Planes, Trolleys, And Flags: Calabasas Celebrates The Fourth

CALABASAS, CA — When a couple is still able to dress what appears to be a wooden carving of Bigfoot in an American flag, we know that not all is lost.

Robin and Richard Squaglia of Calabasas decked out Bigfoot, and the rest of their yard, in American flags and red, white, and blue fun for the city’s 4thof July decorating contest. They were announced as winners Tuesday morning.

2020 saw a July 4 like no other in history, with the usual fireworks, picnics, and barbecues called off due to COVID. But the city made sure the day wouldn’t be without a bit of patriotic cheer.

First, it joined with other Conejo Valley cities to launch a 4thof July decorating contest. The city asked residents to decorate their “yard, house, patio, boat, or vehicle,” take a picture, and post on social media under the hashtag #CalabasasJuly4.

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Happy Independence Day! Stay safe and wear a mask! Swipe
A post shared by Heather Tepper (@htepper) on Jul 4, 2020 at 12:59pm PDT

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#calabasasjuly4
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#calabasasjuly4 Happy Independance Day to all
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On Instagram and Twitter, Calabasas residents can be seen attaching an American flag to a tree while fireworks go off in the background, riding a bike strewn with American flags, and decking their dogs out in red, white, and blue.

Participants are eligible to win gift cards to Calabasas businesses.

On Saturday, the Jolly Trolley, a city-owned bus that normally drives through the city Saturday, embarked on a Spirit Tour through town. The trolley crisscrossed the city, stopping at Alice C. Stelle Middle School, Grape Arbor Park, and the Calabasas Tennis and Swim Center. At each stop, Mayor Alicia Weintraub, Mayor Pro Tem James Bozajian, City Councilmember Fred Gaines, and other city staff gave away stickers, patriotic leis, glow-in-the-dark noisemakers, and patriotic beach balls to the roughly 150 families who waited at different stops to collect prizes.

And on July 4, Calabasans also had a reason to look up to the sky. At 6:50 p.m. Saturday night, two Condor Squadron, World War II-era planes, soared over town.