San Juan Bautista took a giant step toward normalcy March 26 with the return of its two-day Art & Craft Festival, held for the first time in three years. Over 30,000 people were expected to attend.
“It is so awesome to have this traditional event back in town,” City Manager Don Reynolds said. “There is such a wide variety of things to buy, wonderful weather, and our great historic culture to share.”
The turnout of over 100 vendors selling crafts, art, and food items was matched by what appeared to many to be a record crowd, particularly on Saturday.
“This is a fabulous day, over the top,” said Margot Tankersley, owner of Margot’s Ice Cream Parlor. “The crowd seemed closer to what we expect to see at the Rib Cook-Off. Things were busy even before things opened at 10 o’clock. People were setting up their spaces and there was already a crowd walking around. It was great to see all the smiling faces.”
And the locals were not the only ones pleased with the success of the fair. Brad Roth, of Nan’s Gourmet Foods in Benicia, had previously sold at the Festival in 2019 and was impressed with the turnout on Saturday.
“We did well when we came three years ago,” he said, “and the sales this year have been a nice surprise. The crowd has been really strong—we’ve done a few shows this year and this is the best we’ve seen. Our pasta is just flying and I expect to be sold out by the end of the day Sunday.”
Nan’s Garlic Olive Oil and Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar were the star attractions of the festival for Deborah Robinette, who came from Prunedale to enjoy the day.
“It is great to see everyone commingling again,” she said. “It looks like everyone is very happy to be putting COVID behind them and moving on with their lives. The vendors are all great and I love coming to festivals like this to find things that otherwise you can’t get in stores.”
Food items were very popular, from canned and packaged goods to the barbecue stands staffed by Mansmiths and Blazin’ Bayou BBQ. The line of customers for Indonesian Satay BBQ, a returning favorite, stretched almost a block.
There were also lines outside the town’s restaurants, with customers waiting for a chance for a table indoors or at the Dona Esther’s and Mission Cafe parklets. Anticipating the crowds, Jesus Zavala, the owner of JJ’s Burgers, added tables to his outside patio.
“Saturday, it was busy all the time,” Zavala said. “I have never seen that many people before at the fair. There were not as many on Sunday, but they still came in waves.”
Despite all of the potential customers, several Third Street shop owners said that on festival days, their sales do not reflect the massive influx of customers, who tend to patronize the street vendors rather than the established businesses.
“The restaurants are full, which is a good thing,” said Heliena Walton, owner of Notably Noble Co. and Thankful Co., “but it doesn’t really benefit a lot of us other than getting more bodies on the street. The biggest goal for us is to have people want to come back, because there is a very different look and feel to the town when you do not have all the vendors in the street.”
Still, tourists and locals alike were happy to get out and remember what life was like three years ago when the festivals and celebrations in San Juan would wake up the sleepy little historic town for a few days.
And you could not find a more enthusiastic resident than San Juan Bautista Mayor Leslie Jordan, who was carrying a handmade basket filled with sauces, pasta, oils, and candles that she had purchased at the festival.
“I am so thrilled with how things are going,” Jordan said. “With all the people here, you can barely walk down Third Street. We have opened up San Juan Bautista again and the response from the people and the vendors has been amazing.”
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