Thousands turn out for Carlsbad street fair

By: GIG CONAUGHTON - Staff Writer | Sunday, May 6, 2007 7:42 PM PDT ∞

CARLSBAD ---- There were polyester "miracle" blouses, "fish bubbles," custom palm-thatch tiki huts, bronze dragonflies, wind chimes, giant chocolate-chip cookies, nerf bows and arrows made from PVC pipes, pet pouches, gourmet hot sauces ---- and thousands of sun-kissed people wandering the streets of Carlsbad on Sunday at the city's 33rd annual Village Street Fair.

Twice a year, in May and November, Carlsbad's Grand Avenue and several side streets turn into a huge shopping mall, drawing close to 100,000 visitors to catch a glimpse at a little bit of everything for everyone.

Crowds of stroller-pushing moms and dads, dog-leashed young couples and others wandered happily under cloudless skies, to munch on hot dogs, slurp frozen slushees, and enjoy an undeniably gorgeous Southern California day.

But the real draw of the day was shopping. Lots and lots of eclectic shopping ---- for anything from synthetic lawns to art and jewelry, from toys to novelty items.

Fair goers could get their ears pierced just a few steps down from getting their toe-rings installed, and just a hop-skip-and-a-jump from getting a psychic reading.

Vendors sold beautiful landscape art where, instead of brush strokes, the scenes were hand embroidered on silk canvases. There were hats of all shapes and sizes; tie-dyed sun dresses; jackets that could be worn 10 different ways; grinning cats made out of gourds; mounted butterflies; beef jerky, elk jerky, buffalo jerky, turkey jerky.

Greg Jacobs held court for hours Sunday in front of one of the booths that stopped many curious onlookers dead in their tracks ---- "fish bubbles" ---- small aquariums that looked like portholes that could be screwed to a wall.

"This is basically a bubble that hangs on a wall just like a picture," Jacobs pitched as dozens of people listened and fished around in their pockets for cash. "OK? And the beauty is ... not only is it a tank for your beta fish, but it's a picture frame as well. So you can take photos of your kids swimming, snorkeling, and slide their photo right behind in the background."

Jacobs said his company, the Sorrento Valley based Next Wave Marketing, Inc., doesn't have a store front and instead shops its wares on the Internet and at street fairs like Carlsbad's.

"This is probably one of the best ones," Jacobs said of Carlsbad's street fair. "Attendance-wise, and we just get a good response here."

Fair-goers said they loved the event as well.

Mother and daughter Sue and Lacey Richmond of Valley Center took time out to snack on chips and guacamole around midday.

Asked if they had bought much, both smiled and shrugged, as if to say, "no, not really."

But then Lacey pointed out the "Pet Paw-kit" ---- a spangled, turquoise carrying pack ---- hanging around her neck with her Chihuahua "Rocky" sticking out. Oh, and the new necklace. Sue, meanwhile, opened up her pocket book to point out a new camera bag ---- "that looks just like a camera."

So what did they think of the fair?

"I think it's extremely large," Sue Richmond said.

Lacey added, "I think it's cool."

Contact staff writer Gig Conaughton at (760) 739-6696 or gconaughton@nctimes.com. Comment at nctimes.com.

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