Crowds again flock to three-day event at northern end of Avenue of Flags
The City of Buellton blocked off a stretch of Avenue of Flags on the weekend of Nov. 8-10, but no one was really complaining.
That’s because the northern part of the city’s north-south thoroughfare was the site of the annual Buellton Fall Fest, which is becoming a go-to site for families, music lovers, food and wine buffs, and even bargain hunters.
For the youngsters, the lure was the carnival area, just left of the entrance, where the kids flocked to with their parents in tow — after they got some ride tickets, of course. The area just south of the San Marcos Motel was filled with thrilling carnival rides and games of chance in the center, with stuffed animals and other prizes.
Graham Palmer of Buellton was with his wife Rachel in the area as they watched their young daughter Edie trying to pop balloons with darts to win a prize.
“We’ve been coming here with our daughter ever since they started it here,” Palmer said. “She always likes to come over and play the games here; she’s not even that interested in the rides, just the games.”
Palmer said he really appreciates having an event like the Fall Fest that they can go to just to enjoy some time together.
“I hope they keep it going,” he said.
Another top draw for the Fall Fest was the music lineup over the three days, with two stages to accomodate them. Locally known bands like the Molly Ringwald Project, Valley Sons, Authority Zero, and the Mad Caddies performed over the first two days, while visitors on Sunday saw 805 Cali Tejanos bringing a Latino vibe to the stage, and Josue Hernandez y Grupo Nivel 4 to follow later that evening. In between that were rock acts like Echoswitch and Paradise Kings, the latter of whom were introduced on stage by Buellton Mayor Dave King.
On the second stage, Fredddy and Friends were playing to one appreciative group celebrating a friend’s birthday.
“It’s been so much fun to come here and check it out,” said the birthday girl, Liz Barron of Santa Maria. “We were looking for something to do outside the usual stuff in Santa Maria, and this seemed like a good place to go.”
For those looking for food and refreshment, the choices were vast, as food trucks and booths for all kinds of cuisines were available, as well as craft beer and wine in certain, and football fans were able to see some gridiron action as a projection TV was set up in one of the tented dining areas.
Finally, many vendors were able to take advantage of the big turnouts and hawk their wares. One of them was Ray Fortune, who recently moved his record shop, Wylde West Wreckerds, from Santa Ynez to Los Olivos. He had a few tables set up with crates of used records and cassettes to sell.
“It’s a chance to get the name of the business out there and spread the name,” Fortune said. “Also, there are always record and music nuts to discuss records, and that’s always a fun part of this.”
Attendance numbers weren’t available yet for the Fall Fest at press time, but it’s probably safe to say the event will be back next November. And for those looking for another holiday event, there’s another Fest around the corner: The Buellton Winter Fest is coming on Sunday, Dec. 8. It will have a new home this year as it will be happening at River View Park, so the event can be held in concert with the Holiday Lights Festival at the adjacent SYV Botanical Garden.
For more information about the holiday events, go to buellton.org.
Feature Image: There were plenty of fun rides in the carnival area during the three-day Buellton Fan Fest on Avenue of Flags.
