Rain Throws Wet Blanket Over Southland New Year’s Revels

Luis Castro, who considers himself optimistic about the new century, wanted nothing more than a good party where he could flaunt his positive outlook.

That’s why he was at Plaza Olvera in downtown Los Angeles on Friday when the clock struck noon and the sound of church bells, gongs, shofars and cymbals resonated throughout the city.

Signaling the start of a coordinated 13-hour celebration at five spots across Los Angeles, the cacophony meant “something big is going to happen,” Castro predicted.

But when he looked up in vain to find what he was told would be a parade of skydivers parachuting toward the city’s birthplace, Castro saw only gray skies--and a steady drizzle.

“Maybe something bad is going to happen after all,” he mused after the skydivers and several other acts bowed out because of the weather.

The LA 2000 festivities, billed by city officials as proof that Los Angeles will be the entertainment nucleus of the world as it heads into the next millennium, wound up becoming the dreaded party to which relatively few people came.

Hundreds of thousands were expected to show up for the five programs that carried through until 1 this morning. But only a few thousand had arrived by sundown, despite the free MTA bus service to each site.

On the hour, each multicultural program celebrated the passing of a new year in one of the scores of countries represented by Los Angeles residents. The evening was to culminate with a special-effects-laden midnight countdown coordinated among the five sites.

“This is a great place to celebrate the new millennium,” said Kristina Roesel, 19, a college exchange student from Germany, who attended one program at California Plaza on Bunker Hill.

While friends and family in Berlin were already squeezed amid millions awaiting midnight there, “the crowd here isn’t so bad,” she said.

Only small clusters of families had braved the cold, wet weather a few hours after the musical and family events began in downtown Los Angeles, Baldwin Hills, San Pedro and Van Nuys.

The story was the same at an all-day program in San Clemente, where Orange County families gathered under cloudy skies to celebrate at a block party near the pier.

By 4 p.m., one swing band had cut its show short because of the rain. The parade that was supposed to draw 2,000 marchers wound up with 500.

Likewise, at the Van Nuys Airport, a show meant to feature 2,000 line dancers had 500. At the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, early performances were canceled, and a 250-member gospel choir led by Grammy Award-winning pastors Andrae and Sandra Crouch performed a capella because of sound-system problems.

Disappointed artists and volunteers huddled there under tents in yellow rain slickers, some singing, “Rain, rain go away.”

Though the crowds at the alcohol-free events increased during the evening, when such marquee bands as Los Lobos performed at Olvera Street, several families who showed up during the day were happy about the low turnout.

With plans to stay indoors when midnight came, they wanted their New Year’s to be quiet.

“We were hoping there would be no crowds,” said Julia Farr, who strolled by carnival booths at California Plaza and participated in children’s crafts with her husband, Allen, and 13-year-old son, Steven.

Predicting millennial mayhem in Los Angeles, Allen Farr said: “The night will be kind of scary. We’ll be at home sleeping at midnight. This is our New Year’s celebration.”

Vicki Wiker of San Clemente concurred.

“No way,” she said about venturing outdoors after sunset. “I have a little bottle of wine at home that I’m going to drink. But I’m staying put.”

Sharing similar attitudes, others in the small crowds were nonetheless lively during the short time they spent outdoors.

Artist Teresa Tolliver used the quiet hours at the Crenshaw site to contemplate what the new millennium has in store for Los Angeles.

“I’m concerned about overpopulation,” she said while scrambling to protect from the rain some peacock feathers and other materials inside her children’s crafts booth.

“‘The rich are getting richer and the poor poorer,” she said. “We’re losing the middle class.”

Most of all, Tolliver said, “I’m worried about this damn rain!”

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Times staff writers Elaine Gale, Karima Haynes and Teresa Watanabe contributed to this story.