For 94 years, families have come down to City Park on the second Saturday of October not only for the Pioneer Day Parade but they also came with empty stomachs to fill up on a serving of beans. As we know, Pioneer Day was started with the infamous motto to “leave your pocketbooks behind” because everything was free that day — including the large vat of beans that had been cooking all morning.
For 85 years, one group has been a reliable source of volunteers for the Bean Feed. Each year, they show up with aprons and smiles to help simmer and serve the beans everyone who lines up. We spoke with Nick Sherwin to learn more about the role the Paso Robles Lions Club (Lions Club) has played in the Bean Feed and beyond.
Nick, the former owner of Pan Jewelers and long-time member of the Lions Club says the Paso Robles chapter celebrated its 85th anniversary on September. Since their incorporation in 1939, the club played a vital role in Pioneer Day and the Paso Robles community, though many may not have even noticed our silent heroes.
“We’re doers, not so much looking for glory, but looking for making our community a better community to live in,” Nick explains.
The Lions Club was heavily involved in a lot of the work that went on in the heart of Paso Robles. The original horseshoe and barbecue pits in the City Park were both original Lions Club projects before they were rebuilt by the city. The club built the street signs for Spring and Vine Street — then just four-by-fours and slats painted with the street names. The handmade signs were installed on several street corners. Another special project was the street lights on the corner of 12th and Park streets — you can find their emblem on the pole. And the flagpole at War Memorial Stadium was a Lions Club project. Nick has found records that show that at one time, the Lions Club was once in charge of the Whiskerino, Cowboy and Cowgirl, and pet contests among some others.
Essentially, for 85 years, the club has poured its hearts into the community.
Every Pioneer Day, almost 30 Lions Club members come to help with the bean feed. Nick says pots begin filling with water around 6 a.m. and once warm in go the beans.
If you are there early enough to catch the process, Nick says, “If it’s a cool morning — hopefully it will be — the steam just comes off like fog.”
By about 10 or 11 a.m. the pots are ready for the meat and vegetables — and that is when the classic aroma takes shape and fills downtown. It takes about 10 pots to feed everyone who comes down for beans. By noon, and in perfect harmony with the end of the parade the beans are ready for everyone.
“I think it’s one of the greatest events that we do as a small town,” says Nick. “We [Lions Club] understand how important it is to this community to keep this type of thing going, and if we let it go then kids 10 years from now that are growing up won’t understand what went on, other than they will just say, ‘well, that’s what we used to do.’”
So, be sure to thank a Lions Club member when you get your beans this Pioneer Day as they mark their 85th year in the community.
Beans are served by all of its dedicated volunteers at 12 p.m. on Pioneer Day this October 12. They can be found in Paso Robles City Park across from the Clock Tower on 12th Street.
Feature Image by Brittany App
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