Sierra Madre California

Sierra Madre is probably most noted for its annual Wistaria Festival. The wistaria (or as it is also spelled "wisteria") the festival honors was planted in 1894 by Alice and William Brugman and has grown to cover more than one acre. It is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest flowering plant on Earth. Beginning in 1918 the grounds of the private home where this massive vine is located were opened to the public for a short period each year and hundreds of thousands of people come to see the wistaria in bloom.

As with many other Foothill cities, Sierra Madre was founded in the late 1800s. The hilly property where the town is located was purchased from Lucky Baldwin, a man who made his fortune with the Comstock Mine -- hence the town's main street is Baldwin. Its population is just a bit more than 10,000 people.

This home on Baldwin Avenue in Sierra Madre shows a late Victorian influence which is prevalent in homes near downtown. There are also California Craftsman and more contemporary homes in this small city.

At the heart of Sierra Madre is the town square park -- which is actually triangular. Most of the shops along the two main street are independently owned and obviously designed to serve local customers.

In a region where Hollywood and the film industry dominates, the Sierra Madre Playhouse is a live community theater and lots of fun.

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