By Lisa Weir
It all started with the sign.
In 1940 the Hillcrest sign was gifted to the neighborhood of Hillcrest by a group of female shopkeepers. The identifying and soon to be iconic sign was erected above University Avenue in the heart of Hillcrest at the intersection of University Avenue and Fifth Avenue. After falling into disrepair after many years, a group of business owners and community activists took he initiative to bring it back to life.
Various contractors offered their services to engineer and refurbish the sign. The California Neon Company won the contracting bid and rebuilt it entirely for the small price of $4,000.
At the time, $4,000 was no small feat for the neighborhood. In a collaborative effort to raise the money necessary for sign repair project, the residents and shop owners in Hillcrest held fundraisers, put out collection boxes, and reached out to individual neighbors for funding support.
In 1984 the Hillcrest Sign project symbolized more than just a label over University Avenue. The process of raising the money and building support represented the spirit of Hillcrest: community, activism and dedication. After the hard work of many, the refurbished sign was re-erected to its rightful place on Sat., Aug. 18, 1984. Just two weeks later the neighborhood gathered to celebrate the re-vamped sign on Aug. 26, 1984.
This celebration, which is now known as CityFest, started in August 1984, 27 years ago. On Aug. 26, 1984, the Hillcrest Business Asociation (HBA) sponsored the loftily named “Hillcrest Sign Celebration and Street Fair” in honor of the new Hillcrest sign. The event started at 1 p.m. with opening ceremonies, as well as
various dance and martial arts demonstrations for over 6 hours. At 7:30 p.m. the Mayor of San Diego at the time, Roger Hedgecock, assisted respected Hillcrest shop owners Gene Coster and Lucy Killea in lighting the sign. Carol Arko, then owner of the Brass Rail and #1 5th Avenue, said, “When they pulled the switch lighting the sign, the crowd just roared. Hillcrest was filled with people.
“Several thousand crowded onto University Avenue and both sidewalks all the way to Fourth Avenue. Revelers also filled the area around the center of the intersection all the way down to Robinson. It was an incredible sight. People sang and shouted and tooted toy horns. The cheering and carrying on lasted for
almost an hour. Cars stopped on Sixth and Fourth avenues and happily blew their horns. All over Hillcrest it was like New Year’s Eve at Times Square.”
Since 1984 the HBA has hosted what is now known as CityFest. Each and every year August boasts the most spirited street festival in all of San Diego.
Hillcrest locales join neighboring San Diego visitors and beyond to celebrate the sign and welcome the spirit of Hillcrest for a daylong celebration, all topped off with a nightly ‘relighting’ of the sign. This year is underscored by a pivotal new twist in the history of the Hillcrest Sign. Not only does this year mark the
27th annual celebration of City-Fest, it marks the 90th anniversary of the HBA and the celebration of Hillcrest business community coming to re-vamp the Hillcrest Sign once again. After years of dysfunction, and several months of a non-lit sign, the neighborhood has stepped up once again to repair the symbolism that shop keepers and residents revitalized 27 years ago.
With $40,000 in repairs, the sign will shine even brighter after the re-lighting on the evening of CityFest on Sunday, Aug. 14. The HBA’s Beautification Committee, chaired by Crest Café owner Cecelia Moreno, has been diligently at work on selecting its contractor, SignTech, and supervising the revitalization process. A key decision that the committee made was selecting LED lights to frame the letters that spell out “Hillcrest” on the sign. These lights will surely astound you with their eco-friendly bright illumination.
“The committee talked a lot about whether to go with neon or new green tech LED” Cecelia said “After our discussion we just knew that the green option was the Hillcrest option.”
As it celebrates its 90th anniversary the HBA it is pleased to announce the timely news about the Hillcrest Sign and the wonderful expansions that CityFest has taken over the years. This year the heart of Hillcrest will transform. A waterslide, a Time Warp flash mob, larger than life competitive games, a rocking music line up all day long, a gigantic beer garden, three food courts, and over 200 individually selected arts and crafts vendors will help honor the HBA’s 90th anniversary as well as the 2011 sign revitalization project.
Join us at 8 p.m. for the official Hillcrest sign lighting ceremony. We invite you to witness this historic event when once again the Hillcrest sign will shine, in all of its beautiful neon glory.
The HBA would like to thank it’s Board of Directors for its commitment to the business district, HillQuest and the Hillcrest History Guild for providing the lush history made available for this article, and the CityFest sponsors that allow this festival to thrive: Three Olives, Coors Light, The Commission for Arts and Culture, Comerica Bank, Gay San Diego, HillQuest, Discover SD, SanDiego.com, San Diego CityBeat, Urban Mo’s, Eden San Diego, SDGLN.com, SDPix, San Diego Uptown News, BabyCakes, Ruby Room, Gossip Grill, Numbers, Rich’s, and Baja Betty’s.
For more information on CityFest, please visit the official event web site at HillcrestCityFest.com. For more information on the HBA, please visit HillcrestBIA.org.
—Lisa Weir is marketing and communications program manager for the Hillcrest Business Improvement Association.
