Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-08-02
THE POLICY OF ANNUAL FESTIVAL
OCCASIONS.

| 1t is good policy on the part of cities to
encourage holiday celebrations and pro-
mote them upon a broadly liberal scale.
The Madri Gras displays at New Orleans,
the march of the Yelled Prophets in st.
Louis, the brilliant festival of the Mystic
Knew in Baltimore, are all paying invest
ments for those cities, Notwithstanding the
exceeding large outlay made in their pro-
motion, running up to quite million
! dollars in some cases. Beyond the annual
| fairs, and the Fourth of July celebrations,
there are very few efforts made by cities in
| CALIFORNIA to attract people to holiday
occasions. There is no city on the coast
that can better afford to encourage an an
nual festival display than Sacramento. 1t
is entirely possible for the people Of this
city to lead in such matter. San Fran
cisco will never be competitor in anything
of this character with the Capital City, for
whatever she or any other town may do in
like direction, will but stimulate the effort
here, cultivate the taste of the people in
and their desire for such displays, and con-
tribute to the general success. All such
| things within reasonable limit are bene-
fetal to people We are not of those who
believe there is danger of too many holt
days being snatched from business, nor in
too much mingling of the people in public
festivals
The people of Sacramento can hardly go
a,o;uo of cr,ococS ooS1ripp bo Stato ~
one grand festival occasion annually at the
Capital either supplemental to the annual
fair or Independent of it. If they promoted
such affairs as they should, in a very few
years Sacramento would come to be looked
to for them, and as the proper author and
seat of such reunions, and our gain would
be commensurate with the effort put forth.
We are upon historic ground and it con-
stantly suggests possibilities in the line of
music festivals. military encampments, dis
plays by civic societies, historic reunions,
great trials of speed and skill and the like,
or even Madri Gras grotesque and spectacu-
lar displays, etc.
In this year sn effort is being made in
this direction that rises to an importance
iustifying the opening of the question for
public attention. The young men of the
State generally whose nativity is Califor-
Man propose gathering in this city to cele
brate the anniversary of the admission of
California into the Union, by civil observ-
ances beneath the very shadows of the
crumbling walls of Suffers Fort-a his
toric relic that is fast passing into the stage
where reclamation will be impossible.
Their effort is being seconded by the men
of the Pioneer era, and it begins to look as
if Admission Day will be in 1884 restored
to something of its original Importance as
a holiday. The effort is commendable,
and should receive broad and liberal en-
couragement from our people. Besides as
surfing festival day of more than usual
importance, this Admission Day celebra-
ton may be made by successful manage
ment and liberal expenditure the initial
step toward annual festivals at Sacramento
such as suggested. They understand these
matters well at the East especially, and in
England, Germany and France also. Cal
ifornia has fewer holiday celebrations than
any State in the Union, if we except only
Nevada It is time she reformed her habit,
and it is timely for the capital city to break
the ice.