On behalf of the Rancho Los Alamitos Foundation staff, volunteers, and Board of Directors, we wish you a happy holiday season!
Thank you for your support this year!
Staff pictured: Andrew, Chris, Christine, Darius, David, Erin, Jesse, Karen, Kathy, Kristen, Margarete, Merinelle, Pam, Robin, and Tracy.
Not pictured: Ciro, Duane, Gunnar, Judy, Sharon, and Steve.
Photo by Doug Cox, President, RLAF Volunteer Service Council
Please note the Rancho will be closed December 16, 2024 - January 7, 2025
We will reopen to the public on Wednesday, January 8, 2025.
| |
Thank You for Attending Rancho Voices | |
720 guests joined us for two nights of Rancho Voices, our special holiday program highlighting stories and songs from the viewpoint of those who worked and lived here. Special thanks to Roxanne Patmor, Kaye Briegel, the Long Beach Playhouse, and all the amazing volunteers, actors, and performers who lent their time and talent to this special Rancho tradition. | |
Actors: Roxie Martinez, Bob Fetes, Jill Prout, Giovanni Navarro, Madison Mooney, Rick Reischman, Lisa J. Salas and Noah Wagner.
Singers and Musicians: Jewel Box, Nava Tate, Sammy Paxton, Serena Bottiani, Carole Louise
Director: Jim Rice; Costumer: Donna Fritsche; Playhouse Costume Manager: Christina Bayer
Photos by Sam Tanng
| |
The Story Behind the Ranch House Christmas Tree | |
When the Bixby family first moved to Rancho Los Alamitos, Fred wanted a full, lush tree reminiscent of their family's Christmas trees on the East Coast, but the adobe's low ceilings meant the tree would need to be smaller and more thinly branched. In an excerpt from Christmas Eve at Rancho Los Alamitos, Katherine Bixby Hotchkis shares, "The natural point of the tree and the Christmas star always had to be sacrificed for a thick beautiful denseness. Father would get a tall, wide tree and cut off the top to make it fit. The long green branches would then spread out even along the ceiling. Every year Mother sighed for the lost star." | |
|
|
This Weekend is the Last Chance to see the Rancho in all its Holiday Regalia!
Saturday, 12/14, 1-5 pm
Sunday, 12/15, 1-5 pm
plus
Gift Shop Sale:
All Holiday Items are 25% Off!
Photo by Tracy Flaming
| | |
Give the Gift of Membership! | |
|
Give the gift of a Rancho Los Alamitos membership this season. Options include individual or family membership and offer a variety of benefits, including local gardens and museum access.
Best of all, your purchase of an RLA membership is 100% tax-deductible and supports programs and critical maintenance of this important historic site!
| | |
Our First Members Night Was a Success! |
Nearly 50 RLA members, staff, and family joined us for the first-ever Members' Preview Night of our Rancho Voices holiday programming!
Guests enjoyed appetizers and drinks, including the famous Fred Bixby Whiskey Punch, served right out of the former Veterinarian's Clinic! We then traveled to the Blacksmith Shop to see several live performances and musical numbers and enjoy a private docent-led ranch house tour.
Special events like these are made available just for members, so be sure to join our Membership Program to enjoy all the benefits in 2025!
| |
Holiday Celebration Honored Two Outgoing Board Members |
Our annual RLA Board of Directors holiday event was held during Rancho Voices. Board members and their guests mingled over food and drinks while experiencing a live performance featuring the story of Paul and Julia Des Granges, Belgian farmers who called the Rancho home.
At the event, we honored two long-serving Board members–Gloria Deukmejian and Marlene Temple–who are transitioning to our Honorary Board of Governors. A former First Lady of California, Mrs. Deukmejian served on the RLA Board for 25 years. Marlene Temple has been an active supporter of the Rancho for many years and a Board member for eight. We are so grateful for their dedication to the Rancho and are pleased that they will continue to be ambassadors for RLA in their role as honorary Governors.
| |
Gloria Deukmejian and Marlene Temple being celebrated during our Board Holiday party in the Stallion Barn. A crowd of 40 guests, including fellow Board members and Rancho stakeholders, were in attendance. | | |
Board Chair Henry Taboada looks on as Councilmember Supernaw shares words of appreciation for outgoing Board members Gloria Deukmejian and Marlene Temple. | | |
Please Consider the Rancho in Your Giving This Year | |
|
YOUR GIFT SUPPORTS:
-
Thousands of local students who attend critical educational tours here, focused on indigenous and ranching-era California history.
-
Pivotal educational and community services, including work with Tongva educators and elders, leaving a lasting legacy in our community.
-
Care and preservation for special farm animals, four acres of award-winning gardens, and precious historic buildings and artifacts.
-
Our mission is to provide compelling public programs at little or no cost to the community. Visitors from all over enjoyed concerts, crafts, lectures, and more this year!
Photos: Baby Goats visiting RLA, Tongva Elder Craig Torres working with local students, Summer Concert featuring Krooked Fingerz.
| |
|
Rancho Los Alamitos Historic Ranch & Gardens
Educating and engaging visitors by sharing our rich history, compelling stories, and authentic connections to California's past.
Open Wednesday - Sunday, 1:00 - 5:00 pm. Admission is always free.
| |
Your support allows Rancho Los Alamitos to offer cultural and educational programs and tours for the entire community at no charge! | | | | |