May Day Monster Mash Picnic
Saturday, May 1, 2010
La Laguna de San Gabriel, Vincent Lugo Park
300 W. Wells St, San Gabriel 91776

Picnic photos by Don Solosan

On May 1, 2010, the Conservancy, our Modern Committee, and the Friends of La Laguna held a fun family picnic at La Laguna de San Gabriel, a truly unique playground! This sand-filled "lagoon" of whimsical sea creatures was handcrafted in the mid-1960s by master concrete artist Benjamin Dominguez.

This "Monster Park" hosted a May Day afternoon of games, lunch, and architecture-inspired ice cream sandwiches from the Coolhaus truck. Kids played piñata, Twister, and participated in arts and crafts activities such as "pin the Chemosphere House on the hillside." It was a great time for kids of all ages!

La Laguna is more than just an amazing place; it's a great preservation success story. The playground was threatened with demolition in 2006 as part of a park expansion plan. After successfully rallying to save the playground, the grassroots Friends of La Laguna commissioned a groundbreaking study and preservation plan for this unique architectural treasure.

The Friends won a 2009 Conservancy Preservation Award for their Historic Structures Report and Preservation Plan. They've launched a $1.2 million capital campaign to implement the plan and recently received a $250,000 grant from the California Cultural and Historical Endowment. The playground is now an official City of San Gabriel landmark and the only postwar playground listed in the California Register of Historical Resources.

The picnic was generously sponsored by AYSO - Region 40, Barons Media, The Coca-Cola Company, Gabriel's Automotive, Park West Landscape Maintenance, Inc., The Rivera Family, and Subway.

For more information on La Laguna de San Gabriel, visit the Friends of La Laguna website.