Clear skies and temperatures in the 80s are expected to provide Ceres with a backdrop for the annual Ceres Street Faire, a free venue in Whitmore Park next to Highway 99.
The Faire will include the staple activities Faire goers have come to know: street vendors selling their goods, arts and crafts, commercial and information booths, food booth vendors operated by non-profit Ceres groups, local entertainment, and fun activities for kids to do in the park.
The weekend event will kick off at 10 a.m. with a Saturday car show on Fourth Street between Magnolia and North streets. The car show will be over by 3 p.m. but the faire continues until 6 p.m. The Faire resumes Sunday at 10 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m.
"It'll be a little warm, hopefully that will do well to attract people but not hot enough to keep them away," said Shane Parson, chairman of the Street Faire Committee. "We're looking forward to a good weekend."
The Street Faire Committee has been meeting since January to plan the event.
The Ceres Lions Club will be among the food vendors as they barbecue up their beef tri-tip for sandwiches. A full army of other service clubs and youth groups will also be selling food items along Third Street on both days.
The Ceres Lions Club and Ceres Chamber of Commerce members founded the Ceres Street Faire in October 1988. The event was previously offered as the Peach Harvest Festival from Smyrna Park to downtown Ceres.
The Street Faire entertainment line-up includes local favorite Greg Scudder who fell short of a national title in the 29th annual Colgate Country Showdown national signing competition in Nashville, Tenn., on Jan. 13, 2011. Scudder will be performing at 2:30 p.m. Sunday on the downtown Fourth Street stage.
A highlight of Saturday's events is the raffle drawing for the sixth annual Ceres Unified School District (CUSD) Foundation. Tickets are $5 each with the winners' names to be drawn at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 4 in Whitmore Park. To be given away are: four cash prizes totaling $4,500 and five prize packages valued at $500 or more. Tickets are $5 each (also tax-deductible) and available at any Ceres school office, the CUSD District Office or at the CUSD Foundation booth at the Street Faire on Saturday.
For information on the Ceres Street Faire, contact the Chamber at 537-2601.
