Girsh Park

Girsh Park is where families gather each weekend to watch their little squirts play soccer and baseball. Meanwhile, brothers and sisters climb the playground. The playground has a nice rock arch that kids love to climb. There are hills below the playground where wild kids can roll free. Beside the playground is a circle with benches, roses, and small boulders. There are restrooms and plenty of picnic tables.

On windy days, pick a different park because it's not sheltered here and it gets cold. Dinosaur Park is a good alternative.
A weekend in September (September 30 and October 1, 2023), the Goleta Lemon Festival is held here, and the park comes alive with color. There are carnival rides and games, stalls selling lemonade and lemon bars (yummy), booths with community information and free frisbees, and best of all, there's Safety Street, a street filled with fire engines (where you can get a free fireman hat), a school bus, a bomb squad robot, a green forest service fire engine, and "the bear" (a swat team vehicle that looks really scary). Kids can climb in and pretend to be drivers. There are also characters like Smokey the Bear greeting kids.
The atmosphere is always great in this well-cared-for, sunny, open park.
If you're hungry, head over to Anna's Bakery for a delicious muffin or donut. Or in the same shopping center you could try Natural Cafe, with its yummy chicken burritoes and great salads with jicama. Some people walk across Santa Felicia Drive to Costco and grab a hot dog and drink to bring to the park for a picnic.
For a long walk to sand dunes and a great beach, visit Coal Oil Point. Also very nearby is the groovy college town of Isla Vista, a fun place to eat at Woodstock's Pizza and walk around, taking in the scene.

Directions

Girsh Park is located at 7050 Phelps Rd, Goleta, CA 93117, call (805) 968-2773.
Exit Highway 101 at Glen Annie/Storke Rd and head towards the ocean. After Camino Real shopping center, turn right on Phelps Rd. Turn right into the second parking lot and the playground will be in front of you.
There are restrooms and soda machines.
Anna's Bakery, 7018 Market Place Dr, open daily 6am-5pm.
Natural Cafe, 6990 Market Pl Dr, Goleta, CA 93117, open daily 11-9.

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