PRESS RELEASE
City of Porterville
291 N. Main Street
Porterville, CA 93257
www.ci.porterville.ca.us/newslist.php
For more information contact:
Yuriko Velarde, Administrative Analyst
yvelarde@ci.porterville.ca.us
June 9, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FLAG DAY CELEBRATION CONTINUES FOR THE 42ND YEAR IN PORTERVILLE
The 42nd annual Flag Day Celebration will be taking place on Wednesday, June 14th, 2023, beginning at 7:00 PM at Grocery Outlet (50 West Olive Avenue). The annual recognition of national Flag Day has been a tradition in the Porterville community, marked by a ceremony with the lowering of the previous year’s American flag and the raising of a new flag on the large flag pole located at the Grocery Outlet shopping center off Olive Avenue. This tradition was started back in 1982 by the Smith family whose store, Smith’s Market, was the anchor of the retail center. Today the tradition is continued by the Flag Day Committee, which is comprised of community volunteers and service clubs, wanting to honor and keep this patriotic tradition going.
Over the years the flag pole has sustained wear and tear and in 2021 the rigging for the flag pole broke. City of Porterville staff was able to remove the flag and the committee was able to get the pole repaired by a local contractor (Elevated Energy and Construction), who donated the labor for the repair. With an outstanding invoice for the parts for the repair, the Flag Day Committee sought the help of the City Council with assistance in ensuring the annual Flag Day Ceremony continues. While the City does not own the flag pole or the property where it is located, the City Council recognized the symbol that the flag represents and the importance of continuing the annual ceremony, which has been a long-standing civic event. To assist the Flag Day Committee, the Porterville City Council agreed to pay the invoice from Elevated Energy and Construction at its June 6, 2023 meeting. The City Council wanted to support this event due to the importance of having the flag displayed and approved the payment for the invoice so that the Committee is able to use the donated funds they have received to plan for future Flag Day celebrations. This event has a rich history in the community and the City is honored to support this tradition.
