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Outdoor temperatures were ideal for the hundreds of residents who gathered at Central Park on Saturday for Santa Clarita's 12th annual Arbor Day celebration.

The parking lot was filled to capacity as parents, children and dogs made their way inside the park where they were greeted with live music, pony rides, free trees, food, arts and crafts.

A thousand trees were ready to be given away to residents throughout the day in an effort to keep Santa Clarita clean and green.

Instructions on mulching and how to care for the trees was also available. Families who found it difficult to pick from the four varieties of trees, which included Southern live oaks, coastal live oaks, Chinese hackberry trees and Chinese pistaches, took home one of each.

"Trees and their benefits to our communities have never been more important," said John Rosenow, president of the National Arbor Day Foundation. "Proper tree planting and care today will help ensure cleaner, healthier, more and more tree-filled cities and towns tomorrow."

Named Tree City U.S.A. for the 11th year, Santa Clarita has received recognition by meeting all four standards by creating a tree board, a tree care ordinance, a comprehensive community forestry program and an Arbor Day observance.

"It is great that the youth of Santa Clarita care so much about the trees in our community that make our parks and neighborhoods so beautiful," Mayor Laurene Weste said.

Tree City USA is sponsored by the National Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service.

Other activities included bucket tree rides for children, free giveaways from several local businesses including Blue Barrel Disposal, Santa Clarita Urban Forestry Division, SCV Search and Rescue Team and Santa Clarita Dive Club.

"Our two children waited all year to come back here to go on the bucket truck ride," Tim Sonksen said. "Today is a wonderful family annual event for us."

The event attracted several newcomers who are already looking forward to attending next year's event.

"It is our first time here, and we picked up a tree today to plant in our front yard," Rick Klauss said. "The weather has been really beautiful today, and we are just happy to be able to come out here and enjoy all the activities."

The music did, however, stop at one point during the day when a council member presented a $900 savings bond to Placerita Junior High School student Charles Shenboyer for his winning Arbor Day essay, "My Favorite Tree."

The city has handed out approximately 13,000 trees since it began celebrating Arbor Day 12 years ago.

"Our whole family has been coming to this event for years, and we always bring a tree home to plant," Dara Ford said. "We enjoy this event more and more every year."