32nd Annual Goleta Lemon Festival

The 32nd Annual Goleta Lemon Festival had live music, dancing, food, a car show, carnival rides, a climbing wall, information booths and everything to do with lemons.

Here are my many photos!

Lots of fire, police and rescue equipment and personnel were on display for the occasion.

These guys go out for weeks at a time fighting wildfires and I was happy to talk with some of them. It is very difficult work, but they love what they do. I could barely lift some of their backpacks and they go out for 8 hours and more at a time fighting fires with that load on their backs! These are also mostly young men at an age where they are having kids. That is another challenge for them to be away from family for extended periods.

There was also a chance for attendees to learn some rescue skills. Here you could practice CPR on dummies that gave feedback if you were doing it correctly.

With so much fear in our community from the ICE assaults on our neighbors, these people offered kindness, support, useful information and resistance.

One of the big attractions at the Festival was a big car show. From antiques of the early 20th century on up through what were normal cars in my 1960s-1970s childhood. And some recent models.

Some of the owners were on hand to talk about their cars. This gentleman talked about how he created one of the star attractions of the show: Matching 1957 Ford and trailer made from another identical car!

This wheelchair with a Halloween themed skeleton reminded us that “Everyone ends up disabled eventually – If you’re lucky!”

I visited the Lemon Festival three times over the weekend. When I first arrived at the Main Stage the Pie Eating Contest had just ended. Supervisor Laura Capps posed with one of the messy and smiling contestants.

My dear friend DJ Darla Bea posed on the Main Stage in her very lemony outfit!

Darla Bea also joined the lineup of elected officials and event organizers posing with the Lemon Festival mascot. At far left: Goleta City Council Member Stuart Kasdin and County Supervisor Laura Capps. To the right of the mascot are County Supervisor Joan Hartmann and Goleta City Council Member Jennifer Smith.

Of course there were many food choices. I was sorry the Filipino food from last year was not back, but there were plenty of other options.

And plenty of lemon food and drink choices. For the first time ever, I didn’t get to the lemon bar booth in time to get a lemon bar! They had run out!

A huge area of the Lemon Festival was set up for a wide range of activities for kids. These kids were enjoying flying high and doing flips with bungee cords and trampolines.

I learned that this is called “Zorbing” in “Hamster Wheels”.

These kids were pounding a kind of giant tether ball punching bag. Does anyone know what this is called? I might have missed it except the boy in red is the son of a friend of mine.

The UCSB Climbing Wall was in constant use. I was in awe of very young kids fearlessly and skillfully climbing right to the top. Like this little boy.

This girl in yellow raced easily to the top. Then she came back down to help her friend in green make it up.

The other big attraction: Music and dancing. There was non-stop live music on two stages. But the Main Stage dance floor was empty most of the time. Until it became totally packed when Area 51 came out to play! I was able to squeeze in for a few dances and then did a few more dances in the dirt and grass nearby. Here was the scene when Area 51 played “Beat It.”