Long Beach Needs A Jacaranda Fest
Taking Advantage of Those Lavender-Blue Droppings
The hugely financial successes of the Long Beach Gay and Lesbian parade and festival and the Grand Prix races prove that “if you build it they will come.” Tourists hunger for something different and fun and they don’t mind spending money to get it.
So why doesn’t Long Beach take advantage of the fact that it is home to one of the largest growths of the lavender-blue Jacaranda mimosifolia tree and host an annual parade and festival in celebration?
Long Beach wouldn’t be the first city in the world to host a Jacaranda Festival. Grafton, Australia has been throwing a giant party to celebrate the magnificent spectacle of their 6,000 trees in full bloom, since 1935. The week-long celebration brings thousands of people from all over Australia and the world to join in hundreds of activities that include: a carnival, music festival, a volleyball tournament, golf, crew races, gardening exhibits, pipe bands, foods, canoe races, quilting contests, antiques, car show, fun walk and fun race, arts and crafts exhibits, and the Jacaranda Ball.
Although the jacaranda is actually a native of Brazil, its blooming is also celebrated in the African capital city of Harare in Zimbabwe with an international Jacaranda Blues Festival. Pretoria, South Africa, whose nickname is “Jacaranda City” naturally boasts a jacaranda fest to celebrate its 68,000 trees.
In the United States, Southwest Florida has been hosting a Jacaranda Festival for 18 years. And this very month, Maui, Hawaii is putting on its first annual jacaranda celebration.
Come on Long Beach. While some residents bitterly complain about the lavender-blue droppings on their streets and lawns that appear each May and June from the jacaranda trees, some of us believe this wonderful annual event could be turned into something great. After all, folk-lore has it that if you are walking underneath the Jacaranda tree and one of the trumpet blossoms falls on your head you will be favored by fortune.
The hugely financial successes of the Long Beach Gay and Lesbian parade and festival and the Grand Prix races prove that “if you build it they will come.” Tourists hunger for something different and fun and they don’t mind spending money to get it.
So why doesn’t Long Beach take advantage of the fact that it is home to one of the largest growths of the lavender-blue Jacaranda mimosifolia tree and host an annual parade and festival in celebration?
Long Beach wouldn’t be the first city in the world to host a Jacaranda Festival. Grafton, Australia has been throwing a giant party to celebrate the magnificent spectacle of their 6,000 trees in full bloom, since 1935. The week-long celebration brings thousands of people from all over Australia and the world to join in hundreds of activities that include: a carnival, music festival, a volleyball tournament, golf, crew races, gardening exhibits, pipe bands, foods, canoe races, quilting contests, antiques, car show, fun walk and fun race, arts and crafts exhibits, and the Jacaranda Ball.
Although the jacaranda is actually a native of Brazil, its blooming is also celebrated in the African capital city of Harare in Zimbabwe with an international Jacaranda Blues Festival. Pretoria, South Africa, whose nickname is “Jacaranda City” naturally boasts a jacaranda fest to celebrate its 68,000 trees.
In the United States, Southwest Florida has been hosting a Jacaranda Festival for 18 years. And this very month, Maui, Hawaii is putting on its first annual jacaranda celebration.
Come on Long Beach. While some residents bitterly complain about the lavender-blue droppings on their streets and lawns that appear each May and June from the jacaranda trees, some of us believe this wonderful annual event could be turned into something great. After all, folk-lore has it that if you are walking underneath the Jacaranda tree and one of the trumpet blossoms falls on your head you will be favored by fortune.
posted by Gerrie Schipske for Council | 11:57 AM
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