Civil Municipal Magazine - Dec 2023

143 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 12 of its coastal area. The event tends to have over 200 participants and draws in hundreds of people, from families to avid car enthusiasts. Even bigger than that is the city’s most anticipated event, the Fourth of July Fireworks Display, which consistently draws in thousands of visitors to the city pier, all hoping to snag the best view of one of the grandest displays on the coast. In July of this year, the city also hosted its first- ever pop-up roller rink in conjunction with the annual Mayor’s Breakfast event. The event brought multiple days of music and entertainment. It was located near the locally famous Surfehenge and Spirit of Imperial Beach art sculptures that have largely influenced the city’s public art scene. Around that same area, the city partners with the San Diego State University Wind Symphony to host an incredible annual event named the Symphony by the Sea. The event is often hosted in one of the area’s largest plazas. It entices THE CI T Y OF IMPERIAL BEACH, CAL I FORNIA residents to pop up chairs and blankets to enjoy a beautiful sunset of Italian arias performed by the Wind Symphony and its accompanying sopranos. And, of course, all of these events are free to attend because, as Mayor Aguirre puts it, “It’s all about bringing fun, diverse, and culturally enriching experiences. We are a working-class community, so we want to make sure we provide as many [fun] opportunities as possible.” A Surge in Infrastructure The ample consideration toward the lived experience of Imperial Beaches residents has had effects that reach even further than events and entertainment, as this mindset has also been seamlessly integrated within the city’s infrastructure developments. “A big focus at City Hall has been making sure that we make our community more walkable and bikeable,” Mayor Aguirre begins. “So, what does that look like? It looks like widening sidewalks, WE ARE INVESTED IN IMPERIAL BEACH California American Water is committed to keeping life flowing by delivering high-quality, reliable water to all our customers in Imperial Beach now and for the future.