Nothing to do in Rancho?
Reader Mary Delgado writes:
"Just one question. Why doesn't Rancho have a National Night Out like Ontario, Upland, Claremont and La Verne? I live in the city of Rancho Cucamonga, and I am very surprised that it doesn't offer too much. I always have to go elsewhere for community events.
"You have Victoria Gardens, and it only offers summer concerts. How about a Farmers Market, etc.? The Gardens could have a lot to offer other than shopping. Rancho doesn't offer anything for adults. Everything is for children. I don't have anything against children, but come on, everything in the Cultural Center is directly for children.
"These are some concerns from our neigborhood. Please make sure someone reads this email."
I don't know why Rancho doesn't participate in National Night Out, and as for a farmers market, there was talk of having one at Victoria Gardens but I don't think that ever happened. Your complaint about the family-oriented Cultural Center offerings was echoed in one of my columns a year or two ago.
Anyone else in Rancho feeling left out?
Btw, an "international festival celebrating cultures from around the world" is slated for 6:30 p.m. Friday at the Cultural Center, with "music, food and activities from all seven continents." Raising the question: What's the native music of Antarctica?
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A journalist for more than two decades, David Allen has been writing a column for the Daily Bulletin since 1997 and blogging since 2007.He lives in Claremont.
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"National Night Out" ? - I think you mean events such as "Farmers Markets" (typically weekly in the summer..)
Mary - one reason...
Rancho has no "Old Town" = no core meeting center. As Rancho Cucamonga, the city itself, was incorprated in the late '70s, and only due to acquisition of parts of Alta Loma and Etiwanda. BTW -- there was no railroad thru Cucamonga, made famous by Jack Benny..
In the late 1800s, early 1900s, each one of the cities you mentioned were centered around railroads, hotels and small shops. Now, thanks to strategic urban planning (Victoria, Colonies, the Mills) most shopping hubs (public meeting centers) are set along freeway infrastructure.
Monrovia and Whittier are also great examples of cities that, although they were not centered near railroads, grew due to farming and agriculture, and cities grew from that core area.
Quite frankly, Rancho, as well as many surrounding "cities" in the IE, have become, sadly, fragmented conglomerates of retail urban planning. "If they build it, they will come.."
[Um...okay. -- DA]
dont eat that yellow snow?
[I think he's making a Zappa reference. -- DA]
There's plenty of Quakes games to attend. While I've enjoyed going to games at Mavericks stadium since we moved up to the desert a year ago, it's not quite like a game at the Epicenter.
But it would be nice if RC had a Thursday night thing like Upland.
[Ah, yes, the Thursday Night Market downtown. -- DA]
Rancho's National Night Out was held on Tuesday, August 5th at the Terra Vista Town Center Target from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m.
As for the Victoria Gardens Cultural Center, the Lewis Family Playhouse will be kicking off their 3rd season with Pat Benatar on September 6th. I would recommend checking out www.lewisfamilyplayhouse.com to see all of the programming offered for adults.
Notables: Diavolo Sept 12/13, Cirqueworks Birdhouse Factory on Sept 19/20, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy on October 4, Capitol Steps on October 5, Winter Dance Party on December 5, Rockapella on December 21, Art Garfunkel on January 10, Sweeney Todd Feb 27 - March 8.
[Thanks for the contribution, Danielle. -- DA]
Who the hell wishes for "National Night Out" in order to have something to do? If that's your idea of a good time, I don't see what you're complaining about -- Rancho's stultifying nightlife should be right up your alley.
[Ouch. -- DA]
I have question about things to do in Rancho actually...you know how all the 'new' shopping areas have small landscape 'vineyards' of grapes along the sidewalks and in between buildings....do those belong to anyone in particular or is anyone walking around shopping allowed to pick and eat them?
I noticed the vines in the shopping center on Day Creek/Baseline had a ton of grapes seemingly untouched as were the ones near Victoria Gardens...are they purely there for some nostalgic touch or are they were to be eaten as well? It's quite perplexing.
[I think they're picked at harvest time, as they were planted by the Filippi Winery, but if you picked a couple of grapes I don't think anyone would stop you. -- DA]