By Lori BODNAR, intern

The annual Fiesta Days celebration in the City of La Cañada kept residents and visitors busy despite a spate of inclement weather on Sunday. Entertainment included live music that launched the annual summer Music in the Park series, a community movie and plenty of food to enjoy over the holiday.

The festivities began with Casino Night at the Community Center of La Cañada Flintridge on Friday evening. A room full of winners purchased tickets that provided $300 in chips so gamblers could try their luck at roulette, blackjack, poker and craps plus enjoy dinner, adult beverages and dessert. Profits benefitted the Community Center.

On Saturday morning, hungry guests made their way to Memorial Park for the 25th Annual French Toast Breakfast. Over 200 people attended the breakfast, organized by the La Cañada Chamber of Commerce and the Kiwanis Club. Christie Crahan, a Kiwanis member and breakfast organizer, was on hand to greet breakfast diners.

“The club does the French toast breakfast for two reasons. One is to support philanthropies, such as Boy and Girl Scouts and local high school scholarships,” Crahan explained. “We also do the breakfast for the community to have a jubilant time together. We do this as a service and fundraiser. It is so much fun! The people who make the French toast are very dedicated.”

She went on to explain that most of the components of the breakfast were donated by local businesses, including coffee provided by Starbucks, the Tujunga Smart and Final donated sausage, plates and utensils and McDonald’s provided the syrup and various individuals donated 25 dozen eggs. Greenburg Cheese Company donated butter and the Farmer’s Market, which is held weekly in La Cañada, donated the strawberries. Gelson’s, Sprouts and Vons markets also supported the event.

Anna Slotky Reitano came to the breakfast along with friends Kendra Becker, Christy Armstrong, and Natalie Armstrong. 

“It is a good cause to support the French toast breakfast,” said Reitano. “It was a good time with friends and family.”

Erik Palladino was also there with his family, including son Roman.

“It is an opportunity for everyone in the community to get to know one another better, have fun together, and enjoy a great time,” Palladino said of the annual breakfast. “It has an old-timey, close-knit community vibe.”

Thankfully, diners were treated to perfect weather for their breakfast with many also checking out the vintage car show that featured about 35 cars. The cars were mainly from the Early Rodders group. The Rodders can usually be found every Saturday morning around 7 a.m. at the United Artists movie theaters on Verdugo Road.

Sydni Taylor and Al Magee were the co-organizers of Saturday’s car show and they also helped to find cars for VIP members to ride in the Fiesta Days Parade on Monday. Magee brought his classic 1931 Model A Ford, complete with a vintage “tourister kitchenette” on the back that is perfect for impromptu picnics. Magee’s wife Carol said that the dishes inside the kitchenette attaché case were 1920s enamelware place settings from her grandparents.

In addition to the Early Rodders Club, Magee is also part of the Model A Ford Club of America, as well as the La Cañada Kiwanis Club, which was hosting the French toast breakfast.    

The Miss La Cañada Flintridge Royal Court was also at the breakfast. The LCF Royal Court included princesses Kat Hightower, Sarah Peck and Sophie Lin. (Princess Audrey Raulli was unable to attend.) The queen of the court, Francesca Christensen, said, “This event is a lot of fun. It is nice to see people come together as a community. The cars are also really cool.” 

Carl Christensen, another Kiwanis Club member, drove granddaughter Francesca in the Fiesta Days Parade in a silver Mercedes.

Live music provided by local band Misplaced Priorities kept the crowd entertained with many breaking into impromptu dancing.

Sunday was dreary with many opting to stay home rather than braving the damp weather to enjoy the afternoon Summer Whites Picnic at the Lanterman House and fireworks and barbecue on Sunday night.

La Cañada Flintridge Chamber of Commerce and Community Association President and CEO Pat Anderson said that the turnout for the barbecue and fireworks was about a quarter of what it normally is but those who showed up had fun.

“Eating a delicious barbecue meal huddled under the umbrellas at each table, dancing to the La Cañada High School jazz band with umbrellas in hand on the dance floor … it was all so much fun,” said Anderson. “Yes, we were all wet and cold but having a ball. There was a short break in the rain and that gave us an opportunity – with the fire marshal’s approval – to shoot the fireworks about 30 minutes early. It was spectacular to see the fireworks in the overcast sky. In spite of the weather challenges, those of us who braved the elements had a wonderful time.”

Early Monday morning, the Memorial Park gazebo was the site of the annual observance of Memorial Day, which Anderson said had a larger attendance than normal.

Then it was parade time starting with a military fly over. Columnist and La Cañada resident Chris Erskine was the parade’s grand marshal and he enthusiastically waved to the thousands lining Foothill Boulevard. Mid-day was the Afternoon in the Park that included face painting, bounce houses, petting zoo and the Wells Fargo stagecoach plus live music by Misplaced Priorities.

“The Afternoon in the Park also had a much larger attendance than last year, probably because the weather – finally –was so pleasant,” said Anderson. “This is such a wonderful weekend when friends and family come together to remember and pay tribute to the men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice for the many freedoms we enjoy, to honor our country and to celebrate freedom. It is also a time to reflect on our Spanish land grants that is the foundation upon which we developed La Cañada Flintridge. We have so much to be thankful for and so many to be grateful for.”

The Fiesta Days celebration ended with the kick-off of the Music in the Park Summer Concert Series with a performance by fan favorite Captain Cardiac and the Coronaries. The next concert is on June 2 at 6 p.m. at Memorial Park with My Generation – A Tribute to the British Invasion. Admission to the concerts is free.

  Lori BODNAR