Another successful street fair in Santee

Blood orange beer? “It’s a good summer beer” said Santee resident, Richard Foley, about Finest Made Ales’ blood orange beer.  Finest Made Ales’ sales ambassador, Randy Lewis, said their blood orange beer is their current best seller. That beer sampling was just one of the offerings at the Santee Street Fair & Craft Beer Festival held May 27 just off Mission Gorge Road at Town Center and Riverview Parkways. 

Blood orange beer? “It’s a good summer beer” said Santee resident, Richard Foley, about Finest Made Ales’ blood orange beer.  Finest Made Ales’ sales ambassador, Randy Lewis, said their blood orange beer is their current best seller. That beer sampling was just one of the offerings at the Santee Street Fair & Craft Beer Festival held May 27 just off Mission Gorge Road at Town Center and Riverview Parkways. 

Santee Chamber of Commerce business volunteer, Bob Lloyd, with Lloyd’s Collision Center, said “This is our 9th annual event.  We anticipate an increase in crowds to 25,000-30,000. We are up to 210 vendors.” 

Event chair, Tim Staump, founder of Staump Music School, described the music offerings with “We have a mix of country, rock, and pop – a little bit of everything.”  Two main stages were used for youth performances or entertainment at varying times during the day. 

The event offered a chance for vendor businesses to see their clients said exhibitor, Laura Koval with Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve said, “It’s a great way to see friends that we see at Santee Lakes.”

The street fair also offered up a great venue to get the word out about new offerings such as Skyline Church’s bringing their ministry to Santee this fall. Campus pastor Jeremy McGill said, “We will have our first service at West Hills High School Performing Arts Center.” 

Pickwick Players artistic director, Cameron Williams, a vendor, was introducing their new season which will include “The Diary of Anne Frank” scheduled for February 2018. 

Traditional Kenyan food was offered up this year with first time vendors, Sylvester Owino and wife Velia Villanueva, and their company RafikizFoods serving coconut rice, beef and chicken stew, black-eyed peas, and curry cabbage samples to passer-byers and selling platters of it as well. Their friends had told them “You guys gotta get in” about becoming a first-time vendor.

San Diegan Juan Blancas, who was enjoying the beer garden, said he heard about the event from news media and had nothing but good things to say about his experience. He cited the Hunter Steakhouse Tri-Tip and More as his favorite food at the Fair.

Former Navy divers Scott O. Nixon a co-owner with Jason Pelle of Copper Collar Distillery were promoting their vodka.  Nixon cited the Santee community as “very warm to us.”  They opened in June 2016 on Magnolia in Santee.

The extremely trendy fidget spinners were for sell in vendor Mundo Artes’ booth along with serapes, ponchos, and other clothing. 

Darcy Fagerwold, owner of Expressions Dance & Movement Center, was busy being stage manager for her dancers, that included a kinder ballet troupe, on the Heroes Stage. Other performances included the San Diego Christian College Band and Pickwick Players to name a few.   The Chamber Stage had the Staump Music School and The Contingencies as a part of the line-up.