By Terry Miller
How far we have come, in a mere 130 years?
Monrovia, once a dry city thanks to its tea-totaling founders, will celebrate its 130th birthday in style with the city’s birthday parade, music festival, and very first brewery, Pacific Plate, serving some delicious amber nectar at the very first Beer Garden to help wet the whistle of thirsty music lovers.
We say, success to temperance and let us move on.
There are a lot of fun things happening on the Monrovia Days Weekend. But one woman Carole Anne Kaufman, also known as the Whistling Diva, has a mission … her mission is “community connections in concert.”
Kaufman says this year’s event “is going to be our best yet and we hope the whole San Gabriel Valley will come out to see how much Monrovia has to offer. I think our bicycle booths will welcome cyclists from all over LA and our Bark Park will have lots of action with dog activities and booths.”
Kaufman wants to encourage local cyclists and pet-owners to participate in this year’s celebration, “We are bike friendly and inviting all of LA County’s bicycle shops and coalitions to choose us as their destination to ‘Ride to the Fest.’ We are pet friendly and have multiple booths raising funds for pet-related non-profits and featuring many pet booths and surfing dogs Beans and Ryder.”
There will also be a Craft Beer Garden with local beer from Pacific Plate Brewing Company on Myrtle Avenue – Monrovia’s first ever brewery!
Festivities will include:
– Live Bands – Rock, Pop, Jazz, Reggae, Blues, Championship Musical Whistling, and more.
– Craft Beer Garden by Pacific Plate Brewing Co.
– Food trucks.
– Vendors and artisans.
– Pet-friendly booths – South Pasadena Adoption van.
– Bicycle-friendly booths – bicycle valet, repair, and activities.
– Kids activities, including giant bubbles.
– Vintage Monrovia heritage vehicles – the vintage Monrovia fire truck that is being restored and a “Woodie” that was won in the ‘40s at Monrovia Days Raffle will be on display.
– Activity booths sponsored by local non-profit and educational organizations.
– Live art and interactive community art projects.
– The new Metro stop on Myrtle.
– Benefits go to the Boys and Girls Club of the Foothills.
Musical performers will include: The Gem City Jazz Cats – local big band; Crimson Apple – Hawaii’s favorite all-sisters alternative Pop group; Dread Daze – Reggae Fusion group who recently released an EP and tours all over California and the US; Chase Walker and his band – will be featured on the upcoming season of “The Voice,” and has also won multiple awards for bands and under-18 bands; The Whistling Diva – the event producer and World Champion Whistler; Smokey Miles; Who’s Clayton; Relish; and more.
Monrovia’s 130th Birthday Party Music Festival will be held at Library Park on Sunday, May 15, from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
More information is available at www.monroviadaysmusicfestival.com. You can also check out Monrovia Days on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Vendor and non-profit applications available at: www.monroviadaysmusicfestival.com/#!vendor-info/c19ei.
