KELSEYVILLE — The weather smiled on the Pear Festival, the 26th annual event held on Main Street since 1993. Showers were predicted, causing concern among festival-goes, the festival’s all-volunteer management, the more than 130 vendors, and participants alike. Yet cool weather held, bringing out people in the thousands. Approximately 12,000 filled Main Street and stood quietly for the National Anthem sung by Irma Lopez.
The festival highlights the agricultural history of the area (pears), and showcases hand-crafted items that go through a jury process in order to become part of the year’s biggest showcase in Lake County.
The parade, one of the highlights of the festival, featured the Grand Marshals Jerry & Karen Hook, the Pear Prince Andon Beall and Princess Laela Stewart, Pear Dessert Contest winner, Kelseyville sport teams, Lake County Sheriff’s Activity League, Mr. Lake County, a plethora of vintage cars, trucks, tractors and floats, the cast of the Oklahoma! production, candidates for Lake County Judge, as well as horses, the Live Oak Belgians, some mules, a donkey and of course the Los Amigos Dancing Horses, and many others.
Besides the pie eating contest, it’s all about the food. Lines queuing for pear ice cream, pear fritters, and mini donuts attested to that. The pear pies sold out before you could blink. The smell of barbecue chicken enticed more people to stand in lines. Ashley Pan and Alison King, both dietetic interns at hospitals in Lakeport and Ukiah, agreed that it’s all about the food as they devoured their pear ice cream cones.
Marsha Williams from One Earth Studio, a first-time festival vendor who makes fused glass earrings, necklaces and sun catchers said, “It’s been a steady stream of customers. The parade was small-town cute and the people are friendly and supportive of local artists.” Her partner Jon Williams, who makes crystalline bowls and vases, said, “We’ll definitely be back next year.”
Next to One Earth Studio was Castle MiniDonuts with a long line for their fried mini donuts. “It’s been like this all morning,” said owner Brad Turchin as he scooped a batch of raw dough into the deep fryer. After taking a photo of the yummy looking mouthfuls, this reporter was tempted to cut in line for a dozen, but met up with friendly protests from the crowd already in line.
Brad Gallup, a Michigan transplant, and Julie Stuart from the Bay area, were in Kelseyville looking for a horse ranch to buy for their transformative coaching for veterans and first responders. “It’s our first time at the Pear Festival,” said Stuart. “How fun! Love the parade, had an outstanding pear muffin and we’ll get pear margaritas later.”
Right next to the face painting booth, the Kelseyville United Methodist Church held an art show sponsored by Lake County Arts Council. Jane Alameda explained their display was a representation of artists in Lake County. Next year they hope to gather the work of artists across the board from the county. “Not only canvas artists; we want fabric artists, glass artists, leather workers, pottery workers, even the costume lady, basket weaving and Pomo basket weaving,” said Alameda.
The festival served as an emotional lift to Sue Kennedy Pike, from Prescott, Ariz., who buried her brother, Ray Kennedy, the day before. “The Record-Bee did a wonderful obituary for Ray. I felt if we could bury him on Friday we could come to the Pear Festival on Saturday,” she said. Both Kennedys went to Kelseyville High School, in 1959 (Ray) and 1964 (Sue).
All ages enjoyed the festival. Resting on hay bales under the giant pear were Lue Ward 79, from Riveria Heights, and Karen Teissere 84, from Bakersfield who said they went to the Farm to Fork dinner on Friday night and enjoyed the “ambiance of eating dinner in the middle of Main Street.”
Businesses along Main Street enjoyed the influx of festival-goers. The new hair salon Shine Studio took to the streets to stylize hair. Sabrina Andrus, co-owner of A+H General Store said, “We’ve had a huge rush of people and we only opened a month ago.”
Main Street was still packed at 4pm when the festival was officially over. Muffie Panella, the vendor booth chairperson said that “When the weather is comfortable as it was today, attendance is amazing and nobody ever wants to leave.
The weather definitely smiled on the Pear Festival, and then it started raining, as if to let the attendees know it was time to go home.
