Get ready to celebrate! This year marks the 75th anniversary of the first foundations being poured in the little piece of paradise we call Westchester. From bean fields and farmland, Westchester has grown into a thriving neighborhood with a world-class airport, prestigious universities and a sense of community unrivaled by even the smallest close-knit towns. Whether you’re lucky enough to live here, work here or own a business here, it’s easy to fall in love with this community whose unofficial motto is “a small town feel within a big city,” where everyone knows their neighbor and is working together for the greater good.
In honor of this milestone birthday, a Westchester 75th Anniversary Committee made up of residents, local business owners and community leaders, has been created and is hard at work planning commemorative events to celebrate the occasion.
Westchester’s largest event, the Fourth of July Parade, will serve as the kick-off celebration for anniversary festivities. The 17th annual parade will take place on Monday, July 4 at 11 a.m. along Loyola Boulevard in Westchester and this year’s theme is “Our Little Piece of Paradise: Celebrating 75 Years of Westchester.” This year’s theme was inspired by longtime Westchester resident, Dorothy Rose, who has lived here since 1954 and suggested the theme during a contest held earlier this year.
To create a year full of anniversary events and activities, the Westchester 75th Anniversary Committee is looking to partner with local organizations, nonprofits and businesses that wish to participate in the celebration. The official commemorative event, a cocktail reception at Loyola Marymount University, will be hosted by the LAX Coastal Chamber later this year, and the HomeTown News will also publish a special 75th Anniversary edition of the paper, taking a look at Westchester’s past, present and future and highlighting the people, stories and businesses that help create this special community. Information on additional anniversary celebrations will be available in the HomeTown News and at thehtn.com.
For more information on getting involved with the Westchester anniversary, please email westchesteranniversary@gmail.com.
For those interested in participating in this year’s parade, registration packets are now available. Interested participants are asked to submit an application and pay a $25 entry fee to be considered. To keep the event at around an hour and a half, the parade is capped at 50 entries, and participants are asked to be creative in their costumes and design of their floats. Marching groups are requested to have at least 50 participants.
As in year’s past, the parade committee is looking for a local singer to sing the National Anthem at the event. Singers will be asked to audition at the chamber office on Friday, April 15 from 3 to 5 p.m. and should be comfortable singing in front of a large crowd. Preference will be given to singers who live or attend school in Westchester, Playa del Rey, Playa Vista, Del Rey and Marina del Rey. The runner-up will be offered the opportunity to sing at the Teacher Eddy awards in May.
To receive the parade registration packet or to receive an audition time for the National Anthem, please call (310) 645-5151.
Pictured: The LAFD bandwagon travels down Loyola Blvd. at last year’s parade. Photo by Glenn Marzano.
