Considering that it rained the following Monday, organizers of the 36th annual Ceres Street Faire are thankful for dodging a bullet with pleasant weather during the weekend celebration.

Saturday saw a mixture of thin overcast and sun keeping a lid on temperatures but Sunday gave way to mostly sun and treating the crowd to a good experience of food, shopping, entertainment and carnival rides.

“It was awesome, great weather,” said Street Faire Committee Chairman Bret Durossette. “The two car shows were just packed with people. There were ton of organizations showing off their skills and what they offer in terms of activities in the community. This was an awesome event.”

Durossette is a member of the Ceres Lions Club which sold out of tri-tip sandwiches both days at mid-afternoon.

Few crowd problems were experienced, he said, with the exception of security guards chasing off some junior high school aged boys engaged in a scuffle on Lawrence Street.

“It was a great weekend,” commented Street Faire Committee member Lisa Mantarro Moore. “We were fortunate with weather that was great and we had a supportive community and had so many people out.”

Moore said attendance at the annual event is growing significantly with the low rider car show expanding attendance on Sunday.

“We had more booths and vendors than we ever had this year,” reported Moore.

The downtown Ceres event, sponsored by the Ceres Chamber of Commerce, Ceres Lions Club and the city of Ceres, featured live local entertainers, carnival rides, arts and crafts booths, pony rides, a small petting zoo, commercial and food vendors, a Saturday car show and a Sunday low-rider car show with over 75 vehicles. A new kids’ play area was added on Lawrence Street.

Food booths operated by non-profit organizations were busy both days feeding the crowd.

Moore believed the heaviest crowds came on Saturday afternoon around 2 p.m. with the event closing down an hour later at 5 p.m.

The Whitmore Park gazebo area hosted a number of youth groups and musicians like Candice Lamb, who entertained the crowd, including young dancers and karate demonstrations. The downtown stage on Lawrence Street featured a Sunday performance by Ceres country singer Greg Scudder and his band. Other performers were California Outlaws, Emerson Biggs, and Lavon and the Train Wreck and Night Train featuring Ceres resident Shella Joiner.

Saturday’s car show attracted lots of admirers of 110 classic and modified car entries, such as Daniel Thomas’ 1930 Ford pickup, Humberto Garcia’s 1950 Mercury and Rich Mora’s 1949 Cadillac.

Mora, a Ceres resident, said he bought his dark blue Cadillac in 2015 from a seller in Gilroy and except for rebuilding the engine and transmission and adding some missing chrome pieces, the car is pretty much the way when he bought it.

He said he isn’t necessarily a Cadillac guy but jokingly said he bought it because he could fit inside it.

“Chevrolets are for skinnier guys,” joked Mora.

In good weather he still drives the Cadillac to places like Hanford and Chico so it has a few chips and scratches which rates it in condition 3, or very good condition.

When asked if heads turn on the freeways and roads, another joke comes out: “Yeah, it’s because of the car and not me. People honk and wave.”

It met the approval of car show enthusiasts who voted it “Best of Show Car.”

At 3 p.m. the winners of the Saturday Car Show were recognized as follows:

Sponsor’s Choice – 1936 Ford owned by Rick and Debby Borrelli;

Police Chief’s Award – 1961 Chevelle, Jose Caballero;

Ceres Chamber Choice – 1972 Chevelle, Juan Jiminez;

Lions Club Choice Award – 1972 Chevelle, Jack Fritz;

Best of Show Truck – 1929 REO, Paul Laffoon;

Best of Show Car – 1949 Cadillac, Rich Mora;

Best of Show Original – 1954 Ford Crestline, Roy Peart;

Best of Show Modified – 1934 Ford, Danny Thomas;

Competitor’s Award – 1948 Chevy pickup, Larry Escarega;

Grand Champion – 1934 Ford Coupe, Bruce Dodge.

Awards at Sunday’s Low Rider Car Show were as follows:

Best of Show Bike – Ricky Valenzuela’s 2000 Harley Davidson.

Best of Show Modified – 1967 Chevy Impala, Cheryl Rangel;

Best of Show – 1957 Chevy Bel-Air, Susan Vigil;

Best of Show Original – 1950 Chevy Bel-Air, Chris Soliece;

Best of Show Truck – 1954 Chevy pickup, Alfonso Cervantes;

Grand Champion Exhibition – 1987 Olds Cutlass, Brand Montana;

Grand Champion – 1964 Chevy Impala, Jose Picos.

Special recognition was presented to Nasson and Sonia Sanchez for their help organizing the car show.

Durosette and wife Angela have been involved in the Street Faire Committee for about 15 years and enjoy working with other community minded members like Lisa Mantarro Moore, Eric Ingwerson, Ken Lane, Doug Wallick, Kim Chapman, Shawna Nunes and Brandi and Keith Meyers.

“We start meeting in January and February and have a good time planning the event. It’s always a good group of people. It’s the same people that are just amazing. Nobody is getting paid to do anything.”