Picnic to Benefit State Historic Park

The earthquake-damaged Los Encinos State Historic Park will serve as a venue for family fun Sunday while raising money to repair and restore its buildings, the oldest of which dates back to the 1850s.

Hosted by the Encino Chamber of Commerce and to be held at the 5-acre park, the picnic will feature tours of the facility, lectures on the park’s historic significance, folk dances, sack races and other activities.

Volunteers from the Los Encinos Docents Assn. will also be on hand to tell stories of 19th century Encino and its residents, said Judith Kessler Block, director of the chamber’s operations.

“It’s a family event where you can have a nice time for a good cause while gaining awareness of one of the great historic landmarks in Encino,” Block said.

All proceeds from the picnic, including the sale of food and beverages, will be donated to the Los Encinos Restoration Fund, she said. Although the facility has gotten funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the cost to repair and restore the buildings is in excess of the park’s insurance deductibles, she added.

A moment of silence will be held in memory of comic Phil Hartman, who lived in Encino. Hartman, who served as the chamber’s honorary sheriff, was shot to death by his wife on May 28 in an apparent murder-suicide. The 11th annual Taste of Encino event, scheduled for Sept. 12 and 13, will be dedicated to Hartman as well, Block said.

The picnic--sponsored by the chamber, the Encino Homeowners Assn. and the Los Encinos Docents Assn.--will begin at 11:30 a.m. The park is at 16757 Moorpark St., Encino, one block east of Balboa Boulevard near Ventura Boulevard.

For more information, call the chamber at (818) 789-4711.