View as Webpage

Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Morning Meeting Recap

Thank you for joining us for this month's Morning Meeting! We had a full agenda with great presentations, community updates, and upcoming event announcements. Below is a recap of the highlights.

Oceanside Historical Society's New Home

Oceanside Historical Society Executive Director, Kristi Hawthorne, shared the exciting news about the new Robert A. and Bessie J. Weese Oceanside History Center, made possible by a generous gift from the Weese family.

The new center, located at 510 Civic Center Drive, features rotating exhibits, a digitized photo collection of more than 66,000 images, an archives room, and a space for meetings and research.

The Historical Society celebrates 40 years this year and continues its mission to collect, preserve, and share Oceanside’s history through free programs, history walks, and collaborations with the Library, KOCT, and others.

The History Center is open Monday-Wednesday and Friday from 10 AM to 2 PM. Tours by appointment are also available.

Memberships start at $25/year, and donations are welcome to support continued preservation efforts.

View KOCT's video of the grand opening ceremony:

Annual Dia de los Muertos Festival

Cathy Nykiel, along with Chema and Manuel Navarro from the Friends of Día de los Muertos nonprofit organization, shared a heartfelt update ahead of this year’s celebration.

The Dia de los Muertos Festival, now in its 24th year, will take place on Sunday, October 26, from 10 AM to 4 PM, in Downtown Oceanside, spanning nine blocks.

This free and family-friendly event honors loved ones through altars, chalk cemeteries, car shows, dancing, and cultural displays.

Attendance typically reaches 10,000+, supported by thousands of volunteer hours and local sponsors like Mellano Flowers and MainStreet Oceanside.

The team emphasized the need for new volunteers and younger committee members to sustain the event for future years. Contact osidedia@gmail.com for more information.

All proceeds support next year’s event and small local nonprofits.

Taste of Oceanside Recap

Sean Chavez and the MainStreet Oceanside Team shared results from the successful Taste of Oceanside weekend:

• Over 1,200 attendees, 100+ volunteers, and 70+ businesses participated.
• Both the Friday VIP event and Saturday tasting ran smoothly, with setup and cleanup completed earlier than ever!
• Photos are available on MainStreet Oceanside’s website (under “Events → Taste of Oceanside”).
• The event brought strong economic activation downtown at the perfect time, leading into the holiday season.

Community Announcements

• Jacqueline Pelayo, Marketing Coordinator at MainStreet Oceanside, received recognition as Oceanside Young Professional at the Oceanside Chamber’s Heroes of Oceanside luncheon and the North County Hispanic Heritage award from California State Assemblywoman Laurie Davies —congratulations!
• Neighborhood Watch Meetings are held on the 4th Tuesday, led by the Oceanside Police Department (contact Crime Prevention Specialist Ashley Sanchez).
• Oceanside Pacific Kiwanis Club is seeking new members; meetings held on 2nd and 4th Tuesdays at 7:15 AM at Broken Yolk Café.
• Visit the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce's online community calendar for upcoming small business workshops and senior wellness events.
• Creative reuse shop Anicca Collective in Artist Alley announced new sewing and crafting workshops. Check out their Instagram for more information.

City & Development Updates

Deputy Mayor Eric Joyce provided updates on upcoming development projects:

• Regal Cinema (401 Mission Avenue) redevelopment was approved with improvements for active pedestrian space and ground-level retail.
• Oceanside Transit Center Project: A major mixed-use development with 500–700 residential units and a new parking structure.
• A downtown planning workshop is scheduled for early November to address parking, mobility, and density issues related to downtown growth.

Subscribe to Deputy Mayor Joyce's e-news.

Thank you to all presenters, sponsors, and attendees for contributing to another productive and inspiring meeting.

-The MainStreet Oceanside Team

The monthly Morning Meeting takes place at 701 Mission Avenue, Oceanside, CA 92054

Questions? Call (760) 754-4512.