With the Days of Verdugo Festival attracting only a little more than
half of the expected attendance last weekend, this may be the time for
organizers to change direction.
In June, the News-Press reported that the event's sponsoring
organization, the Glendale Junior Chamber of Commerce, was lacking in
manpower to organize the parade.
Some 25 to 30 people had been involved in the organizing process in
years past. This year, only a dozen junior chamber members had pledged to
help organize the event.
The back-to-back weekend celebration pulled such a low turnout this
year that it raises the question of whether it's time to either create a
different event to recognize the city's heritage or shorten the
celebration.
The Days of Verdugo events honors the Hispanic heritage of Cpl. Jose
Maria Verdugo, the founding father of what is known today as the city of
Glendale.
Over the years, the parade and its accompanying festival have been
great draws for bringing people of the community together to celebrate
its history. But with the lack of interest shown by volunteers and
dwindling public participation, the junior chamber and Days of Verdugo
Parade Assn. should look to alternatives.
Perhaps the event needs to be scaled down to one weekend. The parade
could be followed by a smaller festival, with organizers encouraging
performances featuring arts groups thatmarch in the parade.
To increase volunteer numbers on the organizing committee, the
association might invite those who enter the parade to join the
committee, which is done in neighboring cities like Burbank.
We also ask readers to offer alternatives to celebrating our city's
heritage, especially those that would recognize all the cultures that
make up today's community.
