When the Third Avenue Village Association is handed lemons, they make a festival.
The 18th annual Lemon Festival is coming to downtown Chula Vista from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 3, between E and G streets.
TAVA’s largest street fair celebrates a time when the city of Chula Vista was the self-proclaimed Lemon Capital of the World in the late 1880s with its lemon orchards.
This year’s free festival is the biggest one yet with more than 200 vendors, two stages with live music, a kids zone and more arts and crafts than ever before.
“It’s been growing, and it’s a great, fun day with contests and vendors,” said Luanne Hulsizer, executive director of the Third Avenue Village Association.
Vendors will sell lemon-focused items from lemon food to lemon soap.
Attendees can also participate in several challenges such as a lemon pie-eating contest and the largest lemon competition.
Hulsizer said this year she is expecting 20,000 people to attend, which would exceed the 18,000 from the previous year.
“It’s always been our goal to grow the event and to make it more attractive and more fun,” Hulsizer said.
Hulsizer said with people coming from all over San Diego, the Lemon Festival can show visitors what Chula Vista is all about.
“It’s our opportunity to showcase Third Avenue and Chula Vista to the county,” she said.
Kanan Road Band, a southern rock and country rock band, will be one of the bands performing. This will be their first Lemon Festival performance for the Murrieta-based band.
“It’s going to be great,” said Kanan Cox, guitarist and back- up vocalist. “I think our sound will carry great there.”
Cox said the festival provides an opportunity for his band to build up their San Diego fan base.
Adam Sparks, manager at Mangia Italiano, said Lemon Festival is a good event for downtown Chula Vista.
“We’re not open as long but it is a very busy day for us on Third Avenue,” he said. “The Lemon Festival is very Chula Vista and it is one of the things many people outside the area don’t know about.”
Hulsizer said it costs about $20,000 to host the Lemon Festival. Some of that money is made through sponsorships, Hulsizer said.
America Zamora, manager of El Comal Mexican restaurant on Third Avenue, said she does notice a spike in business because of Lemon Festival.
“Lots of people come here to eat,” she said. “Lemon Festival is sort of like a form of promotion for us.”
Zamora said she has been the manager at the restaurant for five years and in those five years she has seen the number of Lemon Festival attendees increase each year, which means her business sees more people.
Zamora said she likes the Lemon Festival coming to Third Avenue as a marketing tool and also as a community event.
“Lemon Fest draws people outside our area and that’s a good thing for business, she said.
