Post from the Past - Lemon Festival in Goleta, CA

The Lemon Festival in Goleta, CA
May 4, 2012

I have attended the Goleta Lemon Festival two years in a row, and both of the festivals were much the same. I think it is fair to say while I enjoyed it the first time quite a bit, I liked it the second time around much better. I believe this is due to the fact that it felt really spread out and open and the people that were visiting the park, where it was held, seemed so much more relaxed. Perhaps too, we had a lot more time to really look around the second time and see the people and really talk to the vendors and spend time with them face to face, which is my joy.

This festival has a ton of games for the kids, I especially loved the mini-golf for the kids, it was so cute. They had something that was like the tea cups and saucers, and all sorts of kiddo rides, I especially love these: bounce houses, pony rides, those are the memories that stick with you even if you don’t remember the venue, and you always remember the rides and the time you had playing. There were no strolling performers and only a single stage for music, but the music was very good. People were dancing and singing along =)

Everything was yellow, balloons and tents in yellow and white. I humbly believe this is exactly why hubby wanted to come so badly, as that’s his favorite color =) Nah we love fairs and festivals, and this one was delicious!!!

They sold t-shirts and mugs, yellow cups and all sorts of Goleta, Ca goodies. I liked it a lot since it was brand new to me, and I like lemon….and that is a good thing too!!! They had lemon ice cream, lemon cotton candy, lemon drinks, pies, custards, lemon candies, lemon bars, even lemon beer (I don’t drink but that sounded – interesting to me) no I didn’t try it.

Everyone seemed genuinely proud of their lemons and their products. I tried the ice cream (very good slightly sour not too sweet, the bars, holy cow!!! And the lemonade, which I might say was a fun overload of citrusy goodness. I needed a drink of water to break it up a bit, but nowhere in my life had I seen so much lemon in one place. Even when you spun the wheels at the booths they even had lemon goodies, I thought that was really neat.

I like it when I go to the festivals and can just walk around, this one was free to enter and park, but they had a charge for the foods, drinks and rides, which was totally reasonable.

When we explored the first year it got a tad on the rainy side, while the second year we attended it was warm and bright. So I have seen it both ways and I recommend going of you can, the park had music, live music, and swings and slides. Something for big and little kids.

The fire department brought their ladder truck so we could see it up close and they let us see their gear as well. This is reminiscent of the days when I was really little and the fire department was the coolest thing in our little bitty town and they would let us kids crawl up inside and blow the horn, it always seemed to shiny to me, those are the memories I spoke of earlier. I hope that you have a memory that will sneak up on you and make you smile as well.

This festival reminded me of a small town get together…. The potluck style with neighbors hanging out together on a Sunday afternoon… You don’t get that much these days. It was a refreshing change of pace. If you want very casual and relaxing time, I advise this festival greatly.

http://www.lemonfestival.com/

Post from the Past - Payson Rodeo

Payson Rodeo “Tough Enough to wear Pink”
August 17, 2012

I am going to interject a totally off the topic topic… Rodeos I don’t put them in the same category as the fairs and festivals because they are entirely a show. From start to finish, it is a sporting event with a lot of twists and turns. Bulls flying, horses bucking, ladies turning left and right around the barrels and going at super sonic speeds. It is an incredible feat!! All of it.

This is what I have to say about the rodeos though, they are my favorite sporting event, we have tickets to football, baseball, celebrity games, but the rodeo puts a lump in my throat. Not because I am scared, but because it is one place where you can be really proud to be a part of our country, we pray, we clap, we cheer, and we are all there for each other. Our troops come first, our veterans, we stand for the colors, we sing, and we get misty eyed. And when our flag goes past, we cheer like it is the most important piece of history in the world. There is a level of respect from all ages.

From the tiniest cowboys and girls all the way to the men and women in the booths, we take off our hats, we put our hands on our hearts, and for a few moments, before all the games begin, there is silence, a knowing honorable silence. The youngest children stand quietly, their parents don’t even have to explain, and we are all one.

I have never seen that before or since the rodeos. And it makes me very proud.