The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-03-28
Woman sWorId
LOS ANGELES
FEAST OF FLOWERS
Beautiful Spectacle VIII BE Given
During the Visit of the Club
Women at the Federation BIZ

Women at the Federation b.
ennial.
When the club women who attend the
sixth biennial meeting Of the General Fedora
ton OF Women's clubs reach Los Angeles
they will find the city in its carnival dress.
Its annual fete, La Fiesta de los Flores.
occurs the first week in May.
Preparations for the event occupy months
and the work of street decoration begins
seYera! days before the opening OF the fes-
tival. Light scaffolding is erected as a foun-
dalton for floral designs; wires stretched
for floating thousands of gay banners in red,
green and yellow-the Fiesta colors-frame-
work is placed about doorways and public
entrances to be swathed In these same tri-
colored buntings; wagon loads Of date palms,
fan palms, pepper boughs, cypress and noun
tain laurel, busy hundreds Of workmen in
decking the city, which in its gala dress
presents a scene unique and almost oriental
in color effect.
The object Of La Fiesta de los Flores (Which
means simply feast of tiowers'D Is to de-
pict in living picture or spectacular pageant
something specific and typical; something
which shall reflect the poetic side OF the
great southwest and Pacific coast and which
shall in no way be copy or the New
Orleans Mardi Gras, nor Of any other flower
fete under the sun.
The people of Los Angeles have also elected
innocent revelry, that the world, which is at
this season here represented may learn from
the happy hearted children of the south that
Americans once year-at least IN one cor
ner of this great country-know how to en-
Joy themselves amid light, inconseQuent
| fashion of less intense people. r.'
The first fiesta was held in 1894 and IN that,
as in those Immediately following, the cent
raj idea was the romance and history Of the
southwest-the Incas, Aztecs, Pueblos, Call
| fornia missions, touches Of Spanish and
Mexican life; and to this was added the
magnificent parade Of Cinnamon trapped out
in barbaric splendor and an indescrlbable
wealth Of floral decoration
Later festas, still having these features,
| have given prominence to the long possession
Of 1ower-covered vehicles, spectacle which
no other city in the world has accomplished
and one which visitors from less Favored
climes will scarcely forget.
The program for La Fiesta this year is
| much the same upon previous occasions
| but an entirely new feature Will De 1n1ro-
duced.
| Thursday, May l, the opening day, the
| Elks, who have large membership in south
ern California, will parade en- masque, anu
| their costumes will tax the ingenuity OF those
skilled in producing the fantastic anu gro
! tesque. This amusing exhibition VIII be one
| of the first entertainments offered the VISIT
|
given Friday morning and will include the
| Chinese entry as well which is scarcely Sec
and in interest to the floral display itself
| It is not only the spectacle Afforded the eye
| in hundreds of flower decked conveyance
| from an English drag to a two-Wheeleo Durfo
| cart, which amazes, but the fehecllon that
| every one Of the millions OF blossoms useo
| in lavish ornamentation Is fresn from saruen
| or field Nowhere, even as a background
| is the paper substitute allowed a place. There
| is no lack of flowers for wreathing, festoon-
ing garlanding and entirely enveioplng Vehl-
| cles of every description; and as the pro-
| cessons pass sister blossoms adorn every
! garden and wayside so that the myrlads OF
roses geranium carnation, hlles,N Holels'
acacias marguerites and lnnumeraDle plos-
SONS. which are disposed in artistic decora-
tion upon floats, coaches and carriages Gotten
| hiding them completely from vieW) are
! scarcely missed.
! The display Of flowers at last years Fiesta
| was little short of marvellous, and the late
| rains this season insure a repetition or the
miracle; but can scarce nope TO see
| duplicate, in beauty or wealth OF decoration,
! Of the landau which was Occupied by the late
| President Mckinley, the body OF which was
| entirely concealed beneath it's covering of
| white carnations. Garlands of white rosebuus
and ferns added the finishing touches to the
ornamentation.
And the Chinese portion OF the parade peg
| CARS description. It is without doubt the
most unusual feature Of La Fiesta, and could
not be produced elsewhere than on the Pa
cifc coast The Chinese residents of Los
| Angeles enter into the spirit of the affair with
an enthusiasm which renders their display
a rival in splendor to the grandest ceremo-
malls To it's effectiveness they bring their
robes of state, their richest banners, heavy
with priceless embroideTies in silver and gold
their josses and their orchestras, and, most
wonderful Of ALL their awe-inspiring man
manipulated Chinese dragon, 225 feet long.
At former Festas the Indian division was
| one of the striking novelties At least upon
| enc occasion a large number of Pueblo IN
dams were brought to Los Angeles at an
| enormous expense and, with their squaws
| pappooses, rude agricultural and war imple-
| ments, scanty attire and aboriginal charac-
| teristics, added much to the picturesquenesS
of the pageant. Whether this will he a par
| of this years Fiesta is as yet undecided.
cavalcade Of Mexican oaballeros is promised
> | as usual and the glitter and tinsel gold lace
and silver mountings of Mexican trappings
the sombrero and zerape, give a touch o.
color and form an essential part Of the car
| nival's attractions.
| An opportunity will be given club womel
. ! to see all that is Of interest. The city viii
remain en- fete during the entire week; dec
orations will not be removed until after Ma!
8, and each evening the city will be brillian
, | with special illuminations incidental to thu
, carnival.
Thursday evening, May l, the club womel
will be entertained with formal reception
at the Woman's clubhouse, and Wednesday
May 7, an al-day excursion to Long Beacl
| and San Pedro has been arranged.