With a promoter for the inaugural San Juan Bautista Fall Fair
backing out with just three weeks before the event, a committee of
volunteers had to scramble to ensure the flea market and street
festival went on as scheduled, and everything is in order for this
weekend’s festivities.
With a promoter for the inaugural San Juan Bautista Fall Fair backing out with just three weeks before the event, a committee of volunteers had to scramble to ensure the flea market and street festival went on as scheduled, and everything is in order for this weekend’s festivities.
The Fall Fair, a spin-off of the annual spring arts and crafts fair, is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in downtown San Juan Bautista. It is what organizer Halina Kleinsmith called a “four block-long show featuring hand-made goods, antiques, garage sale items, imported goods, street food,” and more, including involvement from local restaurants.
She said it has been planned since April of this year, but the volunteer committee was forced to pull off the event’s organization in the weeks leading up to it, despite the promoter backing out because he could not secure the number of sign-ups he needed, Kleinsmith said.
The event organizers had hoped to create some economic activity in the fall, especially in light of not having a San Juan chamber of commerce for the past two years. Eliminating the event would leave a “humongous dent in economic development downtown,” Kleinsmith said.
“We did not want the general public showing up and seeing nothing,” she said.
Organizers hope that the Fall Fair and other events taking place this weekend will help show there is a lot going on in the community. The county fair is set for Friday through Sunday, while the state historic park and library both are holding events Saturday.
For more information on the Fall Fair event, call 623-9275 or go to sanbenitocountychamber.com.
