Gearing Up for the Holidays

Although Labor Day, to me, signals the end of summer, it’s Halloween that signals the beginning of the holiday season. In this week’s newspaper, in our Between Friends section, you’ll find the winning entries from this year’s Fun & Frights in the Foothills, the self-guided tour that was presented by CV Weekly and Glendale Area Schools Credit Union. Pictures cannot capture the extent of the decorating these homeowners did but please take a look anyway.

Also in this paper are the names of the kids who won tickets to Circus Vargas by coloring a circus clown that we had in the paper for a couple of weeks. That, too, was a tough decision. The artists obviously took great pains to make sure their submissions rose to the top.

And today, Nov. 11, is Veterans Day. We are so lucky to have active American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts up here in the Crescenta Valley. The vets can always be relied on to advise on how to have a bingo game – then be there to oversee it and lend a helping hand. They help clean up after Prom Plus up at the Crescenta Cañada Y and, as the former president of Prom Plus, I cannot impress upon you how valuable that help is. For years, we volunteers were responsible for breaking down much of the event and, to be frank, it was hard. After all, we had just finished a grand event that included a zip line, casino, gyroscope, bungee run and more (don’t forget the food!) for our CV High School seniors and their guests and we were tired. The veterans have now taken on that daunting job and are at the ready at 5 a.m. the morning after Prom Plus. I am forever grateful.

This Saturday is jam-packed with things going on, too. There’s the American Heroes Airshow at Hansen Dam Sports Complex, a food drive that the Lions Club is hosting at Crescenta Commons and the Montrose Search and Rescue team is having a recruiting event at Deukmejian Wilderness Park. For those who want to stick closer to home, the off-ramp cleanup takes place at 8:10 a.m. We meet on Altura Avenue (just off La Crescenta Avenue) to get supplies and are usually done around 9ish.

And don’t worry – details on all of these events can be found on page 3 under In brief.

That’s just this week. Thanksgiving is around the corner (Steve and I have made reservations at a restaurant – first time ever; I’ll let you know how it goes) and there’s the Turkey Run, also known as the Thanksgiving Day Run, hosted by the Community Center of La Cañada Flintridge on Thanksgiving morning..

Following on the heels of Thanksgiving are holiday parties and get-togethers, Christmas decorations and gift exchanges. With many of the COVID restrictions being relaxed, including being able to dine inside, this will truly be a season to celebrate.