Downtown Encinitas is gearing up once again to play host to one of San Diego County’s most celebrated street fairs.
Since its inaugural event in 1983, the Encinitas Street Fair has grown to host some 450 vendors, ranging from food to household goods and art. Organized by the Downtown Encinitas MainStreet Association and located between D and J streets, more than 100,000 people are expected at the two-day event, slated for April 27 and 28.
DEMA spends several months planning the April street fair. According to DEMA Executive Director Dody Crawford, the association’s ultimate goal is to highlight local businesses and, in essence, show off a historic downtown area that they are very proud of.
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“My favorite thing about the fair is running into friends and listening to the music,” Crawford said. “We really get some great local music. We’re very proud to be able to pay musicians to play for the community and I’m always impressed with how good our local musicians are.”
Kicking off the weekend’s festivities is the Encinitas Fire Department’s annual pancake breakfast. From 7 to 11 a.m. April 27, firefighters will serve pancakes in the parking lot of 7-Eleven on D Street and Coast Highway 101. A $5 donation buys an all-you-can-eat breakfast of coffee, orange juice, pancakes and sausage. According to Encinitas Fire Department Engineer and Paramedic Adam Heer, the proceeds of the breakfast will go into the department’s charity fund and ultimately dispersed to various local charities.
Food and drink
Visitors will also have the opportunity to sample fare from local eateries and wet their whistles with some local brews from Stone and Port Brewing companies, all the while enjoying live music. The parking lot of the Lumberyard Shopping Center at Coast Highway 101 and I Street will be transformed into a beer garden and will feature two live music stages.
Stone Brewing Company — which has seen some remarkable commercial success since its start in 1996 — has been serving up its craft beers at the Encinitas Street Fair for five years. While the exact beer list for the fair has not been released, Stone spokeswoman Sabrina LoPiccolo said the list will likely include eight or more of Stone’s year-round releases, including Stone Levitation Ale, Stone IPA, Arrogant Bastard Ale and Stone-Cali-Belgique IPA.
For those fairgoers seeking a healthy alternative to traditional hamburgers and hot dogs, San Marcos-based Bitchin’ Burgers Food Truck will be set up near the corner of G Street and Coast Highway 101. Bitchin’ Burgers features burgers made of all grass-fed beef, fresh buns from San Diego bakery Bread and Cie and locally grown organic produce. It’s also known for its array of sauces.
“The most important thing to us is to make a good healthy burger not full of grease and mayonnaise,” Bitchin’ Burgers owner Adam Wehe said. “All of our sauces are vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free. Also, our bacon and hot dogs are uncured, so there are no nitrates and are all 100 percent beef.”
Entertainment
With four stages located throughout the fair area, more than 10 bands and solo artists will perform both days. Scheduled performers include Bill Magee Blues Band, Stranger and Allegato World Jazz, and performers from the Janice Lee School of Ballet and the San Diego Belly Dance Company.
Parking and transportation
The North County Transit District will run a normal Coaster schedule with regular fares. More information about the Coaster schedule can be found at www.gonctd.com.
For parking, DEMA suggests City Hall, located on Vulcan Avenue; the Moonlight Beach parking lot, located on Third Street; and the two Coaster station parking lots at Vulcan and D Street and Vulcan and E Street.
Christopher Earley is a San Diego freelance writer