Mike SciaccaLee Burg and Margaret Retoske were...

Mike Sciacca

Lee Burg and Margaret Retoske were cutting a rug at Pier Plaza

Saturday, dancing to the song, “When You’re Smiling,” as though no

one was watching.

But a crowd at Pier Plaza was smiling along as they watched the

dancing duo move to the music of the Jerry Holton Trio.

Burg, 81, of Huntington Beach, and Retoske, his 83-year-old friend

who resides in Costa Mesa, were enjoying the festivities that were

part of Senior Saturday Community Festival.

Presented by the Council on Aging, the 16th annual event was

“maxed out,” said Dale Dunn, president of the Council on Aging board

of directors. In all, there were 74 sponsor booths, offering

information, products and services geared toward seniors.

The event was held to create an opportunity for seniors and their

families to spend a day by the pier, while gathering important

information in a friendly, festive atmosphere. Among the various

booths were several medical and health organizations.

Breakfast and lunch also was served.

“We wanted to get young people to come out to this event, too, not

just seniors, so setting it up near the pier seemed the perfect

spot,” Dunn said. “We have a terrific turnout and a lot of families

have come through the festival.

“If you’re going to grow old, Huntington Beach is the best place

to do it.”

The Council on Aging supports programs and services for Huntington

Beach seniors through the Michael E. Rodgers Seniors’ Center and the

Huntington Beach Senior Outreach.

Outreach provided free transportation from the seniors’ center to

Pier Plaza throughout the day.

Senior Saturday Community Festival is one of two fundraising

events the Council on Aging stages each year. The other, a golf

tournament, was held in June.

Last year’s community festival raised nearly $10,000, Dunn said.

Proceeds from this year’s event had not been finalized.

“The main purpose of this day is to raise funds, bring in more

sponsors and expose not only seniors, but their entire families, to

all the services available to seniors,” said Adria Thomke, assistant

treasurer for the Council on Aging and chairwoman of the festival.

“We are really pleased to see so many families come out this year.

That was the purpose in calling this day a ‘community festival,’ and

not just a ‘senior festival’.”

In the spirit of community, Lyle Done, 79, brought her friend and

neighbor, Cathy Young, 65, to the festival. Done had been to the

festival in previous years, but she said she wanted to “introduce”

Young, a first-time festival visitor, to the event.

“First of all, it’s hard to get used to this, being a senior

citizen,” Young said with a small laugh. “But I’m finding out quite a

few interesting services available to seniors. It’s really a nice

setup down here with a lot of pertinent information.”

As Done and Young walked the festival grounds, Burg and Retoske

could be seen in the near distance, dancing the afternoon away.

“This event gives us a chance to update what is out there for us

in the senior community,” Retoske said during a break from dancing.

“Lee and I are both spiritually-centered, so this is wonderful to be

out here, with the ocean breeze, enjoying the camaraderie with others

and dancing to music that we love.

“You know, when you get up in the morning and feel your feet hit

the ground, you know you’re alive. Being surrounded by friends and

music on a beautiful day like today, gives us that feeling that life

is wonderful.”

When the music struck up again, Burg hopped up out of his chair,

approached Retoske and said -- as if he had to ask -- “excuse me, do

you want to cha-cha?”

With that, the two headed for bliss.