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Arcadia Weekly Dec 11, 2017
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Artisanal jewelry displayed and for sale at the Downtown Arcadia Holiday Market
– Photo by MJ Finstrom, HUTDogs
By Downtown Arcadia Improvement Association Board of Directors
Happy holidays everyone and thank you to all of the incredible folks who attended the Downtown Arcadia Holiday Market on Saturday. What an amazing event and turnout! For those who missed it, the pre-event action began Friday night with city staff and vendors setting up tents, equipment, furniture, tables, street barricades, power generators, holiday decorations, and more on four blocks of First Avenue between Huntington Drive & Diamond Street. By the time attendees began showing up at 11 am the next morning they were greeted by over a hundred indie craft vendor booths and beautiful holiday décor. First Avenue truly looked spectacular!
This year’s artisanal offerings included handmade jewelry, crafts, desserts, jams, sauces, and much more. Live music on each block kept the mood cheerful and festive. Beer and wine was donated and served courtesy of Mt. Lowe Brewing Company and Vendome Wine & Spirits, who just so happen to be two fabulous new Downtown Arcadia businesses celebrating their first year in Arcadia. Shops located on First Avenue participated with tables, displays, promotions, and lots of sales of their own. Throughout the day, First Avenue Middle School celebrated their 110th anniversary with festivities at the south end of the event. Santa himself was also there throughout the event taking gift requests from kiddies and fabulous photos. At 5 p.m., the grand prize winners were announced for the Big Winter Give-away contest. Prizes included brand new bicycles, gift cards, and other incredible gifts donated by local Downtown Arcadia businesses. A big hats off to Artisanal L.A. for putting on the event, First Avenue Middle School for their incredible participation and enthusiasm, and all of the participating Downtown Arcadia Improvement Association businesses and event volunteers. It was great to see so many people walking the district, eating and shopping local, and exploring historic Downtown Arcadia.
In other exciting Downtown Arcadia news, Arcadia was recently named the 2017 Most Business Friendly City in Los Angeles County by the L.A. Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC). This is a big deal and at least in part a testament to some of the exciting things going on in the downtown area. The LAEDC recognized Arcadia as outstanding in their commitment to cutting red tape, streamlining processes, enhancing customer service through their business assistance program, and implementing a new business-friendly Development Code for Downtown Arcadia. Awards like this one showcase why Arcadia has become such a great place to do business and why Downtown Arcadia is an up-and-coming location in the L.A. region.
That’s it for this week. Look for the next installment of the Highlighting Downtown Arcadia series in two weeks when DAIA President Martin Gandell will wax poetic on highlights from the year that was. Until then, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
