Happy Valley Pride: May 20, 2009

The Happy Valley Strawberry Festival is here once again and it has brought back many fond memories.

When Art and I moved here in 1969, it was our intention to become involved with our new community. We had been living in Rosemead, a suburb of Los Angeles. We were not involved with the community there, but we did know our neighbors.

When we arrived in Happy Valley, we enjoyed the rural flavor and decided to become involved in order to keep it that way. We left our big city ways behind and blended in with the values of country living.

We eventually met a lovely couple, Jack and Vive Lewis, who got us involved with the Happy Valley Strawberry Festival. I'll never forget that first year. I helped Vive hand wash all of the berry buckets.

The men washed the strawberries the same way they still do it today. Art has repaired that washer many times over. The ladies would come and we would sit and clean strawberries all day long, often finally finishing around midnight.

Some years later, someone got the bright idea to have the youth come down to the Community Center and help stem the berries. At that time the festival was held at the Happy Valley Community Center.

For many years, we had a Strawberry Queen and her court. The girl who sold the most tickets became queen.

In those days, the festival was more like a carnival. There were games for the kids. The Happy Valley Volunteer Fire Department had a fishing booth. They offered prizes of live fish swimming around in little bowls. The kids would throw ping-pong balls and when one landed in a bowl, the child who threw the ball won the fish. The fish was placed into a plastic bag so the child could take it home.

The firefighters invariably would run out of fish, so they would buy the fish back. This allowed the children to keep on playing.

The Ladies Fire Department Auxiliary offered Bingo games and gave out prizes.

My children were even involved. They operated a candy booth. They hung candy on a manzania tree and the other children would throw a hoop. When the hoop landed on a branch with candy hanging on it, the child that threw the hoop received the candy. If the hoop didn't land on a branch with candy, my children could still give the thrower some candy anyway. I think my youngsters usually came home with $25.00 in their pockets.

There was always free coffee. Beer was always sold. In the evening, music and dancing were the forms of entertainment. The festival organizers always set up a stage out back of the Community Center where the Queen was crowned and the band played.

Those days are long gone but the Happy Valley Strawberry Festival is still with us.

For $6, anyone can enjoy a large serving of strawberries over sponge cake topped with ice cream. The portions are always large.

Free music, arts, crafts, horse rides and good food abound.

It all starts Saturday, May 23, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Happy Valley Elementary School, located where Happy Valley Road and Palm Avenue intersect.

I have enjoyed reminiscing with you. Have a great week. Do something this week that you haven't done in a long time like help a neighbor, play with your kids, go to church, call home, recycle or volunteer.