The San Juan Bautista Art & Craft Festival returned to the streets of the San Benito County town last weekend for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic started, bringing crowds of all ages and enthusiastic vendors.
The festival, which took place March 26 and 27, has been organized in San Juan Bautista by Williams LTD for more than 30 years. The Art and Craft Festival and Williams’ other local annual event—the San Juan Bautista Rib Cook-off—have been canceled since 2020 due to pandemic-related public health restrictions, said Williams LTD President Jason Williams.
This past weekend’s event came back in force, with more than 100 vendors and at least 10,000 attendees enjoying the two-day festival in downtown San Juan Bautista, Williams said.
Aside from the perfect weather, a highlight for Williams on March 26-27 was seeing his “longtime friends” who own and work at San Juan Bautista’s shops and restaurants, and watching those businesses successfully rebound from the challenges over the last two years.
“We consider San Juan Bautista a second home. It has become part of my life,” said Williams, whose company is based in Reno, Nev.
The next big event in San Juan Bautista is the Rib Cook-off, which is coming up April 29-30 and May 1 in the city’s downtown.
