Annual Kiwanis Citrus Festival starts tonight at Harding Park
July 20, 2012
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
“If Life Gives You Lemons...“ it will also give you plenty of fun at the 45th Annual Kiwanis Club Citrus Festival starting today and running all weekend long.
The celebration of all things citrus is being held at Harding Park; free shuttle service will be available from throughout Santa Paula.
The Citrus Festival offers great food, plenty of vendors, displays and nonstop entertainment. And don’t forget the carnival (tickets sold separately), where dozens of rides are “screamin’ right” for teens and adults children have a special section of their own. The festival starts today at 5 p.m. and closes at 11 p.m., Saturday and Sunday noon to 11 p.m.
Entertainment will be almost non-stop at the Budlight Lounge and on the Main Stage, all included in the low ticket price of $5 for adults and $2 for children 10 and under. Tonight, Friday, Juana & Friends will start Main Stage activity at 6 p.m., followed by The Midniters and Tierra.
Saturday’s entertainment starts at noon at the Budlight Lounge with DJ Peter, After the Smoke, Polynesian Dancers and Nuestro. Saturday the Main Stage will have Rey y Kaye start at 5:45 p.m., followed by House Arrest and The Family Stone.
Cruise Knights will start Budlight Lounge activities at noon Sunday, kicking off a day of entertainment including a SP Fitness Demo and DJ Peter. Sunday night starts with Banda Clave Azul at 5 p.m. followed by Banda Huracán, Del Pacífico and Acción de la Sierra. At 8 p.m. Nuevo Komando will open for the crowd favorite, Los Grandes de Tijuana.
Don’t forget to bring an appetite: a favorite stop for all festival goers is the Food Court where you can get a full dinner to a snack. The carnival of course is operated by Kiwanis’ longtime festival partner Guadagno & Sons Amusements, which offers their famous secret recipe corndogs and cotton candy, among other traditional carnival goodies. Adults can enjoy a refreshing Budweiser in the Beer Garden.
Dozens of festival merchants will offer everything from sunglasses and handbags to jewelry and fun glow accessories.
The annual festival is not only fun but it also benefits the community with proceeds funding a variety of youth programs, projects and activities.
Have more festival fun money by taking the free Shuttle that will let you off and pick you up right at the gates. There is plenty of free parking at or close to all shuttle stops: City Hall, 970 E. Ventura St.; Railroad Depot, 10th and Santa Barbara streets; Glen City School, 141 Steckel Drive; Teague Park, 500 block of W. Harvard Blvd. The Shuttle runs Friday, 5 p.m. to midnight; Saturday and Sunday noon to midnight.
For more information about the Kiwanis Club Citrus Festival visit www.santapaulafestival.org.
