El Cerrito by El Cerrito Historical Society

The members of the Task Force were:Īt the December 19, 2017,City Council meeting, the Council thanked and dissolved the Task Force, and prize winners for the passport activity were announced. The Centennial Celebration Planning Task Force was instrumental in helping develop plans for the centennial year, including gathering community input, developing proposals, and assisting with the implementation of the Centennial Celebration plans once approved by the City Council. The passports could be submitted in order to be entered into a drawing to win one of several prizes, including a prize for the entry with the most stamps. Event attendees were encouraged to collect a stamp in their passport at each centennial event they attended. You can also see photos of the Centennial Gala dinner.Ī passport activity was created and more than 1,000 passports were distributed.

See some photos from El Cerrito's largest parade! There is also a video of the parade. Two hundred guests enjoyed a lovely dinner, a welcome by Mayor Janet Abelson, a keynote speech by NYU law professor and El Cerrito High School graduate Tony Thompson, and music and dancing to the sounds of the Generation Gap big band. The weekend culminated in a Gala Centennial Dinner at the Berkeley Country Club (formerly Mira Vista Country Club) in the El Cerrito hills. The parade wound through town and ended at Cerrito Vista Park, where the festivities and entertainment continued: games, food, booths, music, magic, and dance performances. The weekend also featured a parade through town, with almost 900 participants in over 50 units: outstanding citizens, businesses, clubs, organizations, schools, City representatives, pioneer families and more.

The Centennial Celebration weekend in September included events such as a film at the Cerrito Theater, a family movie night in Cerrito Park, and a teen dance. Peter CME Church, Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, Sycamore Congregational Church UCC, the El Cerrito Library, the El Cerrito Art Association, and the Shadi Holiday Display Committee. Many local groups and organizations helped share El Cerrito's history and celebrate the centennial, including the El Cerrito Historical Society, El Cerrito Trail Trekkers, Friends of the Cerrito Theater, Contra Costa Civic Theatre, El Cerrito Branch of the NAACP, St. See details about the events here and here.

Events were held throughout the year - everything from pancake breakfasts to historic talks and hikes to films and musical performances. El Cerrito was incorporated on August 23, 1917, and the City celebrated its centennial during 2017.

El Cerrito by El Cerrito Historical Society