Council clears permits for Flower Street Lunar New Year event and co-sponsors Strawberry Stomp 5K

Garden Grove’s City Council approved two community event requests Dec. 9: temporary street closures for Flower Street on Main Street and cosponsorship of the Sister City Association’s Strawberry Stomp 5K.

Deputy director Janet Palaios told the council the Vietnamese Sport Association of Southern California requested closures for the Flower Street event Feb. 13–15, 2026, between Stamford Avenue and Acacia Parkway; operating hours would be 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Staff said the association has prior experience, will reimburse direct city costs and has coordinated with police and merchants for the changed footprint. Council discussed Main Street Commission notification and voted to approve the closures; the motion passed 7-0.

Separately, the Sister City Association asked the council to cosponsor the Strawberry Stomp 5K on May 23, 2026, expected to draw about 1,000 participants. Staff estimated about $15,000 in additional police and public-works support for the event, to be absorbed within existing departmental budgets. The council voted 7-0 to cosponsor the event.

Councilmembers encouraged broad community involvement and asked organizers to avoid politicizing events and to maintain transparent accounting. Both approvals included requirements that organizers coordinate with city departments on logistics and reimburse direct costs.