Family Festival to Celebrate 20th Anniversary on Friday

This Friday marks the 20^th Anniversary of the Friday night Family Festival along Myrtle Avenue in Old Town Monrovia. 


The event began as a humble farmer’s market. 


Today, it has grown to be the largest of its kind in California, and features artisan craft vendors and commercial booths, along with children’s rides, food booths and live entertainment. The farm portion of the event became a certified farmer’s market.

To mark this occasion, a special ceremony will take place at 6 pm in the entertainment area with representatives from the City to acknowledge the very successful weekly event, according to Family Festival organizers. Special ‘farmer’ related photo opportunities will be available. Live music will feature the popular rockabilly/swing band The 8-Balls.

Special drawings will be held during the night for gift baskets of produce and products from Festival vendors. Registration is free at the Family Festival Information Booth located on the sidewalk near the northeast corner of Olive at Myrtle. The bloodmobile from Huntington Memorial Hospital will be parked on Olive Ave. at Myrtle seeking donors, and will be thanking donors with coupons good from discount in farmer’s market and children’s bounce rides. 

Other “special” activities will be presented throughout the evening. As always, admission and parking is free.

Santa Anita YMCA Wants Interns

Calling all social media savvy students: the Santa Anita Family YMCA needs your help. They need 5 to 7 student interns to assist with Facebook, Twitter, and blog posts. The position is unpaid, but offers invaluable work experience and is a solid resume building gig. The deadline to apply is September 1.

Click here to read more.

Gordon Ramsay Visits Old Town Monrovia Restaurant

Sam's Mediterranean Kabob Room and its Middle Eastern cuisine at 608 S. Myrtle Avenue have been a staple in Old Town Monrovia for years. But it was in need of some TLC - at least in the mind of Gordon Ramsay.

Earlier this month, the celebrity chef who hosts "Kitchen Nightmares" turned his attention to Sam's staff, menu and decor. Following his visit, long are the pink curtains and tablecloths and in their place are new tables, lighting and art on the walls, among other noticeable changes.

Restaurant staff says the episode is expected to air in November.

Here's what owner Sam Najjar and his wife Ahlam told the Pasadena Star-News about their pending stardom:

Old Town Salon Gets New Look

One Monrovia salon is getting a little touch up. Fashion Cuts, located at 198-200 S. Myrtle Avenue, is currently under renovation as store owner Aurora Baez is working to remove a 1950s era metal false facade to expose two distinctive, arched 14 feet by 4 foot tall glass windows.

The windows themselves are constructed of individual panes of a special glass – very thick and with a unique ridged pattern.  The closest match that could be found to repair the missing and broken panes came from a glass dealer in Chicago.

The work of stripping off old paint and repairing the mullions and glass panes is started earlier this week.
Baez, a Monrovia resident, has operated her salon business at that location for the past 20 years. According to a press release, the facade renovation is being undertaken in conjunction with a name chance of the salon to Xylem Salon & Spa.


"Aveda is an all-natural product line, so the name Xylem was chosen because it is the part of a plant that delivers water and nutrients from the soil to a plant’s leaves, and because the salon has embraced an eco-friendly business approach," the press release states.

Photo Courtesy of Xylem Salon

Fashion Cuts prior to construction.

Photo Courtesy of Xylem Salon

The new "Xylem Salon" under renovation.

Pocket Guide to Old Town Summer Activities

Concert Series. Pub Crawl. Produce Exchange. 


These are just among a handful of activities scheduled over the next few months to occur in Old Town Monrovia. Here's what in store:

                                               

                                               

To get more information, visit www.OldTownMonroviaCA.com

'Friends Cafe' Celebrated Grand Opening

A long standing Old Town coffee shop has recently received a jolt of energy from its new owner. Friends Cafe -- which replaces the former Monrovia Coffee House -- celebrated its grand opening over the weekend with discounted coffee drinks. 

Since re-opening in May following cosmetic improvements to the interior of the building, new customers have poured in to enjoy what Friends Cafe is describing as the "new atmosphere." New furniture, paint and art work are among the improvements. 

Friends Cafe also served as the host to KNX-1070 last month when the radio station profiled Monrovia and other San Gabriel Valley cities. 

The coffee house is located at 425 S. Myrtle Avenue and is open daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Click here for the website.