Annual breakfast serves 1,500 in City Park while calling for new volunteers to keep the community tradition alive
PASO ROBLES — The smell of pancakes filled Paso Robles City Park on the morning of Thursday, July 24, as the Paso Robles Main Street Association hosted its 26th Annual Pancake Breakfast. While the event is known for warm stacks and smiling faces, its heart lies in community togetherness and downtown support during the hustle and bustle of the California Mid-State Fair (CMSF).
Originally created by Main Street Executive Director Norma Moye and then-fair leader Randy Bernard, the breakfast was envisioned as a way to thank the community for bearing the chaos that the fair brings and to remind residents and visitors that Paso’s downtown is open for business — and always worth supporting.
“This has been an event that was first the brainchild of Norma Moye,” said Jeffry’s Wine Country BBQ owner and Main Street President Jeffry Wiesinger. “It’s about showing our appreciation and keeping the community connected.”
Over the years, the event has evolved. In the past, attendees needed to visit local merchants to pick up a free ticket for breakfast, a strategy designed to drive foot traffic downtown. But along with evolving times, this year, organizers opted to make the event fully open — no tickets, just pancakes.
Photos by Rick Evans/PRP
“It’s a free pancake breakfast that is created to promote the fair and promote downtown businesses. It’s a community event,” Wiesinger explained.
The breakfast was made possible by a collaboration of volunteers and sponsors. The Harris Stage Lines offered horse-drawn rides, and the Fair’s Queen and her court lent helping hands. Entertainment was from a train, and bubbles were provided throughout the morning for children.
RE/MAX Success played a pivotal role in making the breakfast happen. This is their fourth year volunteering at the pancake breakfast.
“Anything with giving back to our community, that’s what RE/MAX Success and Success Charities is all about,” said RE/MAX Success Broker and Owner Elissa Williams.
Serving began at 7:30 a.m., with a steady line stretching down 12th Street. Organizers estimate that over 1,500 people were served by the end of the morning. But behind the cheerful plates of eggs and syrup, there’s a more pressing message: the need for volunteers. Last year, after some volunteers announced they were retiring from the pancake breakfast, it was mistakenly rumored that the pancake breakfast would not continue. However, after the success of last year’s breakfast, CMSF and Main Street were adamant that the event needed to continue.
Photos by Rick Evans/PRP
“It’s our generation’s time to step up,” said Wiesinger. “If we don’t get more people to help us put these events on, we might not see them occurring in the future … If you like what we are doing, please come join our organization.”
He added that while the fair brings a flurry of fun and activity, it often draws crowds away from downtown. Events like the pancake breakfast are a way to keep local energy grounded and to celebrate what makes Paso Robles special.
“And it’s free to anybody who wants to come down to the downtown park. And in the tough economic times that we’re in, there were a whole bunch of people that were [there],” Wiesinger added.
As the morning wrapped up and the griddles cooled down, the takeaway was clear: Community events don’t happen by accident. They require hands, hearts, and commitment — and Paso Robles continues to show up.
If you’re interested in volunteering or supporting future events, visit pasoroblesdowntown.org
Feature Image: (From left) California Mid-State Fair Queen Skye Davis, and Fair Princesses Morgan Ruiz and Amelia Olivo helped out July 24 at the 26th Annual Pancake Breakfast at Paso Robles City Park. Photo by Rick Evans/PRP
