how you can participate and open your heart to adoption.
For more information about pets available for adoption, please visit San Bernardino County Animal Care at animalcare.sbcounty.gov/pets or call 800-472-5609. To make a donation to assist animals at the shelter, visit arffund.org.
Register for this year’s State of the County
Join San Bernardino County for this year’s “Empowering Tomorrow” State of the County event on Wednesday, Sept. 18, at the Ontario Convention Center. This premier networking event, hosted by GOCAL- Greater Ontario California, brings together more than 1,300 businesses, government and community leaders to experience what makes San Bernardino County a leading choice for business investment and job creation.
For 2024, we are recognizing the organizations that are driving our Countywide Vision forward and highlighting the global, national and local business leaders who are investing in the region.
The cost of admission covers the networking reception with hors d’oeuvres and live entertainment.
Get your tickets today at https://selectsbcounty.com/major-initiatives/state-of-the-county.
Junior Park Ranger Program introduces kids to the great outdoors through wildlife, environmental workshops
Join San Bernardino County Regional Parks for an educational Junior Park Ranger Program on Saturday, Sept. 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Cucamonga-Guasti Regional Park for workshops and a live animal presentation.
The Junior Park Ranger Program is designed for youth to experience the day of a park ranger and identify the tasks and responsibilities, while highlighting some of the skills and challenges faced on a day-to-day basis.
Free Merch
At the end of the workshops, each participant will receive a junior park ranger certificate, badge and hat to keep. All ages are welcome.
Workshop Schedule
- 10 – 10:15 a.m.: Welcome and Registration
- Participants check in and receive their Junior Ranger booklets and information.
- Introduction to the day’s activities and safety guidelines.
- 10:15 – 11 a.m.— Station 1: Nature Hike and Wildlife Observation
- Guided hike through the park’s trails.
- Learn about local flora and fauna.
- Wildlife spotting and identification.
- 11 – 11:30 a.m. — Station 2: Environmental Education Workshop
- Interactive session on conservation and the importance of protecting natural habitats.
- Activities include skills in keeping the park clean and learning about recycling.
- 11:30 a.m. – Noon — Station 3: Outdoor First Aid for Animals and Friends
- Basic skills on how to administer basic first aid and how a Park Ranger handles a first aid situation.
- Hands-on activities and demonstrations.
- Noon – 12:30 p.m. — Station 4: Junior Ranger Challenges
- Fun and educational challenges and games.
- Activities include Untangle the Duck, What’s Trash, and Snake in a Bucket.
- 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. — Wildlife Adventure Presentation
- Participants enjoy learning about various animals during the 45-minute show.
- Petting and pictures with animals as time permits.
- 1:30 – 2 p.m. — Closing Ceremony
- Participants share their experiences and what they’ve learned.
- Presentation of Junior Ranger certificates, hats and badges.
- Group photo and farewell.
Admission is $10 per vehicle. Please note, comfortable clothing, sturdy shoes, water and snacks will be needed for this four-hour event. Sunscreen and hats are highly recommended. Cucamonga-Guasti Regional Park is located at 800 N. Archibald Ave. in Ontario.
For more information about the event, scan the QR code or visit bit.ly/47iMH51. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for all event updates and park news.
Calico Days returns with skilled miner competitions, gunfight shows, live entertainment
Do you ever wonder how Calico miners lived and worked? Join San Bernardino County Regional Parks and Calico Ghost Town for its 58th Annual Calico Days event held over the weekend of September 28-29, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Calico Ghost Town that recreates the life and times of miners during the late 1800s.
The event focuses on the spirit of the Old West and features an 1880s costume contest, reenactment skits, pie-eating contest, Miner’s Triathlon competition, Burro Run competition, Bucket Brigade contest, live musical performances, egg toss competition, gunfights and more.
The Miner’s Triathlon and Bucket Brigade will be held on Saturday, Sept. 28 and the Burro Run will be held on Sunday, Sept. 29.
The triathlon for men and women competitions include rock pulling, muckraking and tug-of-war events. The burro race is a competition featuring contestants guiding their burro from station to station across town to be the first to reach the finish line. The Bucket Brigade is a race to see whose team can scoop and pass buckets of water to fill up the water barrel first.
Food options during the event include the Calico House Restaurant, Lil’s Saloon and food vendors. Attendees can also visit Calico shops and attractions including Maggie Mine, Mystery Shack, Dorsey’s Gourmet Dog House shop and the Odessa Railroad train ride. Calico is pet-friendly and leashed pets are welcome.
This family-friendly event embraces the life and culture of the 1880s when Calico was a bustling silver mining town from 1881 through the late 1890s, when Calico began to see a steady decline in population as silver lost its value and people fled the town.
