Courtesy Consult Boom
Baldwin Park Events will have a festive stilt walker perusing the event to take photos with guests and hand out green beads.
Given the green light After a successful inaugural event, the St. Patrick’s Day Festival returns to Baldwin Park with plenty of Irish-themed fun for the whole family. DANIELLE HENDRIX ASSOCIATE EDITOR
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rish eyes will be smiling all up and down New Broad Street come St. Patrick’s Day weekend. If you love food, green beer — or any beer, for that matter — and Irish music, the Village Center is the place to be Saturday, March 14. Don’t forget to wear your green, either, lest you get pinched. For the second consecutive year, Baldwin Park Events is throwing a St. Patrick’s Day Festival that will leave those who don’t attend green with envy. Presented by Baldwin Park Realty and the Baldwin Park Joint Committee, the festival marks Consult Boom’s first major event of the year
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in Baldwin Park. From food trucks and a beer garden to music, Irish dancing and a host of vendors, the St. Patrick’s Day festival poses family-friendly — and even pet-friendly — fun for everyone. Sydney Albert, event director and social media manager for Consult Boom, says the event was so successful last year that staff is thrilled to bring it back for another year. “Everybody was really getting into the festivities; it was a lot of fun,” Albert says of the inaugural event. “People really enjoyed it. We had a big, blow-up pub, so people could go inside like they’re going into an Irish pub. A lot of the vendors also got into the festivities, selling certain jewelry and different items.
We also had a stilt walker that will be here again this year. That was the best part of it — that this is a fun holiday for everybody to enjoy. We can’t wait to see the turnout for this year.” Last year, about 5,000 people attended the event. This year, event hosts are expecting a crowd of at least 6,000. Irish dancers will perform during the event for spectators, but don’t be surprised if they bring you in for a dance — crowd participation is a fun aspect of these performances, Albert says. The vendor spaces are full, and food trucks will be on hand to cater to those needing a bite to eat. Then, there’s the beer garden. “The beer garden is actually a
