Piece of Mind: All set for Fiesta Days!
The theme banner flags are attached to utility poles lining Foothill, vintage-car owners are polishing their four-wheeled treasures, chairs, tables and umbrellas have been ordered for delivery to Memorial Park and our youth groups are organizing their parade entries. Fiesta Days are here!
Can life get any sweeter than it is in our city? The La Cañada Flintridge Chamber of Commerce staff and volunteers apparently think not. They gave nod to the good life here when they chose this year’s rather proud (as a peacock?) theme for Monday’s parade: “LCF: the American Dream.”
Unless you are a newcomer or visitor, you probably know the Memorial Day weekend drill here: Rise and shine Saturday and take yourself to Memorial Park for a French-toast breakfast and car show, pack a picnic dinner and enjoy a family movie outdoors in the same park Saturday night, visit Lanterman House museum on Encinas Drive Sunday afternoon for its free open house, return to Memorial Park Sunday night for the barbecue and fireworks show, pry open your eyelids early Monday and head to Descanso Gardens so you can step lively in the CC-YMCA’s annual Fiesta Days run/walk/hike event, go directly from there to Memorial Park for the Memorial Service to pay tribute to fallen members of the armed forces (the purpose of Memorial Day) and then settle in curbside on Foothill for about 90 minutes to watch a parade featuring everyone in town who’s not actually elbow-to-elbow with you on the sidewalk.
But wait! It’s not over yet! Now that you’ve pushed yourself as far as possible, there’s “Afternoon in the Park” immediately post-parade, where everyone’s invited to collapse in Memorial Park for a few hours. The whole shebang is capped off late afternoon Monday when the golden oldies sounds of Captain Cardiac and the Coronaries blast from the Memorial Park bandstand, kicking off our city’s summer Music in the Park concert series.
This year there is a new twist: The long weekend will get an early start on Friday afternoon with a bridge tournament at the Community Center of LCF. But all the other events are expected to unfold pretty much as they have for years and it’s safe to say there’s something to entertain or inspire everyone.
Truth be told, as engaging as this annual extravaganza is, I’d have to wonder about anyone who is devoted enough to Fiesta Days to participate in every single one of its related activities. That would be one rabid booster. Or a member of the city council, right?
Wherever you may be this Memorial Day weekend, I hope you and yours have a memorable time. Maybe we’ll bump into each other at the park.
CAROL CORMACI is managing editor of the Valley Sun. She can be reached via email at ccormaci@valleysun.net or carol.cormaci@latimes.com
