Discover Fair Oaks Challenge - Fair Oaks Recreation & Park District 75th Celebration

Fair Oaks Recreation & Park District (FORPD) is celebrating 75 years! Whether you have lived here your entire life or just recently joined the Fair Oaks community, this journey will have you exploring Fair Oaks and discovering some very interesting history and tidbits of information along the way. Complete the challenge and be awarded a commemorative Fair Oaks Recreation & Park District 75th Anniversary picnic blanket. Picnic blankets will be distributed to the first 50 participants, one per family, who show completion of the Discover Fair Oaks challenge. Prize may be claimed at the Pop-Up Gallery events on October 9th from 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm in Village Park or on October 10th from 9:30 am - 11:30 am in Phoenix Park.

Plan ahead, this journey of discovery may take several hours and requires you to travel by vehicle and on foot to specific places and/or amenities in FORPD operated parks/facilities. It is suggested to read through the entire journey prior to departing to ensure you have all the necessary supplies and equipment you may need along the way.

The following items will be needed to access the Discover Fair Oaks Challenge: cell phone equipped with wi-fi, camera, and video capabilities. A water bottle to stay hydrated. You may also consider packing a picnic lunch to have along the way.

By participating, you are agreeing to the Fair Oaks Recreation & Park District’s Waiver and grant Fair Oaks Recreation & Park District permission to use any such photo(s) and/or video(s) uploaded to this challenge for advertising or in promotional materials.

Are you ready? Let’s go!

Team Name*
Team Captain's Name

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Team Captain's Email*
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Are you a resident of Fair Oaks?

YesNo
How many years have you lived in Fair Oaks?

We will begin our journey in the Village of Fair Oaks. Take a leisurely stroll around the Village to view Plaza & Village parks, the Community Clubhouse, and the Veteran’s Memorial Amphitheatre.

The acquisition of the plaza and Community Clubhouse was the main subject at the first Board of Directors meeting on December 2, 1945. The District obtained a ten-year lease on the building from the school district for $1 a year. In 1949, the Park District bought the Clubhouse and Plaza from the school district for a nominal sum of $387.
CHALLENGE #1: In 1969 the board budgeted $7,000 to construct the amphitheatre. When the bids came in they were so high that the board threw them all out and contracted to build the 600-seat amphitheatre itself, using park employees on some of the tasks. The board voted to dedicate the amphitheatre as a memorial to Fair Oaks war veterans. Park employees and contractors completed the facility in 1971. Take a photo of yourself in front of the Fair Oaks Veterans Memorial Amphitheatre.
CHALLENGE #2: The Community Clubhouse was built on the foundations of the original Fair Oaks school as a WPA project during the great depression in the 30's. Locate the WPA markings in the river rock wall of the Community Clubhouse. What year was the WPA project complete?

1935193919401941
CHALLENGE #3: Locate the “Kids’ Happy Feet Experience” plaque in the ground in Village Park (closest to the playground). Whose Honorary Mayor project brought this to fruition?

The next stop on our journey takes us to one of two parks, Montview or Bannister, both serve the west portion of our District boundaries.

Montview Park, 7 acres, was acquired through donations from developers in 1954. Bannister, 10 acres, was acquired through the county in 1957.
CHALLENGE #1 (Montview Park): Legend says, Montview Park was often used for Ice Blocking! While the District doesn't advise Ice Blocking we do think the hill can be used for some great fun and/or exercise! Show us how you use the hill for RECreating!
CHALLENGE #2 (Bannister Park): Sacramento County held the title of ownership of Bannister Park for many years pending the outcome of plans for freeway Route 244. The freeway was to cross the northeast one-third of the park. Luckily, the freeway never came to fruition and the park was left unscathed. Today, the park boasts outdoor exercise equipment, soccer field, and access to the American River. Take a photo of yourself laying down in the road that never was.
CHALLENGE #3 (Bannister Park): Get your heart pumping! Locate the outdoor workout equipment. Check off all the exercises you complete:

