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On April 13, around 130 people gathered to celebrate Wunderlich Park’s 50th anniversary. Despite the rainy forecast, visitors were still able to enjoy live music, guided hikes, pony rides and historic demonstrations at the county park.
Although the rain had cleared up by the time of the event, Kym Teppo, executive director of Friends of Huddart and Wunderlich Parks, noticed that attendance was lower than expected.
“I wished the weather was better but sometimes it’s quality over quantity,” said Teppo, who said that despite the rain, everyone who attended had a great time.
Visitors particularly enjoyed the horseshoeing demonstration, which showcased the specialized craft of putting new shoes on a horse. The pony rides were also a popular activity for children, though somewhat curtained because of muddy conditions, Teppo said.
The Courthouse Ramblers, a bluegrass band from Monterey, performed live music for the event. There was also crafting, tours of the 150-year-old dairy house and guided nature hikes.
Hazel Gonzalez, 2, stamps a leather bracelet with the help of her father, Daniel Gonzalez, at the Wunderlich Park’s 50th anniversary celebration in Woodside on April 13, 2024. Gonzalez drove his family from East Palo Alto and heard about the celebration through a family member involved in the community. Photo by Karina Patel. 
Wunderlich Park celebrates its 50th anniversary with activities, presenters, and food in Woodside on April 13, 2024. Photo by Karina Patel. 
Rebekah Witter, 76, decorates a cardboard horseshoe to give to a friend at Wunderlich Park’s 50th anniversary in Woodside on April 13, 2024. Witter lives in the area and rides her horse often at the Chapparal Ranch that is located in Wunderlich Park. Photo by Karina Patel. 
A leather stamp station at Wunderlich Park’s 50th anniversary celebration in Woodside on April 13, 2024. Participants pick out and customize leather keychains and bracelets to take home. Photo by Karina Patel. 
Damian Cardenas pets a pony alongside his brother, Aiden Cardenas, while Kym Teppo, executive director of Friends of Huddart and Wunderlich Parks, assists on April 13, 2024. Photo by Karina Patel.
Wunderlich Park is “one of the few places to get away from the hustle and bustle of the Bay Area,” Teppo said.
The park is maintained through a unique partnership between three organizations: the San Mateo County Parks Department, Friends of Huddart and Wunderlich Parks, and Chaparral Ranch. Together, the organizations work to restore and preserve the rich history of the park.
“The land that we all live on and that Wunderlich Park is located on has thousands of years of history,” said Teppo.
‘The land that we all live on and that Wunderlich Park is located on has thousands of years of history.’
Kym Teppo, Friends of Huddart and Wunderlich Parks executive director
The grounds of the park carry the history of the Ohlone tribe, California Gold Rush, Simon Jones’s raisin farm and ownership by James A. Folger II, whose father established Folger’s Coffee.
Now, the park serves as a public space where people can enjoy recreation and nature through a blend of hikes, history and horsemanship.