By Angela Lee
Staff Writer
Brighter Side members Quinn Garcia, Argha Kumar and Angelina Chen (top), guard member Quyanna Yu (middle) and band members Joey Cooper and Justin Yap (bottom) perform in the park.
The annual Fall Festival highlighted groups such as Brighter Side, Choir, Choreo, the Oak Avenue Royalettes, Pep and the Pride of Temple City on Sept. 28 in Temple City Park. The performances kicked off at 10 a.m. as band played “The Star Spangled Banner.”
“I was most excited to be performing with the new cheer team because everyone has a really friendly vibe and we all worked well together,” junior Giselle Garcia said. “I love our team and I couldn’t wait to perform with them because I felt really good about this routine.”
In front of the gazebo, Choreo performed “Boy is Mine,” a hip-hop groove and “Get Down,” a musical theater jazz routine with timed formations and facial expressions.
“I feel like the hardest part was the formations and the fact that it was outside,” junior Emily Lam said. “For example, some of us were on the grass and some were on the concrete. And when Choreo rehearses in the dance room, it’s not the same as when we perform.”
Colorguard performed “Love Story” and Movements 1 and 2 of their field show titled “The Sour Standoff” as the band played under the gazebo and provided the audience with live music.
“I think it benefitted the band by helping us get the fall season off to a good start because it let us become more known in the community,” junior Sophia Cavelari said. “It wasn’t just students and staff watching, it was also the community.”
Pep joined the band and colorguard to perform a variety of stand tunes. In addition, Cheer, Pep Flags and Song performed their routines “Britney,” “Die Young” and “Get Back,” respectively.
Brighter Side’s performances followed a classic car theme. The tunes included “Car Wash,” “Learn to Fly,” “Life is a Highway” and “Proud Mary” and were performed with live vocals and choreography.
Festival goers enjoyed the car show, diverse food trucks, craft booths and more. Food stalls and games were available for people of all ages to enjoy. The smell of food wafted throughout the park with lots of vendors selling to the community.
As the day went on, children participated in crafts and jumped around in bounce houses. Car shows displayed pre-1985 vehicles to the public. The show included antiques, imports, restored muscle cars and trucks.
Parks and Recreation Coordinator Nina Torres worked with the district and city to plan for the Fall Festival starting on July 23.
After the festival, Torres and her team held a wrap-up meeting to reflect on what went well. This meeting also created an opportunity to suggest new ideas for next year’s festival.