With a National Historic Preservation Month celebration coming up on May 6 in Downtown San Juan Capistrano, the city’s Cultural Heritage Commission gave an overview of its work preparing for the event.
Volunteers with the San Juan Capistrano Docent Society will give information about the Blas Aguilar Adobe, on El Camino Real to the Camino Real Playhouse, from 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Visitors will also get to check out and learn about historic downtown adobes on Los Rios Street.
Winners of a school essay contest will be announced that day. San Juan students were welcome to write about San Juan’s adobes.
“I received a few submissions so far. I anticipate getting more, because, if I remember last year, I received last-minute submissions,” Commissioner Paul Lopez said. “I was able to secure a beautiful gift basket from The Tea House on Los Rios Street (as a prize).”
Lopez said different prizes were given to winners at last year’s event, which could happen again this year, and that he will judge the entries.
Commission Chairperson and historical advocate Ann Ronan said she will be at the event, specifically at the Blas Aguilar Adobe.
Lopez will make a speech at the event introducing the Cultural Heritage Commission, provide an overview of how the adobes came about, as well as an explanation of the event’s themes, and welcome people to the adobe tours.
“I don’t think we’re going to need a microphone, because we won’t have the crowds that we had last year down on Los Rios,” Ronan said.
In response to a question from Commissioner Kristina Perrigoue on if students from neighboring towns outside San Juan (for example, Ladera Ranch and Laguna Niguel) can submit essay entries for next year, her peers on the dais said that is something they could take over in the future.
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