La Canada’s Fiesta Days to Mark Centennial of City School System

La Canada Flintridge’s annual Fiesta Days, to be held over Memorial Day weekend, will mark the centennial of the city’s school system.

Monday’s Memorial Day parade will be presided over by co-grand marshals Jeanne Mauss, a retired teacher who taught in the community’s schools more than 40 years, and Donald Ziehl, superintendent of the La Canada Unified School District.

On Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the local sheriff’s and fire departments will hold open houses. The Montrose Search and Rescue Team will give demonstrations and children may be fingerprinted for identification at the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station, 4554 Briggs Ave.

A barbecue and hoedown will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Drive. A steak dinner will cost $8.75; a hot dog dinner $4.75. Tickets can be purchased until Friday at Ralphs Supermarket, 2111 Foothill Blvd.; Crocker Bank, 2200 Foothill; the Chamber of Commerce, 1327 Foothill, and the Sun Dial dress shop, 661 Foothill.

School Dances

Junior and senior high school dances will begin at 8 p.m. Saturday. The junior high dance will be at the Crescenta-Canada Valley Family YMCA, 1930 Foothill Blvd. The dance for senior high school students will be held at La Canada High School, 4463 Oak Grove Drive, and will include the crowning of the Fiesta queen. Candidates are students Caren Cholakian, Joanne Hensler, Megan Hunter, Shannin Mealiffe and Tracey Langford.

Sunday’s activities begin with folk dancing at Descanso Gardens from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. General admission is $1.50, or 75 cents for senior citizens and students. Children under 5 will be admitted free. At 4:30 p.m., a vesper service featuring choral and slide presentations will be sponsored by the Lutheran Church in the Foothills and St. Bede the Venerable Roman Catholic Church at St. Bede’s, 215 Foothill Blvd.

Memorial Day events will feature the YMCA Fun Run at Descanso Gardens. A one-mile race will begin at 7:30 a.m.; 5 K and 10 K races begin at 8 a.m. There is no age limit. Entry fees are $4 per race, or $9 with the purchase of a Fun Run T-shirt. Early registration is preferred at the YMCA or the Sport Chalet, 920 Foothill Blvd.

Memorial Day services will begin at 9 a.m. in Memorial Park at the corner of Foothill and La Canada boulevards. The Fiesta Days parade will begin at 10:30 p.m. at the corner of Cornishon Avenue and Foothill Boulevard and will continue down the boulevard to Gould Avenue.

The weekend’s activities will close with a community picnic and fair at La Canada High School. The fair will include game booths, foot races, craft exhibits, music and a baseball game between the Chamber of Commerce and the Crescenta Valley sheriff’s station.