Downtown Arcadia Patriotic Festival

Downtown Arcadia’s Patriotic Festival is July 1. – Courtesy photo

By The Downtown Arcadia Improvement Association

Come out and join us this Sunday, July 1, from 5 to 9 p.m. for the 4th annual Downtown Arcadia Patriotic Festival. This free Independence Day celebration will take place on First Ave. between Bonita and Diamond streets. The event will feature an assortment of great food, beer, wine, artisanal crafts, shopping, and live music. There will also be balloons, face painting, and other fun activities for the kids, and fabulous free raffle prizes and other giveaways. Free parking is available on city streets and in the large city parking lot north of Huntington Drive next to the post office. You can also take the Metro Gold Line. The event is only a short walk from the Arcadia Metro Station, just four blocks south of the station on First Ave.

Starting at 5 p.m., enjoy delicious food and drinks from local restaurants including Villa Catrina and Hot N’ Sweet Chicken. Also scheduled to attend are Fahrenheit LA Pizza, Kealy’s Kettle Corn, Nothing Bundt Cake, A Rockin’ Ice Hawaiian food truck, and more.  Adults over 21 years of age can enjoy $5 wine and beer courtesy of Downtown Arcadia’s own Vendome Wine & Spirits and Mt. Lowe’s Brewing Company.

Enjoy live music and dancing from 5-9 p.m. by Murray Middleman and his nine-piece band.   Murray has been in the music entertainment industry for over 22 years and will perform Patriotic music from a wide range of musical styles. For those arriving in a dancing mood, a large dance floor will be setup by the stage. Kids can also enjoy free games and activities at the festival including free Mister Fun balloons, face painting, and giant bubble making. This year, Artisanal LA will also be joining the Patriotic Festival and showcasing products made by up-and-coming “indie makers.” They are scheduled to bring over a dozen of these indie makers to the event with a variety of different handcrafted products.

At 6 p.m., event festivities continue with a patriotic flag presentation from local Boy Scout troop 104.  At 7 p.m., Arcadia Council Member Peter Amundson and the Downtown Arcadia Improvement Association will give the official event welcome and remarks. Then at 8 p.m., winners will be announced by Arcadia Mayor Pro Tem April Verlato for the free raffle drawings courtesy of the Downtown Arcadia Improvement Association. To be eligible to win, register at ArcadiaDT.com prior to the festival, and then check in at the Downtown Arcadia booth prior to 7:45 p.m.  This year’s prizes include a folding bicycle from Helen’s Cycles, a one night stay at Embassy Suites, a gift card to Matt Denny’s, a gift basket from Vendome Wine & Spirits, Metro tap cards, and more. All winners must be present at the drawing.

So kick-off this year’s Independence Day celebrations this Sunday in Downtown Arcadia at the Downtown Patriotic Festival. Arrive ready to eat, drink, shop, play, and dance the summer night away. It will be a blast! For more event info, go to downtownarcadia.org/events.