Mark your calendar for Fri., May 15, as the North Lake Ave. Business District holds its first Open House, 4-9 PM.
Businesses on and around Lake Ave. in Altadena will be open, and there will be food, music, art, and other activities available for the family.
The open house is the brainchild of the newly-formed Altadena Arts Coalition, a local arts and business group spearheaded by Ben McGinty (Gallery at the End of the World), Lance Anderson (Altadena Junction), Molly Tierney (Photography by Walt) and "Jeff the Chef" Klein (Coffee Gallery).
McGinty said that the idea for the open house "morphed out of" a map he found of Altadena businesses in the 50's-60's, published by the Altadena Chamber of Commerce. To mark the open house, the coalition will also release a map of today's local Lake Ave.-area businesses.
McGinty, who has operated his gallery in Altadena since 1994, said that the whole point of the evening was "about awareness. It's not about sales, it's about people getting excited about what we've got here." McGinty said he has walked up and down Lake Ave. from Altadena Dr. to New York Dr., talking to each business to try to get some buy-in.
Among the activities already booked include an art opening at the Coffee Gallery, an antique car show at Ronnie's Automotive, "Spring Fever" at the Gallery at the End of the World," 20-minute portrait painting at Altadena Junction, and an exhibit of emerging photographers at Walt's.
McGinty said that the vision was an evening with "hundreds of people walking the street, meeting their business neighbors, realizing that (Altadenans) don't have to leave their back yard -- just a chance to come out and find what's in the community."
Anderson said that future Open Houses were being planned, including one to coincide with the annual lighting of Christmas Tree Lane.
Keep checking in with Altadenablog, your center of information on the Open House!
