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Monrovia Old Town Report (05/04/17 issue)
Community May 05, 2017
Rudy’s Mexican Food, of course, will have Cinco de Mayo menu specials. – Courtesy photo
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Rudy’s Mexican Food, of course, will have Cinco de Mayo menu specials. – Courtesy photo
The power went off at my house early this morning, and though I had to dress in the dark, the fact that I couldn’t watch the news was a good thing – something I should try more often. The peace and quiet was rather nice – no one fighting, taking sides, making mountains out of molehills. And that’s why I love our Old Town so much: even when it’s bustling, it’s peaceful. We have 240+ separate businesses within the few square blocks of our historic district, operated by folks with different backgrounds, different personalities, and different political persuasions, yet we all work together for the common good. When we get together as a group, we take turns talking and we even listen. Why is that so difficult for our politicians?
I’ve been having conversations off and on with a location scout who also loves our Old Town. He’s looking for a small town with the best local charm possible for his commercial shoot. I don’t know what the commercial is about, but he has been taking pictures all over Southern California for presentation to his producers. When he visited our Old Town last Friday night and saw our street fair, he was totally impressed. Apparently this commercial might include shots of a small-town street fair, and ours is exactly what they had imagined (which they would try to duplicate). He loved the fact that ours is actually on the street and not in a parking lot or park.
Speaking of Street Fair, it appears to me that the proposed move to Library Park is on hold, at least for the moment. I’m still trying to find more solid details…
This Friday is Cinco de Mayo, and it’s going to be super fun in town. Rudy’s Mexican Food, of course, will have Cinco de Mayo menu specials, and I guarantee you all of the other Old Town restaurants will be celebrating as well. Street Fair will feature a Kid’s Zone and live music – and, finally, summer hours have arrived: 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.!
This coming Sunday, after we all recover from Friday’s fun, MOHPG will be hosting its 35th annual Old Homes Tour featuring 6 homes built from 1901 to 1921 as well as the Anderson House Museum built in 1886. Tickets are $20 for (adults) $15 (seniors) and $10 (teens) and can be purchased at my store, The Dollmakers’ Kattywompus, the Monrovia Chamber of Commerce, or online at www.MOHPG.org. This May 6t event will begin at 9 a.m. (Be sure to grab a bite in Old Town, too)!
This year’s Monrovia Day event (May 20 and 21 in Library Park) will not only have a carnival with several really cool rides, but a Pancake Breakfast on Saturday at 8 a.m., a Parade at 10 a.m., a Beer Garden followed by a 3 p.m. performance of “Company B Performance” (a tribute to the Andrew Sisters), a 5 p.m. Pie Eating Contest, and a 7 p.m. Headline Band and Dancing Under the Stars. Whew………and then the fun continues on Sunday with more performances, the Carnival, the Beer Garden and another Headline Band.
Can’t forget I promised my friend, Hector Elizalde, I would remind everyone about the Annual Veteran’s Forum to be held on Saturday, June 17 at the National Guard Armory in Azusa (1351 W. Sierra Madre Ave.). There will be sessions on Mental Health, Women Warriors, Education & Financial Planning and Homelessness. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and programming at 8:30 a.m. For more information and registration, please visit www.vetforum.eventbrite.com.
Still waiting for “publishable” info on the new businesses coming to the old location of the Press Café (at Paragon) and the site once occupied by Parchment in the 400 block of S. Myrtle. Maybe by next week…
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