CHICO’S 150TH ANNIVERSARY A REASON TO CELEBRATE
Festivities coincide with return of the Thursday Night Market
CHICO » A triple celebration of Cinco de Mayo, reopening of the Thursday Night Market and a kick-off of Chico’s 150-year celebration added up to quite a night in downtown Chico.
For the occasion, local leaders spoke at City Plaza as Chicoans gathered to enjoy festivities.
Mayor Andrew Coolidge addressed the citizens of Chico starting with a brief history of Chico’s population — 100 years ago, Chico’s population was 10,000; 50 years ago it was 5,000; and just 25 years ago it was 50,000.
Today, 102,892 people are in the city of Chico, Coolidge said.
“There is an interesting fact when you look at this. If you go back just 25 years ago, half of the people in our city. It’s very important to realize that over half our town are people who are, in the last 25 years, new to the city of Chico. So I think it’s very important as we are at this 150th year going back to 1872 — little did John and Annie bidwell realize that we would become the center hub of northern California as Chico. So we’re very proud of that heritage.
“We know all too well some of the things that make Chico special. Whether it’s Bidwell Park, whether it’s Sierra Nevada Brewery; whether it’s Enloe Hospital; whether it’s my alma mater Chico State; these are the things that are special about it,” Coolidge said. “Looking forward to the future, Chico will return to a city that is clean, beautiful and safe.”
Representative Doug LaMalfa made a guest appearance at Thursday’s kick-off celebration and prepared a congressional certificate of recognition for Chico’s 150th anniversary.
“Congratulations to Chico — One hundred and fifty years of excellence. The vision that John and Annie Bidwell had when they came here and saw this great land and working with the other greats of California history … they had a vision here starting with the Humboldt trail and having that passage to bring commerce; to bring all the sorts of things that make the possibilities of California that are thriving now — and so Chico really embodies that spirit,” LaMalfa said.
Chico State President Gayle Hutchinson spoke about the formation of Chico State which began as
the Chico Normal School 15 years after the incorporation of Chico.
“We started by educating teachers for the State of California and we morphed into a comprehensive university with over 185,000 alumni globally,” Hutchinson said. “The city of Chico and Chico State are grand partners and we are committed together to continue to drive innovation, creativity, technology, equity, inclusion, diversity.”
David Halimi, vice president of the Downtown Chico Business Association, said for the celebration of Cinco de Mayo, local Hispanic small business owners set up booths for the Thursday Night Market to highlight Hispanic heritage in Chico.
A new addition to the
Thursday Night Market called the Chico Artist’s Block features artists from local art centers who are invited to display their work at no cost.
As the speeches closed, the band Debajito played
music for the crowd at the Thursday Night Market.