Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks Programs Events topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Murrieta parks staff report strong 2025 engagement; expand free summer concerts and highlight senior programming
Summary
City parks staff told the Parks & Recreation Commission they saw strong 2025 engagement across recreation and aquatics, reported social‑media reach (Facebook ~1.6M views, Instagram ~430k), previewed expanded free summer concerts and outlined senior‑center events and Feeding America pantry activity.
Murrieta — At the Jan. 15 special meeting, parks staff presented year‑end analytics and an events calendar for January–June 2026, saying 2025 showed steady growth in registrations and event attendance and that social media was driving resident engagement.
Staff said Facebook views for the recent quarter totaled about 1,600,000 and that the department gained 672 followers over the three‑month period. “Our overall views is at 1,600,000,” a presenter said, and staff noted higher link clicks and engagement from short‑form video (reels) were translating into website traffic for event pages. Instagram performance was reported at roughly 430,000 views in the past three months, with about 76% of that reach coming from non‑followers.
On programming, staff previewed a March “race weekend” that will pair a 5K with a sanctioned cycling event in downtown and an evening concert at Townsquare Park; staff also announced an expanded free concert series in July and August with eight shows, a change in format from past, ticketed events. Staff said they will avoid fencing or ticketing for the new concerts and plan more food options, possibly through local food‑truck partnerships.
Joe Baker, recreation coordinator, reviewed senior‑center events through June, including themed game days, a Mother’s Day tea party (capacity roughly 70–75), a Father’s Day barbecue and other regular programming. He said the senior lunch program, run by Sodexo under a Riverside County arrangement, is serving about 70–75 meals per day, and the fitness room sees 75–85 weekly users. Baker also described a monthly Feeding America mobile pantry that typically brings 300–315 boxes to the site and runs out each event.
The commission thanked staff for the analytics and discussed next steps for outreach and volunteer recognition; commissioners and staff agreed to publicize the fiscal costs of vandalism in a future newsletter and to bring master‑plan priorities to council ahead of the Feb. 26 goals workshop.
