Fiesta rolls into Camarillo with classic style
Three-day festival includes car show, carnival rides, food booths
By Miguel Morales miguel@theacorn.com

BILL SPARKES/Acorn Newspapers UP, UP AND AROUND- Tommy Spear and his dad get ready for liftoff on the carnival ride "Hurricane" during last year's Fiesta.

Summer breezes bring with them the sweet smell of kettle corn, the jazzy sounds of live music and shrieks of delight from youngsters on a carnival ride- all of which festival lovers can find at the annual Camarillo Fiesta and Street Fair.

Between now and Sun., July 15, event organizers expect some 50,000 people along Ventura Boulevard in Old Town Camarillo for a weekend of food, fun and music.

More than 150 vendors will provide Ventura County residents with everything from food and henna tattoos to cellphone service and legal advice.

A mini-carnival along with a petting zoo will be open for the entire weekend.

Continuous music starts tonight, playing on two stages.

More than 30 food vendors will offer everything from Argentinian churrasco to traditional American cuisine.

"No matter who you are, we have something for you," said Todd Terres, cochair and organizer for the Camarillo Fiesta Association. "Come for the food and music, and you can leave with cellphone service and a new chiropractor all in the same day."

Even after eight years of preparing a three-day event, Terres said he is continuously impressed by the amount of people who attend the fiesta. Last year's event brought out more than 35,000 people from around Ventura County, and this year, he said, he expects to surpass that number by another 10,000.

Free concerts starring the Soul City Survivors, Rob Rio and the Estrada Brothers, and a car show are expected to be the main attractions, he said.

One hundred classic Chevys, Pontiacs and Fords will be on display beginning Saturday. Judges will present trophies in eight different categories, including street rods and muscle cars for first, second and third place.

An open class is available for anyone who wants to bring in their own unique car, and entries will be accepted up until the day of the event.

"The list for vendors has been full for two weeks, and people are still calling trying to get in," he said. "It's one of those things that only come around once a year, but it also happens to be one of the biggest. It's no surprise everyone wants to be a part of it."

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to a number of charitable causes and youth organizations, said Mike Morgan, co-chair on the Camarillo Fiesta Association and a member of Camarillo's City Council. For the past two years, Pleasant Valley Education Foundation received a major portion of donations due to severe cuts and lack of funds to support the music and technology programs of the Pleasant Valley School District.

"It's getting bigger and bigger every year," Morgan said. "It's almost getting too big to handle, but the benefits by far outweigh the cost, and that's what makes it all worth the effort."

The goal of the event is to raise funds for youth organizations, and one of the ways the Fiesta makes that happen is by allowing many nonprofit groups, like the Boy Scouts and Key Clubs, to set up their own booths at no charge, Morgan said.

Cook's Tires has set apart a spot dubbed the "Fun Zone" specifically for those groups, so that they can run their own games and raise money for their own causes, he said.

For more information, go to Camarillofiesta.com.