KELSEYVILLE—The Kelseyville Pear Festival, one of Lake County’s biggest free event, is coming up this weekend, Saturday September 30 the 29th annual celebration of everything pear will take over Main Street of the “Pear Capital of the World.” The event normally draws 10 to 12,000 attendees according to organizers.
“I always get excited about the pear festival,” said Pear Festival team member Kim Riley who organizes the 150 vendors. “And I love the Grand Parade,” she added. “We’re going to have lots of tractors and My Divas will be singing the National Anthem.”
“Our Grand Marshall this year is Rick White,” Pear Festival Team Director Cindy Bain said. “He is a local realtor and defacto Mayor of Kelseyville … The whole community is extremely grateful for his numerous contributions to town,” she said. “He does everything … you name it, Rick is involved.”
The parade starts at 9:30 a.m. at State Street and Main at the east end of town and winds up at the Saw Shop at about First Street. Tractors will be parked after the parade for viewing at the west end of Main Street.
Bain said a few things are changing this year. Kids’ Town, featuring activities for children including pear decoration and two jump houses, will be at a new location. This year it will be located at the old Pioneer Park behind Studebaker’s on Third Street.
Kim Riley noted that among the 150 artisan vendors will be 50 food vendors that offer edibles from seasonings to beer and everything in between. “We have people coming back every year to sell their peararphernalia,” she said. “There’re going to be many things about pears this year … Pear ceramics, Bing’s Kitchen is making pear lumpia and there will be pear margaritas, pear shakes (at the Presbyterian church) pear pies, pear tarts and of course five different kinds of pears will be available at the free tasting next to Pogo’s Pizza in the Westamerica parking lot. Local Farmers will be selling organically-grown Bartletts, Abaté Fetel, Bosc, Comice and Rosie Red pears next to the tasting booth.
Among the too-many-to-be-listed features of the Pear Festival are the Lake County Horse Council’s Horse Faire that will include six breeds of horse, a tack swap and varied horse demonstrations throughout the day. The Horse Faire opens at 11 a.m.
The Konocti Art Society fine art show opens at 10:30 at Westamerica Bank Lobby and the pie-eating contest will be at 12 noon at Pear Square just west of the Bank.
The festival hosts several dancing groups including one on horses you’ll see in the parade.
Businesses will remain open during the event.
Bain is focusing her efforts on the opening prequel, the Farm to Fork Dinner that launches the Pear Festival Friday night. “We’re seating 500 people down main street with a family style dinner prepared by Jeremy Zabel the chef and owner at Red’s at the Skyroom. The lucky ticket-holders who managed to grab tickets (that sold out in a record 20 minutes almost four months ago) will get to enjoy a beefy menu including a Lake County pear Caesar salad and Lake County pear cake for dessert as well as local wines by Brassfield and Shannon Ridge. The theme of the dinner this year is “Loving Our Lake.” The Kelseyville High School Interact Club-associated with the Kelseyville Sunrise Rotary Club-will be working the tables at the kickoff dinner.
Dinner is followed by an auction to benefit downtown beautification, followed by a street dance featuring live music by the Funky Dozen.
“If you weren’t able to get tickets this year,” Bain said, “mark June 1, 2024 at 7 a.m. when they go on sale at Eventbrite.
This year’s pear festival included an essay contest with higher dollar prizes for age 18 and under with the first place winner featured in the parade. First place winner will be receiving a check for $250 with second and third places getting $150 and $100 respectively. Winners have been selected and their works will be posted on the Kelseyville Pear Festival Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/kelseyvillepearfestival). Also an art contest for 4th and 5th graders selected winners who will be prince and princess in the parade.
“We are extremely grateful to our sponsors,” said Bain. “Our grand sponsor this year is Sutter Lakeside Hospital. They provide an extremely important healthcare service to this community.”
Also instrumental to the success of the event are local groups who help manage traffic including Kelseyville High School’s K-Corps as well as the county’s Seascouts. Kelseyville HS cheerleaders cleaning tables at the Pear Square, which will again be located at the Westamerica Parking lot.
Bain commented that not only does the Pear Festival bring visitors who spend money into Lake County, but it gives youth groups and service clubs a venue.
“I would like to thank the Kelseyville Business Association (KBA) for their contributions for helping us cleaning all our sidewalks,” Bain added. “They set up our stages and all-around help us to get things going.”
“The community has benefited by the additional visitors that come into the county,” said Bain, who noted “a lot of people who have second homes come into the festival and bring all their friends.”
Organizers urge everyone to leave their dogs at home.
