Indio Tamale Festival

Indio Tamale Festival
Indio Tamale Festival, Indio, CA Dates: Saturday and Sunday, December 3-4, 2011 (Always the 1st weekend in December!)
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday
Location: Downtown Indio The Festival is between Highway 111 and Indio Boulevard and fills-in the streets of Miles, Towne, Smurr & Requa.
Weather: 79 Degrees, Sunny Days; 40 Degrees, Cool Evenings

IMPORTANT: I have written a book about our experiences selling at Street Fairs, festivals, A&C Shows, fairs, flea markets. I know that you will really find reading it quite enjoyable and you'll be able to relate to a lot of things that I describe. Having to endure 71 mph winds, heavy rains, floods, lying and cheating promoters. You'll love it. Only $14.95. Street Fairs for profit, fun and madness



It all started in 1992 with an idea by Dave Hernandez, a member of the Downtown Indio Merch
ants Association. The rich heritage of the tamale, consistent community support and hard working tamale makers have created the festival's tremendous success. Recently, the Food Network-TV ranked the Indio International Tamale Festival in the top 10 "All-American Food Festivals" in the nation!Festival's Guinness World Records: The World's largest Tamale-over 1 foot in diameter and 40 feet in length, Dec. 4, 1999. The World's largest tamale festival-with 120,000 in attendance, Dec. 2-3, 2000.The weather is pretty good in Indio this time of year, but nights are a little cooler. Booths are spread along several streets. Lots of tamales and they all sell for the same price. Booth fees are a bit high and overpriced. Commercial goes for $475 and if you are staying in a motel, your expenses end up quite high. Very risky for this economy. Arts and Crafts spaces go for $475

2010 Castro Valley Fall Festival

The 2010 Castro Valley Fall Festival will be held on September 11-12.

2009 Review: This yearly event is being held in the small town of Castro Valley, located approx 15 miles south east of Oakland. For a good number of years, it was held in the Village Plaza, a complex of around 25 businesses frequented by the locals. Three years ago, they took it to the streets, having the festival on Castro Valley Blvd. I recall many years ago....early 70's and before, this was a popular cruising area as the teens took to the streets in their souped up and beat up junkies and 56 Chevy's and drove up and down the Boulevard, quite similar to what you saw in American Graffiti. I recall being in the service back in '72 and my friends and I cruised up and down on a number of occasions. The scenes of people parked in lots sitting on their hoods were reminiscent of what you saw in that famous movie co-starring Ronnie Opie Howard. Anyhow, the cruising ended quite a long time ago..... I think. I lived in New Jersey back in the 60's and it was the thing to do.

The show is promoted by Festival Productions (Jeff & Jerry Cambra) along with other local organizations and has been going on for a long time. I believe this is probably our 8th year here. I recall that we did the Atwater Fall Festival on the weekend following 9-11 and the year's after I we did Castro Valley during the second weekend of September.

Please click here to read my review of this festival.

There are many reviews along with loads of information on the Starving Vendors website.

I am currently writing a book about our exploits, experiences and adventures encountered during out 17 years selling at festivals, fairs, A&C Shows, etc. You can sign up to be notified when it comes out.

2010 Manteca Pumpkin Fair

This years Pumpkin Fair will be held on October 2-3. The annual Pumpkin Fair presented by the Manteca Sunrise Kiwanis, will be held on the first full Saturday and Sunday of October in downtown Manteca from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Street Fair portion complete with pumpkin patch, kids zone, truck show, car show, motorcycle run, three stages and over 150 vendors will once again be located in downtown Manteca near Library Park.



IMPORTANT: I have written a book about our experiences selling at Street Fairs, festivals, A&C Shows, fairs, flea markets. I know that you will really find reading it quite enjoyable and you'll be able to relate to a lot of things that I describe. Having to endure 71 mph winds, heavy rains, floods, lying and cheating promoters. You'll love it. Only $14.95. Street Fairs for profit, fun and madness

2009 REVIEW: Once again, the organizers put on a good event as they always do. The people came out but they did not buy. Great weather; rained last year. Lots of vendors and plenty of food. But the people just did not buy. They had no money. They all traded in their clunkers and bought new wheels and now they got their cars repossessed. Some of them just walked around and got fatter while others socialized or played with vendor's items.

Click here to read remainder of review.

There are many reviews along with loads of information on the Starving Vendors website. I am currently writing a book about our exploits, experiences and adventures encountered during out 17 years selling at festivals, fairs, A&C Shows, etc. You can sign up to be notified when it comes out.

Foster City 4th of July Festival

Return to Foster City. We shall be returning to the 4th of July Festival there after a six-year absence. I hope that it is as nice as it was back then. They have a number of vendor and food booths along with entertainment and fireworks. One of the few places around that do provide fireworks.

I am highly disappointed that we will have to haul in our things. We have a canopy,16 grids, 6 heavy buckets and around 15 sacks and numerous other things we need to set up. We are 60 year's old and this is quite difficult for us. Year's ago we were located alongside the curb and there was no problem. I guess that if I would have known this beforehand, than we would not have signed up. Seems like a completely different show. Family health problems are preventing us from going to Mt Shasta where we have been for the past 6 years ago. You think that we want to haul our stuff in with our health problems. Disgusting. I am certain other vendor's do not like this also. Please be sure to check out my website Starving Vendors for more info on shows and other things.