MISSION VIEJO : Spring Festival to Fill St. Patrick’s Void

A whole community is stepping up to fill the void created by the cancellation of the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade as plans for a spring festival are solidifying, city officials say.

Known as the Family Spring Festival, the event on April 15 will be a chance for the community of 82,000 people to get acquainted, Mayor Joseph D. Lowe said.

“We’ll have local artists, local theater groups, service groups, City Hall, historical societies, all represented,” he said. “It’s a chance for everyone who lives here to get to know their community.”

The spring celebration will form around the Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center. Inside, an Easter brunch will be served while local theater groups perform.

The Saddleback and Mission Viejo historical societies will take over one room to show residents the people and events that played key roles in the Saddleback Valley’s growth.

Groups such as the Mission Viejo Library Foundation will use the festival as an opportunity for a fund-raising book sale.

The lawns outside the community center will be the site of an Easter egg hunt and the location for displays by service organizations, the county Fire Department and food vendors.

Lowe said he’s been thinking about a community unity event for a long time. He originally planned to have the event near the end of summer but decided moved it up when the St. Patrick’s Day Parade fell through.

The Mission Viejo Activities Committee abolished the annual St. Patrick’s parade after 25 years, citing spiraling costs and declining attendance.