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Festival PRESS/Info Special Wistaria Postmark Cancellation Press Release Emergency Communications Team to Assist with Logistics at Wistaria Festival |
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This website is designed and maintained by SierraMadreNews.Net, not the Sierra Madre Chamber of Commerce. The Sierra Madre Chamber of Commerce is not affiliated with SierraMadreNews.Net and is not responsible for any coverage that we post. Any Wistaria Festival information provided herein is shown here as a public service of SierraMadreNews.Net without explicit permission of the Sierra Madre Chamber of Commerce, which annually puts on the festival. |
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Click photo to enlarge Scroll down for General Wistaria Coverage and Archives |
Click photo to enlarge Sierra Madre's 2010 Wistaria Festival Coming Sunday, March 14, 2010 Above photo from 2007 Festival |
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2010 Wistaria Festival Sponsorships Still Available, click here for more info |
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Video of photos from 2007
Festival
Webmaster's note: I actually shot this photo in my backyard. It is not part of the famous vine. For those pictures, see above. Statistics (Estimates)
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Wistaria
is commonly spelled either wistaria or wisteria, but since it was named in
1818 for Caspar Wistar of the University of
Pennsylvania to honor his contributions to science, it probably is properly
Wistaria.
Sierra Madre's vine was planted by William and Alice Brugman. According to a letter from the Brugman's daughter, Emily Brugman Childs, it was originally purchased from the old Wilson Nursery in Monrovia in a gallon can for $ .75 in 1894. The vine is of the Chinese lavender variety. It is a member of the pea family, even though its seeds resemble beans (shiny, flat and black). The seeds are said to have been brought to Europe by Marco Polo in the 13th century as prized treasures from the Orient. H.T. Fennel bought the house in 1913, and built extra arbors to support it so it could cover the house. Photographs from the 1930s show that it did just that; eventually the roof collapsed and the house was torn down in 1931. The arbors were retained, and a new house was built 200 feet away. In 1918, 12,000 people attended the first public Wistaria Festival. In the 1930s, a 6-week Wistaria event took place, with more than 100,000 people making the trip to see the vine. Extra "Red Cars" were put on the Pacific Electric route to Sierra Madre to handle the crowds. In the 1940s and again in the 1960s, at considerable expense, the vine required horticultural restoration, dry ice packs, three foot hypodermic needles with Vitamin B, hormone shots and more. Through the years the vine has had many nicknames, among them Glorified Bean, Jack's Beanstalk, Queen of the San Gabriels, Lavender Lady, Sierra Madre's Treasure, and the Monster. The Sierra Madre City Council proclaimed 1994 as the Centennial Year of the Wistaria. |
The 2010 Wistaria Vine Festival To Bring Thousands to Sierra Madre to See the
World's Largest Blossoming Plant
| WHO | Public invited: Shuttle ticket serves as entry ticket. Contact the Chamber. |
WHAT Viewing of Wistaria Vine: Annual Wistaria Festival and Village celebration; World’s largest blossoming plant
WHEN March 14, 2010
Vine viewing: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Art & Garden Faire: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
WHERE Sierra Madre
East of Pasadena, northwest of Arcadia
Take Foothill freeway (210) to Baldwin Avenue off-ramp;
Go north one mile to Sierra Madre Boulevard for
Festivities, shuttle buses, information and parking.
Limited handicapped parking on the southeast corner of Baldwin and Montecito. Baldwin Ave. north will be closed at Sierra Madre Blvd., so make a right, go to the first stop at Mountain Trail, go north (left) to Montecito, go left to Baldwin.
HOW For updated Wistaria Festival info., call 626-355-5111. For Wistaria Festival related questions, e-mail Wistaria Festival
Tickets: Required to enter vine-viewing grounds. Shuttle ticket serves as entry ticket, if not riding shuttle, walk-in ticket is required.
Advance reservations required; tickets limited
Shuttle buses (optional; however, walk is one mile uphill, between downtown Sierra Madre and Wistaria Vine).
