The community will gather Saturday evening to celebrate the grand opening of the 75th anniversary of the Shadi Holiday Display.
The event will run from 6-8 p.m. at Moeser Lane and Sea View Drive in El Cerrito. As part of this year’s milestone celebration, a park bench commemorating Jane Bartke and in honor of her husband Rich will be installed at the site.
“They were personally instrumental is obtaining the display collection from the Shadi Family,” organizers said.
Saturday’s event will feature a welcome speech, memories of Jane and Rich, refreshments, photo opportunities and flipping the switch to turn the lights and music on.
The Shadi Holiday Display is the brainchild of the late Sundar Shadi, a master gardener who first placed a large star in the yard next to his home on Arlington Boulevard during the holiday season in 1949.
“He then began creating a holiday scene that could represent the viewpoints of many religions,” according to the display’s website. “Mr. Shadi made people and animals out of plaster over wood frames covered in chicken wire.”
After he died in 2002, the El Cerrito Soroptimists purchased the collection for preservation and it was relocated to its current spot on Moeser Lane. Dedicated volunteers care for the collection, meeting throughout the year to perform maintenance on its many parts.
To learn more, visit here.
