Music! Music!
Music!
plus
parade, flowers, missiles and a flower queen
The festivities were to be kicked off officially at 6 p.m.
on June 25. The annual event has carnival rides, non-stop entertainment, a
flower float parade, a standard flower show and concession booths from “A to
T,” offering everything from abelskivers by the
Solvang Lions to 24 others serving jambalaya, pork and tri-tip sandwiches, ice
cream, tacos, strawberry shortcake; and of course, that standard fair fare,
cotton candy by the Lompoc Kiwanis Club, all of which support various
charities.
The Alpha Club’s flower show is the key event that first
drew people to the Lompoc Flower Festival.
While rodeos are famous in California communities, Lompoc had its
world-famous flower fields, and the town designed an event to reflect its
personality and colorful profession. The late George Miller, one of city’s
leading citizens, is credited with promoting the creation of the flower
festival.
Fifty-six years later, Lompoc-grown flowers still adorn
the floats in the parade. Matthiola stock is grown by
five local flower seed companies in fields dedicated solely to growing flowers
for the parade.
The flower was named for 16th Century Italian botanist and
physician Pietro Andrea Mattioli.
This year’s theme, Music! Music! Music!,
is reflected in the flower show categories and all parade floats.
One of the main attractions for youngsters is the
carnival, this year offering 23 rides provided by Butler Amusements.
Saturday’s parade will feature flower- and grain-covered
floats, missiles from Vandenberg Air Force Base, horses, and the Alpha Club
flower show.
The parade starts at 10 a.m. at Pine and H streets and
ends at Ryon Memorial Park on Ocean Avenue at
approximately 12:30 p.m.
The Alpha Club’s Standardized Flower Show opens at noon on
June 28 at the Anderson Recreation Center at 125 West Walnut Avenue (the old
city hall) to accommodate 18 various table titles and 134 possible specimen
submissions. Musical theme categories for table entries include “Sunrise,
Sunset,” using yellow and orange flowers; “I Could Have Danced All Night,”
arrangements showing motion with asymmetrical curves; “Me and My Shadow” using
two containers; “Amazing Grace,” with all white flowers; and a men’s table,
“The Gambler.” There are also child entries including categories “Fly Me To The Moon,” and “Take Me Out To The Ballgame.” All
entrants are non-professional and must be a Lompoc resident or a member of the
Alpha Club.
Twelve horticulture professionals, including Bob Blockdyk of Windmill Nursery in Buellton, will judge the
flower show entries and the 134 categories of individual specimens.
There will be a tea room offering refreshments, with
proceeds benefiting the Alpha Cub.
Admission to the flower show is $5; hours are noon to 6
p.m. on Saturday, June 28, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. the next day. The awards
ceremony will begin at 3 p.m. on June 29, with crystal prizes for first, second
and third in almost every category.
The Alpha Club was created in 1898, though it was then
called the Harmony Club, “back when women were supposed to be at a washboard
and a stove,” said Barbara Culberson, who coordinated judging. “They got
together to read. The official name changed to the Alpha Literary and
Improvement Club in 1910,” and it became a Federated Women’s Club. Now commonly
known as the Alpha Club, the flower show is its annual main event.
Parade entries include two full-size floats measuring 10
feet by 20 feet, one by the Moose Lodge titled “Surf’s Up”
and the other, “Jailhouse Rock,” by the Elks Club and two mini-floats, one by
the IOOF Club and the other by the Boys and Girls Club.
The Queen’s Float, carrying Flower Festival Queen Charlie
Lee of Lompoc, will feature two grand pianos, using white rice and black onion
seeds to create the keys, and a saxophone sculpture decorated with wheat and
corn.
Due to the use of fresh materials, Float Chairman Speed
Walton said, the floats are built and decorated with flowers up until the night
before the parade. Walton has been involved in the parade for almost 20 years,
serving as float chairman for seven years, assisted by Roger Morse.
Live music performances were to begin June 25 at noon and
continue round the clock through June 29 at 6 p.m. Over 17 bands will perform
throughout the event. Performing headliners were to include “Beatlemania, a Tribute to the Beatles,” from 8 to 10 p.m.
on June 27; Savor, a Santana tribute band, from 8 to 10 p.m. on June 28; and
“Martin and Lewis,” a tribute to Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, on June 29 from 1
to 3 p.m. The Queen’s Raffle and food booth awards will be at 3 p.m. on June
29.
On June 28, Lompoc School of Dance will present a
performance from 11:50 a.m. to 1 p.m., followed by the Pageantry Parade Awards.
There also will be an arts and crafts show and a commercial center.
One-day unlimited carnival ride wristbands are $25 or 24
coupons for $20; single tickets are $1.
For more information, phone the Lompoc Valley Festival
Association at (805) 735-8511.