Sit UpsPull UpsPush UpsOther

Next up, Fair Oaks Park! Fair Oaks Park, acquired in 1971, has many amenities and is home to an array of year-round recreational activities including, but not limited to, Camp Fair Oaks, Adult Softball, and Junior NFL Flag Football. It is the host location to the District’s annual Easter Eggstravaganza event and has held some large scale events such as the: Rennaissance Tudor Fayre, Big Bounce America (World’s Largest Bounce House), Country in the Park 2 (with country music stars Brett Eldredge & Michael Ray), and #Kidtopia (with Disney stars Asher Angel, Sabrina Carpenter, & Olivia Holt, YouTube artists Annie LeBlanc and Tiffany Alvord, just to name a few). The park also features a beautiful grove of native oak trees (once known as Donahue Grove), a picnic area, the McMillan Center, horseshoe pits, a skate park, 84 plots of community gardens, and the Horticulture Center.
CHALLENGE #1: The Fair Oaks Park Community Garden originated in 1981 with the development of 47 plots and later expanded to the current 84 plots in 2010. The 1.85 acre Community Garden exists to promote good gardening techniques, sharing of information, and community camaraderie. Check out the gardens. What do you see growing?
CHALLENGE #2: The Fair Oaks Horticulture Center was established in 1998 as a Sacramento County UC Cooperative Extension project in collaboration with the Fair Oaks Recreation & Park District. The Horticulture Center is an instructional facility designed to educate home gardeners and landscape professionals in the planting and care of ornamental and edible plants. Visit the center, what events do they offer throughout the year?
CHALLENGE #3: Fair Oaks Park is home to an abundance of Oak trees! Find the largest Oak and snap a photo.

Madison Place Park was received from the developer of the local housing development at the corner of Kenneth and Madison avenues. The property is .8 acres and includes an open space for free play and a playground. The park was given to Fair Oaks Recreation & Park District in 2018.

Little Phoenix Park is a pocket park in the Phoenix Fields neighborhood. The park is a favorite walking destination for the local residents and includes a playground for the kids.
CHALLENGE #1 (Little Phoenix Park): Snap a photo of the parks entry sign.
CHALLENGE #2 (Madison Place Park): What color are the benches?

BlueOrangeYellowCream

Phoenix Park was acquired in 1974 after the District traded Sailor Bar to the county for today’s present-day park. Phoenix Park is the District’s largest park, 60 acres in size. The park is home to 17 acres of protected Vernal Pools, the 54 plot Phoenix Gardens, Fair Oaks Bike Park, Dog Park, Kathy Jones Memorial Walking Path, baseball, soccer, and lacrosse fields.
CHALLENGE #1: The Phoenix Park Vernal Pools are a National Natural Landmark. The area is a seasonally inundated wetlands, the pools fill during winter rain and then dry down in the late spring. The cycle of flood and drought create extreme conditions for the plants and animals that live in vernal pools. Because of that, many of the inhabitants of vernal pools can live nowhere else! Take a walk through the Vernal Pools, stopping at the informational kiosk, answer the following question. What percentage of California's Vernal Pools have been destroyed through habitat conversion to agricultural uses and urban development?

60%75%80%90%
CHALLENGE #2: Ever wonder where your local Fair Oaks weather is gathered? Phoenix Park is home to the California Management Information System (CIMIS). Find the CIMIS weather station and snap a photo.
CHALLENGE #3: The Phoenix Dog Park is situated on a site formerely occupied by the Jim David t-ball fields in the southwest corner of Phoenix Park. The Dog Park opened in October 2006 (celebrating 14 years this month). Visit the Dog Park, how many different areas are their for dogs?

1 large area for all dogs to share2 areas (1 for small dogs & 1 for large dogs)3 areas (1 for small dogs, 1 for large dogs, & 1 for special need dogs - disabled, shy, or agressive)4 area ( 1 for tea cup dogs, 1 for small dogs, 1 for medium dogs, and 1 for large dogs)

The last leg on our journey will take us to Miller Park. Miller Park is a 10-acre neighborhood park located on the southwest corner of Sunset & Kenneth Avenue. The park houses 8 tennis courts, two practice courts, a basketball court, and most recently a 9-hole Disc Golf course. The District purchased Miller Park from George and Ann Miller for $10,000. Because of lack of funds, developmental work at the park was minimal except for the extensive grading for and construction of tennis courts at the site. The tennis facility led to the organization of the Fair Oaks Racquet Club in 1961 with Bill Melvin as president. The Club and the Park Board co-sponsored tournaments and the Board funded tennis instruction.
CHALLENGE 1: Miller Park has lots of opportunities for recreation! Play a round of Tennis, Disc Golf, or Horseshoes! Snap a picture of yourself playing. Don't have the equipment? That's okay! Snap a picture of yourself pretending to play!
CHALLENGE #2: Locate the small creek that runs through Miller Park. Snap a picture.

CONGRATULATIONS!
You have finished the Discover Fair Oaks Challenge! We hope you learned something new and discovered a new park or amenity that you can visit in the future. Make sure you click submit so your challenge is recorded. Pick up your Picnic Blanket prize, while supplies last, limit one per family, at the Pop-Up Gallery events on Oct. 9 at Village Park from 4:30p-6:30p or Oct. 10 at Phoenix Park from 9:30a-11:30a.

Find a complete FORPD history and additional information on our other 75th Anniversary events at www.forpd.org.

A special thank you to the Fair Oaks Historical Society for their assistance with FORPD history and past photos.
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