$10/person pre-sale, $15 per person day of event; age 5 and under free (price is the same, whether you go one way or round trip, no refunds or exchanges)
Make check payable to Sierra Madre Chamber of Commerce
Include check with your request for vine-viewing tickets
State your preferred hour between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., as well as an alternate time;
Send a self-addressed envelope (#10) with adequate postage, to
“Wistaria Tickets,”
Sierra Madre Chamber of Commerce,
37 N. Auburn Ave., Ste. 1, Sierra Madre, CA 91024
Note: Grounds are on private property; access incompatible for people with limited mobility; call 626-355-5111 for more information. Wheelchairs, strollers not allowed.
Tour Groups: Contact the Chamber at 626-355-5111 for procedure.
WHAT ELSE? FESTIVITIES in downtown Sierra Madre (near shuttles):
Art & Garden Faire, 150 juried artisans, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Village restaurants featuring indoor and outdoor dining
Student art sale at the Creative Arts Group
Live music featuring 24 musical acts in 6 outdoor locations
Special Wistaria Festival US Postal Stamp cancellation
Some of Sierra Madre's historic sites - Lizzie's Trail Inn, E. Waldo Wards, the Richardson House,
Memorial Park Fun ‘n Food
Free Gateway Coach shuttle from Gold Line (Sierra Madre Villa Station) to and from Sierra Madre
Sierra Madre 5-Day Advance Weather Forecast
Barney's Only Place in Town
110
W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, CA 91024
Phone:
(626) 355-3502
Beantown Coffee Bar
45 N.
Baldwin Ave., Sierra Madre, CA 91024
Phone:
(626) 355-1596 Fax (626) 355-3034
322 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, CA 91024
Phone
(626) 836-5414
Casa Del Rey
31 N. Baldwin Ave., Sierra Madre, CA 91024
Phone: (626) 355-6060
120 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, CA 91024
(626) 355-3908
Corfu
48 W.
Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, CA 91024
Phone:
(626) 355-5993
Domino's Pizza
17 Kersting
Court, Sierra Madre, CA 91024
Phone:
(626) 355-0033
Four Seasons Tea Room, The
75 N.
Baldwin Ave., Sierra Madre, CA 91024
(626)
355-0045
Kentucky Fried Chicken
345
W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, CA 91024
Phone:
(626) 355-4388
Lucky Baldwin's Delirium Cafe
21 Kersting Court,
Sierra Madre CA
Phone: (626) 355-1140 • Fax: (626) 836-6688
Mary's Market and Cafe
561
Woodland Drive, Sierra Madre, CA 91024
Phone:
(626) 355-4534
Mountain View Restaurant
24A
Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, CA 91024
Phone:
(626) 355-1324
Restaurant Lozano
44 N.
Baldwin Ave., Sierra Madre, CA 91024
Phone:
(626) 355-5945
Search for restaurants by city, type of cuisine, or type of restaurant. Download coupons, too!!
280 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., #110 Sierra Madre, CA 91024
Phone:
(626) 355-4972 Fax (626) 836-5926 URL:
www.sangabrielvalleymenus.com
Starbucks Coffee Company
1 Kersting
Court, Sierra Madre, CA 91024
Phone:
(626) 355-8222
Sierra Juice Company
1 Kersting
Court, Sierra Madre, CA 91024
Phone:
(626) 836-1293
Sierra Madre Pizza Company
181 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, CA
(626) 355-6058
Thai in Sierra Madre
85 W.
Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, CA 91024
Phone:
(626) 355-1616
Ugo's Deli Bakery Cafe
74 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. Sierra Madre, CA 91024
(626) 836-5700
Village Pizzeria
41 N.
Baldwin Ave., Sierra Madre, CA 91024
Phone:
(626) 355-8817
Wildflour Baking Company
328 W.
Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, CA 91024
Phone: (626) 355-9000
Wistaria Festival 2009 Coverage
Wistaria Festival 2008 Pictures and Video
Wistaria Festival 2007 Pictures
Wistaria Festival 2004 Pictures
Wistaria Festival 2003 Pictures
Wistaria Festival 2002 Pictures
Wistaria Festival 2001 Pictures
Wistaria
Festival 2000 Pictures
Wistaria
Festival 1999 Pictures
For a large picture of the vine (from the year 2000), click here
Some other upcoming Sierra Madre events of interest
Huck Finn Day March
SMVFA Easter Egg Hunt March or April
Sierra Madre Friends of the Library Art Fair May
Fourth of July July