City Picnic Will Have Something for All

Councilman Richard Freschi is working hard to make the fourth annual Villa Park Picnic on Sunday a tradition that will set the pace for decades to come.

About 3,000 people are expected to attend Villa Park’s largest family event of the year at Irvine Lake.

“This is important to me,” Freschi said. “It’s a bank account of memories for the kids. Things that really stick with you are family events.”

The festivities, beginning at noon and ending at 6 p.m., will include demonstrations from the Orange County Fire Authority and Orange County Sheriff’s Department, carnival games, an antique car show and a performance by the patriotic singing group Celebration USA.

Bounce houses, face painting and clowns will be on hand for young children and, for teenagers, there will be a bungee run with a Velcro wall and rock climbing wall.

Other quirky attractions will include a hair-painting booth run by the Villa Park High School wrestling team and a local resident who will show off his pet parrots.

Erik Kuli, a Villa Park High School graduate, and his family have participated in the past three picnics.

“I personally enjoy it most because I have a 5-year-old son and 2-year-old daughter,” he said. “It’s also an opportunity to talk with neighbors you haven’t met before.”

Freschi established the event in 1996 in an effort to maintain a sense of community in the small city. He gained the support of the city’s utility companies, which pay for the majority of the event.

About 2,000 people attended the first year, Freschi said.

“We needed something to bring the whole town together,” he said. “I wanted to have something that people would remember.”

Various community members also contribute to the event. Proceeds from the $3 entry fee will benefit local charities and help defray costs of the event. Children age 5 and younger are free.

Marissa Espino can be reached at (714) 966-5879.