And That’s A Wrap! The Crescenta Valley Offers Plenty Over Three Weekends

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A yellow boa constrictor named Peaches was tame, promised Alissa Lachance at the Kids and Kritters event.

The Hometown Country Fair (HTCF) was held on Saturday, April 26 and started as a very wet day. The HTCF is an annual event hosted by the Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce and Los Angeles Country Parks and Recreation. The event has several sponsors including Kathryn Barger of the LA County Board of Supervisors.

The event included vendors and non-profit organizations that stayed throughout the, at times, pouring rain. Though the rain was falling local musicians, including the Crescenta Valley High School Instrumental Music jazz band and the Rosemont Middle School band, played on.  

The CV jazz band performs while the rain comes down.

Not long after noon the sun popped out just in time for an exciting pie-eating contest.

The following Saturday, which was also gloomy, saw the annual Kiwanis duck splash. The event followed thousands of ducks as they made their way down a man-made lake (courtesy of Glendale Fire Dept.) with their adopted owners hoping to take home a cool cash prize. In addition to the $10,000 prize, won by Steve McLain, Maddie Burke and Paulette Wood each took home $1,000, Laura Duncan and Elizabeth Furst were $500 richer and Randy Slaughter was the winner of the $500 quack pack prize.

Thousands of ducks prepared to race.

On Sunday, May 4, with skies still heavy with rain, the Montrose Shopping Park held its annual Kids and Kritters event. Anticipating wet weather, the MSP had pop-ups set up so attendees were comfortable watching Alissa Lachance of Wild Wonders introduced some animal friends. They included an iguana, hedgehog, opossum, armadillo and boa constrictor. In addition to Wild Wonders, members of Montrose Search & Rescue team demonstrated some of its rescue techniques.

Montrose Search & Rescue members demonstrate the use of a litter at the Kids and Kritters event,

Finally on Saturday, May 10 the sun came out. But temperatures were high! The Crescenta Valley Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition/CV Cares and iMPACT Foundation LA hosted the CV Cares Wellness Fair at St. Luke’s of the Mountains Episcopal Church. 

The event was in partnership with Los Angeles County Dept. of Mental Health’s Take Action movement that promotes wellness and wellbeing while sharing organizations and resources that can help support mental health. 

Bright sunshine lit the courtyard where the Wellness Fair was held.

Throughout the day attendees could enjoy a yoga class, haircuts, art classes and facials … all at no cost. There also were speakers who shared information on mental health including Annie Varvaryan, Psy.D. from Couch Conversations Psychotherapy and Counseling, Jamie Given, LMFT, from Given Guidance and Kristen Gilliland who earned her Ph.D. in organic chemistry. 

Despite high – and low – temperatures, the Crescenta Valley offered something for everyone.

By Robin GOLDSWORTHY and  Mary O’KEEFE

Photos by Robin GOLDSWORTHY, Donna LIBRA, Mary O’KEEFE and Charly SHELTON

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