Summer arrives today in Manteca.
We’ve been in summer mode since Memorial Day weekend.
Mother Nature, though, doesn’t officially catch up until 7:42 p.m. tonight.
That’s when the sun reaches its farthest point in the northern sky before starting its slow retreat from the summer solstice to the winter solstice six months away.
Anyway you look at it, the next six weeks are the heart of summer in the Northern San Joaquin Valley.
It’s all the time left before school in Manteca resumes Aug. 5, a full month earlier than two generations ago when public school students didn’t hit the books until after Labor Day.
Go back even farther, and summer in Manteca meant kids taking dips in the cooling waters of irrigation canals crisscrossing areas today where there are endless homes.
It also meant many older teens picking up summer jobs, some of which include taking massive mallets and hammering the trunk of almond trees to shake lose nuts.
Those traditions have faced away.
But the are still a lot of low-key summer traditions awaiting as the summer unfolds.
The highest profile, perhaps, is the Manteca Fire reserve firefighters who man the hose cart at the end of the Fourth of July parade.
They scurry from one fire hydrant to another along the parade route, couple the hose, roll out several dozen feet, point it skyward over kids filing the street, and then open the hydrant to provide one of the coolest Independence Day parade endings around.
There are many more unique Manteca summer traditions.
One, is to make your way to the shady meadows among riparian oaks or the sandy beaches along the Stanislaus River at Caswell State Park at the southern terminus of Austin Road.
It’s such a cool and unique spot that Bay Area residents have made it a go-to-spot when the mercury soars toward the 100 degree mark and beyond.
Just remember the mosquito repellent.
Of course, if we dare mention, summer fun for kids means a chance to run through lawn sprinklers. Given the low humidity and the high valley temperatures, it’s a cool and refreshing treat that’s legal to do so before noon and after 6 p.m.
A bit more low key is hitting one of Manteca’s two Baskin Robbins, or other purveyors of ice cream treats as dusk nears and the cooling Delta breezes kick in.
Twilight is a time that makes a simple walk around the neighborhood or a park in the summer less than a chore it can seem in the daytime heat and more of a treat.
In recent years, more and more families in Manteca have taken to their front yards on summer evenings whether it is to sit and read a book on a porch, converse with neighbors, or BBQ and enjoy a summer feast.
National Night Out 2025 is the ultimate time for block parties complete with food, inflatables, and even live music with plenty of neighborly conversations.
Simple pleasures also include taking a drive to the source when it comes to watermelons, Perry & Sons on the West Frontage Road north of Lathrop Road.
Manteca is by far the largest watermelon growing region in California.
And it’s not by chance.
The hot summer days, cool nights thanks to the evening Delta breezes, and well drained soil boost the water and sugar content as Art Perry can tell you.
He’s part of George Perry & Sons, the West Coast largest purveyor of watermelons.
They run a fruit stand in front of their melon distribution yard where you can get the plumpest seedless jumbo watermelons around for $7.50.
Growing in popularity is taking younger kids on a summer day to feed the ducks that hang around the small lake across from Bass Pro Shops at Orchard Valley.
There’s plenty of shade and if you don’t bring bread or such Bass Pro usually has duck feed for sale.
You can also make your way to nearby restaurants.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
