The Resident

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Thousands turn out for Founder's 'Festa'

By Linda Taaffe

Most Willow Glen residents may not remember the fight to save the quaint neighborhood from becoming a railroad cororidor in the 1920s, but a good share of them showed their appreciation for what early settlers achieved during the annual Founder's Day celebration Sept. 26-28.

The three-day event attracted thousands of residents along Lincoln Avenue, eager to celebrate the community's history and continued small-town feel that founders fought so hard to preserve.

Ponies, children in sombreros, collector cars and a truck hauling banjo players strumming old-fashioned songs were among the long line of parade participants to make their way down The Avenue for the Founder's Day Parade.

Longtime Willow Glen resident Sophie Birk, who recently turned 100 years old and was born 19 years before Willow Glen's incorporation, was grand marshal of the parade. Birk, who is considered the First Lady of Willow Glen, says her family was the first in the town to own a television.

Founder's Day, revived last year after a five-year break, celebrates the history of the neighborhood, which became its own city in 1927 for the specific purpose of keeping the railroad off its streets. San Jose later annexed the area in 1936.

After paying tribute to Willow Glen's history, residents were able to celebrate Italian culture with an array of Italian dishes and entertainment. For the second year in a row, the Italian American Heritage Foundation teamed up with the Willow Glen Business Association to bring the 28th annual Italian Family Festa to The Avenue as part of the festivities.

Event organizers say the festivities help keep community members personally connected to one another.

"Willow Glen perceives itself as [having] a small-town feel even though it is an an urban environment," organizer Norma Ruiz said. "The parade is kind of like getting a piece of Americana in an urban environment."