Food, music, thrills part of upcoming Encinitas fair

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Scott Allison

Visitors peruse vendors at the Encinitas Spring Street Fair, viewed from atop the Rock2You rock climbing wall at the corner of G Street and South Coast Highway 101 on April 26, 2014. (NCC file photo by Scott Allison)

Michele Leivas

Encinitas hosts its 33rd annual Spring Street Fair this weekend.

Organized by Encinitas 101 MainStreet and sponsored by Scripps Health, the street fair will be held on Coast Highway 101 from D Street to J Street. More than 450 arts, crafts and food vendors will be onsite for visitors to browse as they make their way down the street.

The Encinitas Fire Department will launch the festivities Saturday morning with its annual Pancake Breakfast in the 7-Eleven parking lot at Coast Highway 101 and D Street. The breakfast will run from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. The fair itself will run Saturday and Sunday, April 23 and 24, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The event’s Beer Garden will have extended hours on Saturday because of its popularity, according to an Encinitas 101 news release. Guests will be able to enjoy the brews of Stone Brewing Company from noon to 7 p.m. on Saturday; the normal hours of noon to 5 p.m. will resume on Sunday.

Serving food at the Beer Garden will be a restaurant newcomer to Encinitas, although visitors may remember it from the last Taste of Main Street: The Taco Stand.

“They have an amazing reputation; they haven’t even opened their actual brick and mortar restaurant yet but they have a location in La Jolla,” Encinitas 101 Executive Director Thora Guthrie said

In order to spend more time enjoying the fair and less time searching for parking, Guthrie reminds those planning to attend to arrange for alternative transportation if possible. The street fair has partnered again with Uber — even providing a free round-trip ride (up to $20) for first-time Uber users.

“We do what we can to minimize the impact on parking because there’s not a lot of parking downtown,” Guthrie said. “We have bike valets at either end of the fair for people who ride their bikes there. And the train station is less than a block from the street fair. Uber is just another really good tool for us to use.”

Guthrie also expressed her excitement about the fair’s new Adventure Zone, which is a nod to the outdoor adventure “vibe” of both Encinitas and southern California in general.

In its event promotion, Encinitas 101 said, “Thrill seekers can visit the newly added Adventure Zone at H Street, filled with summer camps, surf camps, scuba instruction, kayak lessons and other outdoor activities for all ages.”

Guthrie added: “We just thought, coming into summer, it would be a good place to promote camps and lessons and those kinds of activities for the summer for both adults and kids. Parents are looking for what they’re going to with their kids for the summer already since stuff fills up.”

Guthrie also reminds guests to come hungry and stay for a while “so you can have at least one meal” because “the food booths are amazing.” Guests will be able to choose from a variety of food selections, from tri-tip to kettle corn to fresh-squeezed lemonade. Those seeking a more ethnic dining experience will also have their pick of menus, from Mexican to Thai.

More information about the Street Fair and Encinitas 101 can be found at encinitas101.com/events/springstreetfair/.

Michele Leivas is a San Diego freelance writer