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Friday, Mar 29, 2024

Irish Parade Pumps Sales On the Street

Last month, Canoga Park held its annual St. Patrick’s Day Community March and Celebration, lining Sherman Way with bagpipers, jugglers and pro-business residents garbed in green. Canoga Park Improvement Association organizes the event to bring awareness to the West Valley neighborhood rich in culture and entrepreneurship. This year, the march began at the Madrid Theatre, crossed Sherman Way and ended with musical performances, traditional Irish storytelling, raffles and prizes at Follow Your Heart Market & Restaurant. “The reason we march on the sidewalks is because if we close down the streets, all of the businesses would have to pack up for the day,” said John Parker, association board member and chief executive of Canoga Park construction contractor Parker Brown Inc. Street closures would have the opposite effect of the association’s purpose as a business improvement district, or BID – an entity formed to sponsor marketing and infrastructure projects for local businesses. “There’s a small-town America feel here,” Parker explained. “There are some unique businesses in the area that we would like to see kept here, and we think we can all complement each other.” One of those businesses is Locomotive Café, which sits directly on the parade route. Manager Kyle Adamson said there has been a slight uptick in sales as a result of the event. “Stuff like this, the more you do it, the more it picks up,” he noted. “It’s insane for Dia de los Muertos, where hundreds of people come out. If we can get this (the St. Patrick’s Day march) to that level, then we are in great shape.” The Dia de Los Muertos Festival is another event the BID sponsors, combining culture and community to boost the local economy. The early November street festival is an all-day celebration featuring food vendors, musical entertainment, art displays and a classic car show. Canoga Park Improvement Association is also working on giving the area a facelift by implementing construction projects like its glass replacement program and landscape and maintenance effort. “We think it helps the profile of Canoga Park,” Parker said. “We (the BID) are trying to lift business and be supportive of business in the area.” – Stephanie Henkel

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