The Votes Are In!
2023 Readers' Choice is back, bigger and better than ever!
View Winners → 
Old Town Report (6/30/16 Issue)
Monrovia Weekly Jun 27, 2016
by
share with
Old Town Monrovia. – Courtesy photo
It is almost Fourth of July weekend and, because I am already hearing the occasional “bang” of fireworks in my Monrovia neighborhood, I want to remind everyone that fireworks are illegal in Monrovia!
No sparklers, no firecrackers, no bottle rockets, nothing – which means, neighborhood parties that start with barbeques, beverages, and bouncy houses for the kids cannot end the evening with fireworks of any kind, no matter how benign.
Want to have a picnic, entertainment, and free, legal fireworks? Come to Library Park in Old Town on Monday, July Fourth. You can save your spot early in the day (just leave at least one person with your chairs at all times), then stroll Old Town, eat, shop, have fun until it is park time. The entertainment starts at 3 p.m. and the official concert time (Person to Person) is 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
The spectacular fireworks show starts at 9 p.m. (give or take a few minutes). So, please – especially considering the horrific fires we have seen in recent days – obey the law and leave the fireworks to the experts up at Library Park!
Speaking of leaving things to experts, the reason I eat out so much is that I leave the cooking to those who know what they are doing. I am accused of being narrow-minded in my choices, but just because I do not cook, it does not mean I do not know how to eat (or drink) well.
This week I have a few new favorites: the artichoke flatbread at T. Phillips is incredible; I am hooked on the blue cheese wedge salad on the Friday night menu at the Peach Café; the Turkey Panini (with artichokes added) is delicious at the Myrtle Tree Café; and Rudy’s has the best carne asada anything, ever.
Now, for wine, I am still waiting for The Saltner on East Colorado to officially open. With their liquor license released last week, all that remains is staff training (this week), stocking the wine, and then the grand opening by maybe mid-July. I do hear there will be invitations sent out to “private parties” for several “soft opening” nights. Hope I get one …
Now back to the Street Fair topic: it is definitely the beginning of another high-anxiety summer. There are current vendors worried about everything from having to change to white canopies and white table cloths (which at present is only a rumor), to paying a $20 application fee to be considered for the new show, to having enforced set-up times that are stricter than those they now follow.
I am a long-time vendor at Street Fair and while I feel for the folks who have sold with us for years, I really believe that the City of Monrovia and the new contractor, Raw Inspiration, understand both the importance of those who sell at the show, and our guests who come to have a good, safe time every Friday night.
Add to the mix the requirement to please those of us who have brick and mortar shops in Old Town, and it is a real balancing act for the new contractor. There will be changes for sure, but I am hoping for the support of our community as we go through yet another transition.
I suspect one of the most difficult changes for the public will be the enforcement of the “No Dogs Allowed” policy within the Farmer’s Market and food areas. It is the law – it always has been the law, and the signs at the Fair state that – however, the fact remains we have not really enforced the policy to date. That will change on Aug. 19, when Raw Inspiration takes over.
Here is to a fun-filled July in Old Town Monrovia, with no temperatures over 85 degrees! (I am an optimist) …
More from Monrovia Weekly
