Carlsbad Street Faire

900 Vendors! Largest Street fair in the nation! 40th year!

The blurb caught my attention and we decided to go check it out. This year the spring fair took place on May 5th, also Cinco de Mayo. Last year we celebrated the Hispanic holiday in Old Town San Diego. This year we passed it up and chose to drive the 40 minutes north to the Carlsbad Street Fair.




Fair promoters expect more than 100,000 people to attend this spring event. Another street fair occurs in November. Hmmm, maybe we will check it out this fall. I don’t know if these fairs really are the biggest in the nation, but they run 7 blocks east to west down Grand street and two blocks north and south on each cross street. The wide streets provide room enough for tents down each curb and a 3rd row of vendors down the middle. Local businesses, many with sidewalk sales on display, can be accessed easily.



We wound our way systematically up the right side of the street and down the left. 900 tents stood along the route, but…we noticed some vendors supported several booths with the same inventory. It reminded us of the big flea markets we attended back east. Some of the multiple booths sold straw hats….too big for my tiny head, leather purses and wallets, and sunglasses. The surf board rugs could be purchased at a couple of booths. They caught my eye. I thought they'd be cute in a bathroom or mud room. The advertisements claim the following items will be available…..”.Clothes, accessories, plants, household products, art, antiques and home décor”. A variety of women’s clothing for the young and skinny beckoned buyers. Booths offered lots of cute kids’ clothes. Good thing I don’t have any toddlers in my life. One booth offered nothing but hair accessories for little girls. Art included metal outdoor patio art (a large pink pig and brightly colored metal flowers come to mind), metal wall sculpture, pottery, photography and paintings. One booth had interesting wood covered photo books, journals and address books. Many booths offered a plethora a jewelry items. What I found interesting in this fair was each jewelry booth offered unique items very different in materials and styles from every other jewelry booth.




Local agencies promoted “green living, health care, new window, doors and stucco siding. This chimney sweep service provider even dressed the part.


A limo filled the center of one street advertising their business. A golf cart was parked next to the limo by a different vendor.

Youth clubs sold sweets. The event promised “The international food court will once again feature more than 50 booths serving everything from Thai to Hawaiian cuisine. The children’s area will entertain youngsters with games, a super slide, a bounce house, a rock climbing wall, face painting and arts and crafts. The Rotary Club of Carlsbad’s beer and wine garden will entertain fairgoers with a large screen TV and live bands. The Kiwanis Club of Carlsbad will continue its more than 25-year tradition of hosting a pancake breakfast at the Carlsbad railroad depot.” I did accept a tasting sample of guacamole and chips, and another of candy coated nuts…yum!



Although the promoters claim quality goods, Derrille and I felt that this fair didn’t meet the high standards of quality we observed at the Litchfield fair in Phoenix. Carlsbad does know its clientele. Young families and senior citizens couples leisurely meandered the streets. The crowds filled the streets, but flowed easily from place to place. Many of those young families wandered with kids in strollers or kids in tow. Some strollers held a single child, some held more.



Strollers of every shape and size maneuvered through the crowds. Several wheelchairs carried shoppers too.



Some gathered in groups.



Dedicated dads dealt with the youngsters and strollers while mom shopped.



Californians like to take their dogs wherever they go, especially to farmer markets and fairs.


Many little dogs rode in a stroller.


Some had to share "riding" time.



Several dogs sported doggy sun visors.


The vendor selling the visors apparently sold a lot of inventory at this fair. He had three "live" dog models displaying the visors.


Of course you always see the eccentric at these events too. This man brought his bird. With its pink and white coloring, I think it is kind of cockatoo.


We found our parking spot about 5 blocks away. Going to and coming from the fair, we passed this house with a deck built around this huge tree.

Derrille and I walked about 2 ½ hours taking in the sights and sounds of this fair. Fortunately for me no cigarette smoke or heavy fragrances crossed my path. The temperature of the day made jeans and tee shirt appropriate attire. We may have been OK in shorts too. A good day to go to the fair in Carlsbad, as it rained all day in Chula Vista. We left the fair, dined at Taco Bell and then headed home. November’s fair may be interesting to see with Christmas around the corner.

As we returned to San Diego, the line of cars waiting to exit I-5 for Old Town backed up a good mile in every direction. Glad we passed on that this year.