The Los Angeles Post

Solis Joins the Holiday Festivities in the East San Gabriel Valley

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Valinda, CA (December 23rd, 2024) – Today, Los Angeles County Chair Pro Tem and Supervisor to the First District, Hilda L. Solis, joined in the holiday festivities at Rimgrove Park’s Winter Wonderland. Held by the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation the event was well attended with over 1,000 participants, and marked by a special guest performance by Brass Connection presented by the LA Phil, in addition to 700 toys distributed to children on a first-come, first-serve basis.

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Winter Wonderland held at Rimgrove Park sees over 1,000 guests, 700 toys distributed, and a special free performance from Brass Connections presented by the LA Phil.

As part of a countywide series of events, Los Angeles County transformed Rimgrove Park into a magical holiday destination, complete with 40 tons of snow, family photos with Santa, champurrado and tamales, a teen zone featuring DJs and games, face painting, balloon artists, and bounce houses.

“The Winter Wonderland event at Rimgrove Park exemplifies LA County Parks’ commitment to creating inclusive and accessible experiences for all. By transforming the park into a festive holiday destination with tons of snow, entertainment, and fun activities, we were able to bring families together for a day of celebration”, said Norma E. García-González, Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation. “We are especially grateful for the support of Chair Pro Tem Solis and are proud of our partnership with the LA Phil. This reflects our continued effort to make arts and cultural programming accessible to every corner of Los Angeles County, enriching the lives of our communities.”

As part of the Chair Pro Tem’s commitment to bringing arts programming and initiatives to the East San Gabriel Valley, Rimgrove Park’s Winter Wonderland experience also featured a special guest performance by Brass Connection presented by LA Phil, a rare treat for families and communities in the San Gabriel Valley. To that end, this unique opportunity allowed for multigenerational art engagement that was free and accessible to residents within the community.

“Aligned with our mission to bring music and the arts to communities throughout Los Angeles, we are thrilled to collaborate with Supervisor Solis and the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation for this special Winter Wonderland event,” said Kim Noltemy, President and Chief Executive Officer of the LA Phil. “The performance by Brass Connection is an exciting addition, and we are honored to help create joyful, transformative experiences for the families of the San Gabriel Valley during this holiday season.”

“Today’s programming and collaboration with the LA Phil and our County Parks makes me especially happy and grateful,” said Chair Pro Tem Solis. “Our First District families deserve to have access to free programming within their community, and this Winter Wonderland experience made sure to not only bring the holiday spirit, but a remarkable music experience that some in our unincorporated communities don’t get to experience for free often. This experience is a testament to our commitment to connecting our constituents to transformative and community building experiences.”

This same Winter Wonderland experience was also held at Bassett Park in unincorporated Bassett and Valleydale Park in unincoporated Covina that same day. This latest collaboration facilitated by Chair Pro Tem Solis is just one of many initiatives to continue expanding arts education and access to First District communities, including in the San Gabriel Valley.

In 2015, Chair Pro Tem Solis authored a motion that led to the development of the Countywide Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative, to foster equitable access to arts and culture in Los Angeles County. The Chair Pro Tem has supported expanded arts access through community organizations like Latino Film Institute’s Youth Cinema Project, which engages high school students in the San Gabriel Valley through short films, as well as initiatives like the Natural History Museum’s mobile museum, which brings exhibits like dinosaur fossils and natural sciences directly to communities in the San Gabriel Valley.