ARCADIA : Debut Event at Santa Anita Fizzles

The debut of the Southland’s newest music venue, Santa Anita Park, flopped over the Labor Day weekend as sparse crowds caused promoters to cancel the third day of a Latin music festival.

Festival Santa Anita, with its five stages, 80 vendors and six-figure promotions budget, was meant to draw 60,000 over the three-day weekend.

But fewer than 5,000 showed up in the first two days, leading promoter California Festivals Inc. to cancel Monday’s grand finale of the family-oriented festival.

The festival was the first event since the City Council in July approved a series of ordinances allowing music concerts and festivals at the 320-acre track as part of a one-year pilot program.

“It was disappointing,” said Christie Conti, spokeswoman for the promoter, which will foot the bill for the failed festival. “The third day had to be canceled because attendance fell so short of predictions that it wouldn’t cover the financial liability.”