By Sam Skopp
On September 20, 2017, Culver City will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of its incorporation as a city in Los Angeles County. In the lead up to this milestone, the City kicked off a year of fun events with a Centennial Celebration parade, opening ceremony and block party this past Saturday.
The day-long event began with a parade, which saw participants from local businesses and organizations parade down a stretch of Culver Boulevard that was blocked off for most of the day.
“We participated in the parade today, so we’re happy to be part of this centennial kickoff day. The Chamber is actively involved in the centennial and happy to celebrate the city of Culver City. I’m a business owner in culver city and I’m happy with all the changes and the continued growth the city is having and the focus that the culver city chamber has to help businesses in the city,” said Colette Moore, who is the 2016 chair of the Culver City Chamber of Commerce, which promotes businesses local to the Culver City area.
Then, an opening ceremony featured from Centennial Celebration Board of Directors President Paul Jacobs, Mayor Jim Clarke, and others. Also in attendance were the mayors of three of Culver City’s sister cities, Kaizuka, Japan; Uruapan, Mexico; and Lethbridge, Canada.
Much of Mayor Clarke’s speech was about the earliest days of Culver City, from the perspective of its founder, Harry Culver. According to Clarke, though much has a changed, a lot of the key components of the city have stayed the same.
“Unfortunately, a century later, we find that [city motto] ‘All Roads Lead to Culver City’ has added to our congestion. And whereas we had the Pacific Red Car in 1916 running right down the street, now we have the expo light rail to help ease congestion,” said Mayor Clarke, receiving an enthusiastic round of applause.
The mayor also mentioned the Culver Hotel, which he referred to as “the great skyscraper.” The hotel was formerly owned by John Wayne, and is a landmark for many residents and visitors due to its large size, central location in the heart of the city’s downtown area, and storied history in the city’s film industry.
“We’re very proud right now to say the city of Culver City regards the Culver Hotel as the fulcrum of the renaissance of Culver City. The Centennial Celebration fantastic. This city is perfectly positioned right in the middle of the westside of Los Angeles. It’s been recognized as a destination. And the culver hotel is specifically a really fantastic destination now,” said Seth Horowitz, general manager of the Culver Hotel.
Following the opening ceremony, a block party was held for the remainder of the day, featuring local performance artists and booths set up by local businesses. Additionally, ticket holders to a “Taste of Culver City” event were treated to food from 22 different restaurants participating in the event. At the end of the day, the “Culver Cup People’s Choice Award” was awarded to one of the performance artists at the festival.
For a list of upcoming Centennial Celebration events, visit culvercity100.org.
