By Isabelle Chiu
Staff Writer
Hermosa Beach’s City Council has recently extended its contract for Fiesta Hermosa with the Hermosa Beach Chamber of Commerce for another three years.
The fiesta, the largest arts and crafts fair in Southern California, is a bi-annual event that has been held every Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend since 1972. The city’s previous contract with Bell Events Services, which organized the fair, expired after Labor Day last year. This gave the council an opportunity to make a new contract that includes a few changes and improvements to Fiesta Hermosa, according to Hermosa Beach Chamber Chairman Ken Hartley.
“We want to highlight not only local artists but also merchants that live here in the community,” Hermosa Beach Mayor Peter Tucker said.
According to Hartley, both fiestas collect around $880,000 in revenue per year combined, with half the proceeds going towards the expenses of hosting the event for the following year. Outside of this, the money helps pay for several family-friendly events such as the Saint Patrick’s Day parade and Christmas tree lighting ceremony.
“There’s a lot that the Fiesta pays for, and the fundraising is not easily replaced at all,” Hartley said.
Under the new contract, Fiesta Hermosa will include a ceremony for both Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend to honor the soldiers who have lost their lives and American working class citizens.
“The purpose of the fiesta gets a little lost,” Tucker said. “There is no real celebration of these holidays and there wouldn’t be a three-day fiesta without them.”
The Chamber wants to start giving local vendors a chance to be featured before out-of-area vendors. They have streamlined the application process and instituted a jury to determine who will be able to participate.
“It wasn’t just the City Council and the chamber that wanted the change,” Tucker said. “It was based on the input citizens had to have more of a community feel.”
According to Tucker, the commercialization of the festival does not follow Fiesta Hermosa’s original intent. The changes instituted will work to bring back the community spirit of the event.
“The culture of Fiesta Hermosa lost a little bit of originality,” Tucker said. “It used to be like a big giant block party with all the local residents.”
The next Memorial Day Fiesta Hermosa will take place from May 23 to May 25 from 10 am to 6 pm each day. According to Tucker, the fiesta hopes to see increased numbers of Hermosa citizens enticed by these new improvements
“There are lots of people who attend each year, but I don’t usually see a lot of Hermosa residents,” Tucker said. “We hope to bring back more of a neighborhood feel and reunite the community.”
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