The famed Happy Face landmark that became a cultural icon, etched onto a Simi Valley hillside and seen by thousands of motorists on the 118 Freeway daily, just got a facelift – thanks to heavy rains. The big, beige smiling face, about half-a-football field wide, is now bright green, adorned with thickly sprouting grass.
Happy Face Hill in Simi Valley, next to the 118 Freeway on Friday, May 6, 2022, has seen greener days in the month of May. Rainfall totals are down for the last several months. The landmark on Happy Face Hill was created in 1998 by Northridge gardener Sonny Klamerus, and some say that his huge earth sculpture brought him good luck: In September of 2014, Klamerus won $1 million in the California Lottery 2nd Chance game.
Klamerus has been described as a gardener who “dabbles in artistic endeavors of painting and wire sculptures” and he has said of his hillside imagery, “I wanted to do something nice to make people smile.” He visited local schools where students packed the house to hear him talk about the history of Happy Face Hill, which he transformed but didn’t own. Fans have noted that over the years the Happy Face has been a joint effort, launched in 1998 but tended since then by many, including the Simi Valley Rotarians. At one point the smile was turned into a frown, and the happy face has been lit up with solar lights to welcome motorists as they zip by on the freeway.
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