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View Winners → San Gabriel Mission to Celebrate 240th Birthday with Fiesta
Arcadia Weekly Aug 26, 2011
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By Michelle R. Brown
The historic San Gabriel Mission will celebrate its 240th birthday with the annual Fiesta on Labor Day Weekend. The Fiesta will begin with the Ringing of the Bells Ceremony at 6 p.m. Friday Sept. 2, and the activities will carry on throughout the weekend to Sunday, Sept. 4.
The Fiesta will feature a Blessing of the Fiesta Grounds, Children and Pet’s Costume Contest, Blessing of the Animals, Re-enactments, History Reception, Birthday Cake Celebration, Founders’ Memorial Mass, Royal Court Contest, and more.
The Gabrieleno-Tongva American Indians will join re-enactors of Fr. Junipero Serra, Klaus “Adobe Man” Duebbert, a blacksmith, a wool spinner, soldiers, and others in the mission gardens from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Twins Elizabeth and Julie Sanchez, will be performing native Mexican and Spanish dances along with their teacher of 11 years Carolina Russek. Ms. Russek has been teaching dance at the mission for 13 years, and the girls began taking lessons from her when they were in second grade.
Also at the Fiesta will be the Royal Court Contest, with new Queen Krystal Gil (age 16) and Princesses Melanie Ramirez (16) and Claudia Gonzalez (17). The Court represents the Mission throughout the year at Church, civic, and social events.
The fiesta will include religious, historical and cultural events, small and large rides, game booths, bingo, international foods, entertainment in the evenings, and prize drawings totaling over $10,000.
Guests are invited to purchase ride coupons on pre-sale after Sunday Masses in August and in the Parish Office during the week. The pre-sale price is 25 percent off the Fiesta price; $15 for 24 coupons, and the price of rides varies from 2-4 coupons.
The Fiesta will be open Friday from 6 p.m. – midnight, and Saturday and Sunday from noon to midnight. The Mission Museum and gardens will be open free of cost from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. that weekend.
For more information, call the Mission Rectory Office at (626)-457-3035 or visit www.sangabrielmission.net.
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