fbpx Old Town Report (8/25/16 Issue) - Hey SoCal. Change is our intention.
The Votes Are In!
2024 Readers' Choice is back, bigger and better than ever!
View Winners →
Vote for your favorite business!
2024 Readers' Choice is back, bigger and better than ever!
Start voting →
Subscribeto our newsletter to stay informed
  • Enter your phone number to be notified if you win
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Home / Neighborhood / San Gabriel Valley / Monrovia Weekly / Old Town Report (8/25/16 Issue)

Old Town Report (8/25/16 Issue)

by
share with
- Courtesy photo.

– Courtesy photo.

 

By Pam Fitzpatrick

While packing to move my office from one Old Town office to another, I came across stacks of recent history – files from the first New Year’s Eve on Myrtle event in 2011, copies of newspaper ads from who knows when, brochures from downtown businesses long gone, and a stack of Old Town Guides from years ago when we didn’t believe in photo ads or Facebook (oh, yeah – there was no Facebok!). In spite of their uselessness, I had trouble tossing all of that stuff. However, once done, good riddance to old junk!

Admittedly, over the years, most of the changes on Myrtle and its surroundings fall into that “good housekeeping” category as well. I would like to think we are only getting better and that any losses or changes have turned out health to us all. As for the history worth keeping and worth showing off, you can’t beat the visual of the old buildings within our Historic District, and Monrovia Historic Preservation Group (MOHPG) is showing us off. The group is well known for its Historic Home Tours which began in the early 1980s, but Old Town is now the site of MOHPG’s Historic Old Town Walking Tours. The next tour, which lasts about two hours, is scheduled for Sept. 3 at 10 a.m. and will begin at the southeast corner of Palm and Myrtle Avenue. Expect to wander through about eight city blocks during those two hours. The price is $5 per person and reservations are not necessary.

I know it’s only August, but if Labor Day is the beginning of “Happy Days” (like cooler weather, Taste of Old Town, Halloween, the Holiday Parade, Santa, Carolers, oh my!), then it’s fair for me to mention our recent New Year’s Eve on Myrtle meeting, right? The thing that’s so exciting about the NYE2016 meeting is that it means that our signature Old Town event is really going to happen again – and for its sixth consecutive year! A live band (Night Owl, same as last year); a beer and wine garden; a family area with tables, chairs, heaters, free kid’s games; and a cool Kid’s Zone with free rides – how can I not be excited about that? And this year the event will start at 6 p.m. so the kiddies can have more time to enjoy the Kid’s Zone. The music begins at 6:30 p.m., with the live band going live at 7 p.m. to coincide with the opening of the beer and wine garden. And – I’m looking for sponsors who want to get their name out to the thousands of folks who attend each year, so call me at (626) 862-4297 if you’re interested!

More good news: Yelena Bridal is not closing, moving, or retiring! OK, Joanne, the previous owner is retiring, but she sold the business to Melody, who I met only this morning. I couldn’t stand the thought of losing that beautiful store and now we know it’s staying for sure. They will have their grand re-opening soon, so I’ll keep you posted.

And, lastly, I am breathing a sigh of relief along with city staff and most of our Old Town businesses: Raw Inspiration, our new Monrovia Street Fair contractor, did an excellent job last Friday night, their first of many new shows to come. There were a few glitches, but all in all, the show was a huge success. The show boasts a new “pony ride” vendor, replete with a real camel, and offers rides to adults, as well as kids. And the rides are not the round-and-round type, but they use stanchions to set up a small walking trail on West Colorado. One more sigh of relief: the new Art in Public Places has been installed in the 400 block of Myrtle Avenue – check it out!

More from Monrovia Weekly

Skip to content