The idea was simple, as Mary England described it. In her role as president and CEO of the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce, she and the chamber’s board members realized that they “felt the time was right for a new entertainment venue” in the community during early autumn.
The idea was simple, as Mary England described it. In her role as president and CEO of the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce, she and the chamber’s board members realized that they “felt the time was right for a new entertainment venue” in the community during early autumn.
The elements for this new festival came together on October 16 and 17, at the first-ever FallFest, staged at Grossmont Center in the Macy’s parking lot next to Hooley’s Irish Pub. The two-day event kicked off on Friday evening, with live rock and roll music as free entertainment, then opened again on Saturday at noon, closing at midnight. Admission was free on both days, with food and beverages available for purchase on site. Headliner for the Saturday night concert was award-winning country music singer-songwriter Brent Payne, who wowed his listeners with a high energy stage performance over four hours.
The planning for FallFest was complicated, according to England, with “a lot of components to a beer garden,” “a lot of coordination,” and competition for those staging elements from such other area events as Del Mar’s Kaaboo festival of food, drink and music. A possible September weekend for the first FallFest went by the wayside, with mid-October being the earliest England could align all the necessities.
“Inaugural events are always a risk,” England said. And she acknowledged that Friday’s rainy weather had “not been accommodating.” Despite an occasional mist cooling attendees outside the beer garden tent, though, the crowd grew as Saturday night got into full swing. England expressed special gratitude toward Macy’s for surrendering the nearest parking lot to hold FallFest.
The La Mesa Chamber had partnered for the prior seven years in the 43-year-old La Mesa Oktoberfest, hosting a beer garden at that La Mesa Village festival downtown. England and her team wanted to be at the forefront in adding a new event into the line-up of family-friendly La Mesa gatherings, however, an event that, according to England, would “not be locked into a particular month.” The Chamber members were also captured by the idea of creating a free festival near thriving La Mesa businesses beyond the downtown village area, with easier parking and transit into the venue. Grossmont Center, which provides 20 percent of sales tax receipts for the city of La Mesa, seemed like a perfect location.
The result was the inaugural FallFest, which was the Chamber’s first standalone beer garden-centered event. The Boston Beer Company, brewers of Samuel Adams beer, helped sponsor the selection of adult beverages. Available choices included the company’s eminently drinkable flagship beer, Boston Lager (4.9 percent alcohol by volume), a delicious traditional marzen in Samuel Adams Octoberfest (5.3 percent ABV), a seasonal Jack-O-Traveler Pumpkin Shandy (4.4 percent ABV), a brew with a nod to West Coast taste for India pale ales in the Rebel IPA (6.5 percent ABV), and the company’s Angry Orchard Hard Cider (5 percent ABV). Samuel Adams Octoberfest hats were handed out free to attendees on both nights, and the company hosted a stein holding contest on Saturday night, with prizes for the women and men who could hoist their full beer mugs aloft for the longest time.
Tarantino’s Gourmet Sausages was on hand, serving up traditional fall beer garden fare, alongside grilled hamburgers, hot dogs, tacos, and barbecued tri tip and pulled pork sandwiches. Country music radio station KSON had a booth at the event and provided raffle prizes to lucky attendees. Carl Burger Dodge showed off a pair of sparkling pickup trucks, offering festival-goers a chance to win $45,000 toward purchase of a Dodge vehicle.
East County casinos stepped up for event sponsorship, with Sycuan Casino taking the lead as “presenting sponsor,” Barona Resort & Casino serving as “supporting sponsor”, and Viejas Casino & Resort as “entertainment sponsor.” Kleege Industries sponsored the stage, and San Diego Gas & Electric took on the role of “friends of the pavilion” for temporary power into the parking lot event.
For her dedication and preparation work, during the Saturday night ceremonies England was recognized with an award as “Entrepreneur of the Year.” She told the attendees, “This is what a beer garden should look like. This beer garden is exactly what La Mesa needs.” She thanked the 98 volunteers who showed up to assist on Saturday.
Local philanthropist Jerry Lester helped secure featured country performer Payne for the event. “Mark your calendars for next year,” Lester said. “We hope to make this an annual event.”
Payne’s show delighted the all-ages crowd, as he and his five-piece band electrified the audience with cover performances running the gamut of traditional country music (“Folsom Prison Blues”), popular country (“Mountain Music”), country rock (“Mercury”), Southern country rock (“The South’s Gonna Do It Again,” “Sweet Home Alabama”), Western swing (“Should Have Asked Her Faster”), and haunting ballads (“Past the Point of Rescue”).
During his second set of the night, Payne dropped from the stage to sing amid the audience, serenading individual listeners in the crowd. He noted the children dancing and running in front of the stage. He singled out a table of folk wearing hot pink t-shirts as breast cancer support walkers, disclosing that he is a “double cancer survivor,” having a year earlier survived a bout with colon cancer.
Payne received the Hollywood Music in Media Award in 2012 for Best Country Song of the Year for his hit single, “Now & Forever.” He has been nominated for best country song again this year for the HMMA 2015 awards, to be bestowed in November, for his song “Midnight Prayer.” An Oklahoma native, Payne now spends most of his performance time in California.
Sponsors, planners and participants were enthusiastic about the first FallFest, stating their hopes and intentions to come back next year, “bigger and better, with more fun.” Information on the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce can be found at www.lamesachamber.com. More about Brent Payne, his music and performance schedule is available at www.brentpayne.com.