At the height of its glory, the town’s population rose to about 1,200 people in 1887, and had about 22 saloons, a schoolhouse, post office, its own version of a China Town, a cemetery and its own newspaper. The town produced about $86 million in silver and about $45 million in borax hauling its product by the infamous 21-Mule Team.
In 1966, Walter Knott, the founder of Knott’s Berry Farm, donated Calico to San Bernardino County, which is now managed by the Regional Parks Department.
Costume Contest registration
All ages are welcome to enter the contest. To pre-register and view the costume rules, scan the QR code on the flier or visit https://bit.ly/4dGYNHw. Ticket prices are $10 per adult and $5 for children ages 4-11. Children under age 3 are free. For more details and a daily schedule of events, visit parks.sbcounty.gov/calico-days. For prices on all Calico attractions or for ghost tours, visit www.calicoattractions.com. Calico Ghost Town offers full and partial camping at the park. Reservations may be booked directly online at www.sbcountyparks.com. Cabins and bunkhouses may also be available.
Calico Ghost Town is located off I-15, just 10 miles north of Barstow at 36600 Ghost Town Rd. in Yermo.
Follow Regional Parks on Facebook and Instagram, and Calico Ghost Town on Facebook for all event updates and park news.
Annual Recovery Happens Community Fair
Join the Department of Behavioral Health as they host Recovery Happens on Saturday, Sept. 14 from 3 to 8 p.m. at the Inland Empire 66ers Stadium located at 280 South E. Street in San Bernardino. Recovery Happens is a celebration of the power of resilience through recovery and a chance to recognize the hard work and dedication of our staff and community, who strive to help others live a life in recovery. Click here to RSVP.
The Sound of Recovery
Join the Department of Behavioral Health as they host The Sound of Recovery on Thursday, Sept. 26 from 7 to 9 p.m. at San Bernardino Valley College located at 701 S. Mt. Vernon Ave. in San Bernardino. The Sound of Recovery brings life to real stories of recovery through the art of music. Artists throughout the Inland Empire create powerful renditions of community members’ real-life stories, celebrating the power of hope and healing. The Sound of Recovery is an annual event in partnership with San Bernardino Valley College. Don’t miss out on this inspiring production. Click here to RSVP.
Resilient and Real Summit
September is dedicated to raising awareness about suicide prevention. The San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) will host a live recording of their Resilient and Real podcast episode titled “Promote Hope. Let’s Talk” on Wednesday, Sept. 18 from 8 a.m. to noon at Epic Events Center located at 12469 Foothill Blvd. in Rancho Cucamonga.
The episode will consist of an open dialogue about mental health and suicide prevention, featuring Noah J. Whitaker as the panel’s keynote speaker and a passionate advocate for postvention. His motivation stems from personal experience. He never met his paternal grandfather, who died by suicide at age 52 before Noah’s birth. The panel members also include behavioral health director Dr. Georgina Yoshioka and associate medical director Dr. Rishi Parikh, who will share stories, insights and resources that can help save lives and foster understanding within our community. Click here to RSVP.
Office of Suicide Prevention community trainings
Throughout the month of September, the San Bernardino County Department of Behavorial Health (DBH) Office of Suicide Prevention will host free community trainings throughout San Bernardino County. SafeTALK is a 3-hour training where participants will learn how to recognize and support a person with thoughts of suicide. Participants will become a: “safeTALK-trained suicide alert helper.”
| Date | Time | Location |
| Tuesday, Sept. 10 | 9 a.m. – noon | WET Training Center, San Bernardino |
| Saturday, Sept. 14 | 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. | Mt. Zion Church, Ontario |
| Monday, Sept. 16 | 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. | Yucaipa Community Center, Yucaipa |
| Thursday, Sept. 19 | 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. | The Flipside Church, Rancho Cucamonga |
| Tuesday, Sept. 24 | 9 a.m. – noon | Abundant Living Family Church, Hesperia |
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is a free two-day workshop designed for all community members. This training will enhance a person’s ability to assist a person at risk of suicide.
Dates: September 26 – 27
Time: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Location: One Stop TAY Center
780 E. Gilbert St., San Bernardino
Training and registration information can be found on the Office of Suicide Prevention website.
Additional County Update News – September 5, 2024
- County residents are urged to stay safe during the heat wave
- Cool off at our splash pads at Cucamonga-Guasti, Mojave Narrows Regional Parks
- Lego building event a success at Apple Valley Library
- Public Defender mobile defense event arrives in Barstow
- Operation Consequences: Aug. 24 through 30
- Veterans Affairs launches new website with more accessibility to information on benefits and services
- Probation Department receives 2024 NCCHC Accreditation
- Community event celebrates Black Breastfeeding Week, drawing over 150 attendees
- Registration is open for Children’s Network Conference
- San Bernardino County destinations
- San Bernardino County history
- Pet of the Week