Annual downtown festival features classic cars, free
watermelon
The 24th Annual Street Festival will fill downtown Hollister
with classic cars and live entertainment from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday. As always, admission is free and visitors also can feast
on free watermelon. More than 100 classic cars were registered by
mid-week before the festival.
Annual downtown festival features classic cars, free watermelon
The 24th Annual Street Festival will fill downtown Hollister with classic cars and live entertainment from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. As always, admission is free and visitors also can feast on free watermelon. More than 100 classic cars were registered by mid-week before the festival.
“Last year we had 137 and my goal for this year is 200,” said Denise Cauthen-Wright, the events coordinator for the HDA, who added that same-day registration is available for the car show and the pedal car show. “I think we will surpass last year’s number easily, but maybe not make quite 200.”
New this year is the pedal car display – which features three of the children’s ride – on toys in the shape of a biplane, fire truck and a car.
“We only have three this year, but that is a good start for next year,” she said. “They will be displayed by the information booth right by American Electric here on San Benito.”
This year’s event features entertainment on three stages throughout downtown Hollister as well as a variety of demonstrations.
“The bands, we’ve always had,” she said. “We are developing the South Stage, down by Hollister Muffler – it is smaller and will have swing dancers, a couple of guitarists – to pull traffic down there into that area for the merchants down there.”
The main stage will feature Sound On, Donald Elvis and the Hound Dogs, Fender Benderz, Bornia Boys and Red House. The community stage will feature performances by local dance and sports groups, such as USA Sports, Aztec Dancers and more. In between sets at the South Stage, DJ Rori G. Nelson will play music.
Rowe Upholstery, at 222 Fifth St., will host clinics on the basics of covering a dining room chair as well as the basics of assembling an automotive door panel on a classic car. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., models will receive professional hair and make-up treatments at DeLuX Hair Salon, at 625 San Benito St. At 1 p.m., photographer Steve Borelli will conduct a photo shoot in front of two classic cars. First Signs will also be demonstrating how a classic pickup gets a vinyl wrap from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
“The demonstrations – there are three we are actually getting this year – is more for the adults,” Cauthen-Wright said.
A kids zone will be set up on the lawn on the corner of Fourth and San Benito streets with a bounce house, face painting, model car display and a Custom Hot Wheels Diorama. There will be free activities provided by the Girl Scouts of CA-Central Coast, the Hollister Youth Alliance and the San Benito County YMCA.
“The things on the grassy lot and between Fifth and Fourth Streets on San Benito are more for the kids zone,” she said. “We are trying to appeal for everybody a little bit.”
The Custom Hot Wheel Diorama belongs to a local man who offered to lend it to the HDA for the event.
“He sent some pictures and it’s just incredible,” she said. “All of our entertainment and demonstrations, everything is courtesy of very generous, community-minded people.”
Local restaurants and businesses will be open during the event, and there will also be some food booths set up in the Kids Zone and on Seventh Street.
“I’m of the belief that you need to have some food-on-a-stick kind of thing,” Cauthen-Wright said. “A lot of people don’t want to sit down in a restaurant so we kind of give them a little bit of both.”
Locals Richard Ferreira, Dave Rocha and Tom Agan will provide race cars for display on San Benito and Fifth streets. Local agencies will also provide some vehicles for display such as police and sheriff’s vehicles, fire trucks, the San Benito County Free Library bookmobile and American Red Cross vehicles.
Local car dealerships Tiffany Ford and Greenwood Chevrolet will have some of their latest models on display at the Street Festival. Tiffany Ford is celebrating its 100th anniversary during the festival and will have a free shuttle to and from the dealership for those who want to participate in the celebration.
Raffle tickets to support the Hollister Downtown Association will be sold at the information booth for $1 each or $5 for 6. Some of the gifts for the raffle include a gift basket of Earthbound Farm products, a San Juan Oaks Golf Club gift certificate, a Hollister Paint gift certificate, The Bounce House gift certificate, a YMCA gift certificate and a Drapoel/Teezers raffle gift, among other items.
