Parades, rides, food and fun: 60th Almond Blossom Fest this weekend

Valley Press on ^ | Friday March 13. | ALEXA VAUGHN

[BenLurkin]

Sunny skies are predicted for the 60th Almond Blossom Parade and Festival, which kicks off at 5 p.m. today at George Lane County Park with a dinner, dance and carnival.

This year's theme is "Quartz Hill Still Blooming at 60."

The festival, which includes parades, carnival rides, music, food and live entertainment, runs through Sunday at Lane Park, 5520 West Ave. L-8. The event, which includes dinner, dancing and live entertainment, is $12.50 for adults and $5 for children.

The pet parade, will start off Saturday's festivities at 9:30 a.m. starting at Avenue M and 50th Street West and continuing east on 50th Street West to Avenue L-8, where it turns and makes its way to the park.

The main parade will follow at 10 a.m. along the same route.

Bands from Quartz Hill High, Highland High and Wilsona Elementary schools will join at least 50 other parade participants on the march, Barron said.

Barron said Quartz Hill businesses and more than 100 other vendors will take part in the festival, including one of the Valley's last links to the almond industry - Rancho Raviri, an almond and candy store founded in 1952 and finally closed in May.

Barron, who said he didn't want the Quartz Hill community to lose an important part of its history, reopened the store in December. Now, however, the almonds must be imported from outside the Valley.

"In its prime, 20,000 to 30,000 people would come here for the parade and festival. Big dignitaries from the Hollywood studios were grand marshals," he said.

"We're determined to bring the festival back up to its former glory. And this is a great time to do that. With this economy, more people are staying in the Valley on the weekends, but they still want something to do."

[BenLurkin]

"SIGNS OF SPRING - A mockingbird sings in the morning sun as it rests on almond tree branches blossoming in Quartz Hill on Wednesday. The Almond Blossom Festival runs from Friday through Sunday at George Lane Park." EVELYN KRISTO/Valley Press

[gorush]

[FrdmLvr]

I have that book, “When the Almond Tree Blossoms” by David Aikman.

[ml/nj]

Sure. Everyone knows where Quartz Hiil and George Lane County Park are. And there must be only one Valley (besides the one Pasadena is in).

ML/NJ

[BenLurkin]

Sorry.

http://maps.yahoo.com/#mvt=m&lat=37.37226&lon=-96.47156&zoom=4&q1=new%20jersey&q2=quartz%20hill%2C%20california

[ml/nj]

I didn't need your map. I went to the article and then tho the home page of the paper the article was in. I saw it was an "Antelope Valley" paper which might not mean much to most folks, but I've spent some time at Edwards AFB so I knew.

I just wish FR would require some sort of locale identifier on stories like this which is why I was a sarcastic as I was.

ML/NJ