Locals in the LA metro area were disappointed to learn that the much anticipated Zorthian County Faire that was scheduled for Saturday at the famed Zorthian Ranch above Altadena was postponed to an undecided later date — leaving the public to wonder when they will be able to visit the historic property that was created decades ago by the late eccentric artist Jirayr Zorthian.
“We got a call from L.A. County Regional Planning and they said that the scope of what we wanted to do was too large and that we would have had to get a temporary use permit, which we did not do. I’m working with the County to remediate the code violations at the Zorthian Ranch. Because of this, I was unable to move forward with the event,” said son of Jirayr Zorthian and resident of the family ranch, Alan Zorthian.
Alan Zorthian
Zorthian said that the event is simply postponed, not cancelled, as he works diligently to give the public the opportunity to see the bohemian wonder land that is the Zorthian Ranch. He delivered the news via Facebook on the Zorthian Ranch page.
“I’m certainly not planning to throw in the towel. We’re going to see about getting the proper permits,” said Zorthian. “They have their process and we just have to jump through their hoops.”
The mystique of the famed ranch spans several decades since the artist acquired the initial 27 acres of land at the top of Fair Oaks in Altadena following WWII.
Zorthian Ranch eventually expanded to 48 acres and became a play ground of artistry as he began the process of building structures on the property poured more of his energy into creating architecture from materials that were discarded by builders and local municipalities, according to the ranch website.
“It’s an example of what one can do if they don’t recognize limitations. It’s a unique embodiment of the American dream. It was my dad’s dream and he put everything he had into it. It shows what you can do if you have these kind of grand aspirations. It goes to show that anything is possible,” said Zorthian.
The seemingly endless projects that have taken place on the property over the years caught the attention of the County in regards to zoning violations, according to Zorthian.
“There’s a number of things my dad built with permits, but there are also things he built without permits. We need to bring those in to compliance,” said Zorthian.
Zorthian stated that some residents in the area may have thwarted the ranch’s efforts to bring large numbers of individuals to the property.
“Certainly someone complained and once they complain they are obligated to follow through and that’s where we’re at,” said Zorthian who expected approximately 300 guests.
The Zorthian Ranch is no stranger to highly populated and publicized gatherings since its founding over over seventy years ago. Zorthian’s father used to host an annual party called “Primavera”, among others, that would bring in several hundred guests a time, according to Zorthian.
The event would have been the first time in several years where the public could gather at the ranch at a given time. Jirayr Zorthian was intensely social and had a wide and diverse circle of friends. The Zorthian ranch was the site of many parties and other events including jazz performances, retreats, and movie shoots, according to the website.
“We get so many request from people who want to come up and we thought this would be a good way to get the community up here to check it out while having some interesting things going on at the same time, but the County doesn’t see things the same way,” said Zorthian.
In recent years, the ranch has opened its doors frequently to television, photography and film crews in addition to Air BnB stays.
Zorthian has some work ahead of him before the future installments at the ranch can come to fruition and has plans to revamp the ranch’s accessibility to the public once necessary restorations and compliance procedures are handled.
“In the future we want to focus our efforts with kids and the arts. We used to have a summer camp for children and we may go back to that to get children involved and work with their hands. We’re also thinking about hosting retreats for people to come and be in an environment that unique and interesting,” said Zorthian.
In the meantime, small groups can still schedule appointments to visit the ranch for private tours.
“If anyone with expertise in certain procedures like going through entitlements with the County wants to help, I could always use the help,” said Zorthian.
For more information about the Zorthian Ranch and how you can get involved, visit http://zorthianranch.com/
