Summer Whites Picnic Coming Up At Lanterman House

LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE— From The Lanternman House: The Lanterman Historical Museum Foundation will host its annual Summer Whites Picnic and Ukulele Rendezvous as part of the Fiesta Days Weekend at the Lanterman House and Gardens on Sunday, May 26, 2019. The event is free of charge and will be held from 12 PM to 4 PM. The picnicking (on your own) in the Gardens begins at Noon and FREE tours of the house start at 1 PM.

Visitors can admire the work of local artists from the Verdugo Hills Art Association and there will be dancing and live music in the ballroom. There will be cookies and lemonade for everyone to enjoy throughout the event. As a special treat, those in attendance can join an outdoor ukulele concert by the Honey Lulus. Guests are welcome to bring their ukuleles to join the fun and period dress is encouraged. In addition, visitors will have the opportunity to play croquet on the front lawn.

"The Summer Whites picnic is a wonderful community tradition and offers visitors a chance to enjoy the historic ambience of the Lanterman House,” said Laura Verlaque, Executive Director of the Lanterman Historical Museum Foundation.

The Summer Whites picnic was originally the brainchild of Walter Nelson, who also organizes the popular Ragtime Tea and Dance at the Lanterman House every spring. Nelson stated: “I suggested an idea for a free form, festive event that evoked a more elegant past, but avoided the rigidity of a historical re-enactment- an event that was accessible to everyone.”

Since its inception in 2011, more than 200 people attend every year to enjoy the family friendly celebration. Many of the visitors dress in period attire. White clothing, of light breathable fabrics such as linen or cotton voile, topped by light straw hats, became popular in the Victorian era for summertime activities. The Lanterman Archives house period photographs of the Lanterman family enjoying similar picnics more than one hundred years ago.

The Lanterman House is located at 4420 Encinas Drive in La Cañada Flintridge. It is open for docent-guided tours on Tuesdays, Thursdays and the first and third Sunday of each month from 1 to 4pm. For more information, please visit lantermanfoundation.org or call (818) 790-1421.

About the Lanterman House

The Lanterman House is a bungalow-style historic house museum in La Cañada Flintridge, California. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The House was commissioned by Dr. Roy Lanterman in 1915 and was built by A.L. Haley, who was a prominent builder of both residences and commercial buildings in the Los Angeles area.

The Lanterman House also features a historical archive of the Crescenta/Cañada Valley. The archive is available for research by the public on Tuesdays and by appointment.