By Rachelle MILLER and Mary O’KEEFE

Although the Ace Hardware store, located at the former site of Orchard Hardware Supply at 3100 Foothill Blvd., has been open for a couple of months, a grand opening was held on Friday and Saturday with the community cheering them on.

It began on Friday with the cutting of the “board,” instead of the traditional red ribbon, surrounded by Ace executives and staff members. On Saturday, the community filled the parking lot – and the store – to officially welcome the company to the Crescenta Valley.

“The wonderful turnout we had at the grand opening was an exciting way to showcase our range of products, many of which were hand-selected to fit the needs of La Crescenta shoppers, and show everyone how we live the Ace Helpful Promise every day by  delivering reliable service and helpful advice to help them get their projects done right,” said Lawrence Stuart, general manager of Ace Hardware of La Crescenta.

The event included demonstrations by The Big Green Egg, a ceramic grill/smoker, and Traeger grills, along with dessert by Kona Shaved Ice food truck. There was plenty to do for families including face painting and flowerpot painting. Four-legged family members were not forgotten by pet food company Blue Buffalo, which had representatives on-site handing out bandanas and tennis balls.

“We are thrilled to be part of the La Crescenta community and provide a neighborhood hardware store once again,” Stuart said. “We’ve had such great support from the community and the Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce since we opened our doors. Most importantly, it means so much to our store team that we’ve had numerous customers thank us for opening this location.”

  Mary Okeefe, Rachelle MILLER, Sabrina SHELTON