
Live music blasting. People walking dogs. Kids playing, dancing, blowing bubbles, Hula-hooping and devouring ice cream sundaes topped with sprinkles, syrups, Gummy Bears, whipped cream — you name it. That was the scene July 16 at the La Jolla Historical Society’s (LJHS) Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Social. For the second year in a row, the society opened its doors to the community, filling Wisteria Cottage’s usually quiet and pristine lawn with more than 400 community members. “We want to do this year after year after year,” said LJHS board member and event organizer Christina Freundt. “We’ve got this amazing ocean and beautiful lawn and we just want to share it with everyone.” Carol Olten, the society’s historian, said ice cream socials are certainly old-fashioned and Saturday’s event was reminiscent of a church ice cream social she went to as a child. “Back then, they would actually make their own ice cream,” she said. “Ice cream socials are traditional events all over the country, a very popular American pastime.” At the event, Olten and photographer Rudy Vaca set up a display and signing table for their recently released book, “La Jolla Then and Now,” which has an accompanying exhibit on display at Wisteria Cottage through Aug. 21. “A lot of people were curious to get the book, and people love to talk about how much La Jolla has changed,” said Olten. “It was a beautiful day and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.” Event sponsor Geppeto’s Toys, located at 7850 Girard Ave., sent the first 200 kids home with free jump ropes. Contributions from Greg Noonan and Associates and Grunow Construction helped fund the musical appearance of Del Mar-based Hullabaloo, a two-member band that plays, according to their website, “farm-fresh, free-range, organic kid-folk in a genre filled with musical Twinkies and Ding-Dongs.”









