Goleta’s Biggest Community Festival Returns for Citrusy Celebration
GOLETA, Calif. (KEYT) – If life gives you lemons... you don't just make lemonade, you throw a massive 2-day festival!
The 33rd annual Goleta Lemon Festival is taking over Girsh park this weekend – Saturday, September 26th and Sunday, September 26th from 10am to 6pm – and the best part is the festival is completely free to attend and they have free parking!
Citrus roots run deep in Goleta, the Lemon Festival honors the area's citrus heritage that dates back to about 1875, when Sherman Patterson Stow of Rancho La Patera planted California's first known commercial lemon orchard in Goleta.
The Goleta Lemon Festival hosted by the Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce is the city's biggest community event of the year and is expected to welcome more than 40,000 people over two days.
Festival Chairman, Tony Vallejo, joined your Morning News to preview the upcoming weekend that only grows bigger with every upcoming year.
"We've never seen anything bigger. It's the biggest interactive safety street in the south coast. We'll have first responders from all branches. They'll all be there with their equipment. Along with the first responders themselves, and they get a chance to meet with the kids, anybody really. I go and play with the equipment too, and they will let them handle some of the equipment, and they'll be there all weekend, so it's a lot of fun," said Vallejo.
For many of the 40 non-profits involved, this weekend is a major fundraiser, so every lemonade you buy supports the local Rotary Club.
There's an endless amount of lemon-inspired food to wash down that lemonade or craft Lemon Beer including lemon churros, lemon tamales, and lemon meringue pie. You can also find standard festival favorites like BBQ and corn dogs.
The highlight of the weekend very well could be the lemon pie-eating contests that happen Saturday and Sunday at noon with local elected officials, T.V. and radio personalities and local celebrities judging the the light-hearted competition.
"I guess if I had any advice I would say be prepared to get a little bit of pie up your nose because they go face down in those things. Can't use your hands, so it's just dig in. So it's a lot of fun."
Music will run all weekend with rock, country, blues, funk, and more. Area 51 plays the UCLA Health Stage on Saturday, and Goodlanders play on Sunday.
For all you Classic Car lovers be sure to check out the 19th Annual Goleta Fall Classic Saturday from 9 to 3. Along with corvettes, camaros, and trucks, this year it adds European and Japanese imports for the first time.
There's plenty of activities and stations for kid's including the largest interactive Safety Street on the South Coast where kids can meet first responders and get hands-on with the equipment. The Kids zone Also, with an all-inclusive wristband Kids can enjoy the Kids Zone with bounce houses, rides, games, bubble fun, euro bungee, mini golf, and the rock wall.
Wristbands are $30 online before Thursday, September 24, or $40 at the festival.
The Latest Breaking News, Weather Alerts, Sports and More Anytime On Our Mobile Apps. Keep Up With the Latest Articles by Signing Up for the News Channel 3-12 Newsletter.
