Beverly Hills Turns 100, Celebrates Centennial

The famous city of Beverly Hills will have its centennial celebration on Sunday, when they will host an equestrian parade and a preview of the city's upcoming events, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The parade will commemorate the city's history, such as a bridle path that runs along the rodeo median north of the city's commercial zone to Sunset Boulevard and then continues on Sunset between the eastern and western limits of the city. The bridle path was put there is 1924.

Beverly Hills turns 100 on January 28, but they are beginning their celebrations early so that residents have ample opportunity to celebrate the city in myriad ways.

"This is a chance to take stock, look at our history, celebrate the people who made the city, and have fun together," Mayor John Mirisch told the Chicago Tribune.

Centennial events are scheduled to begin on New Year's Day with the Rose Parade that will have a float that will celebrate the city's "historical character and charm," according to the city website.

The city will also hold a birthday block party and a sing-along concert at the Saban Theatre, which will feature songs written by composers who lived in Beverly Hills, including Albert Von Tilzer, composer of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game."

City Hall, the Conference and Visitors Bureau, the Rodeo Drive Committee and the Chamber of Commerce have all been involved in planning, officials said.

"We've all worked as a team," Richard Rosenweig, a longtime resident and Playboy Enterprises executive who is heading the centennial committee. The effort has attracted "150 enthusiastic volunteers."

Beverly Hills started as a 4,539-acre ranch owned by Maria Rita Valdez. It was called Rodeo de las Aguas, or gathering of the waters, named after the seasonal flow down Canyon of the Live Oaks, which is now Benedict Canyon.

The land was sold in 1854. It was eventually purchased by a syndicate later named Rodeo Land & Water Co., which bought over 3,000 acres and carved it into lots.