Thousands pack downtown Kelseyville for annual Pear Festival
- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Thousands of people turned out on Saturday as the community of Kelseyville once again gathered to celebrate its agricultural roots in the 25th annual Kelseyville Pear Festival.
The first rainstorm of the fall season didn’t bring a flood of water to downtown Kelseyville, but the cool, pleasant weather did welcome a wave of people who crowded the streets to enjoy the pear festival, one of the county’s biggest annual celebrations.
Rain was interspersed with sunshine, and participants said the day struck the right balance, both weather-wise and in tone. It was a big contrast to the last few years, when the weather was notably hotter.
The community appeared ready for a celebration after another exhausting and fearful summer of wildfires, with the Mendocino Complex fully contained only about two weeks ago.
Vicky Parish Smith, a member of the Kelseyville Pear Festival Committee, said that committee members and community members polled on Sunday and Monday agree that this year was at least as big or not bigger than the 2016 festival, one of the best attended at between 11,000 and 12,000 visitors. She added that the number is “imprecise” and an estimate since they have no way to accurately measure totals.
The thousands of people who came stayed for most of the day, Parish Smith said.
Organizers reported that there were more than 130 booths this year at the festival. Local vendors also sold out for the first time, which Parish Smith called “very encouraging.”
Over at Kelseyville Presbyterian Church, church members sold hundreds of their ever-popular pear shakes. Proceeds help the church with its community outreach, which includes a food pantry.
The Lake County Chapter of California Women for Agriculture also sold pear pies and turnovers. The Pear Festival sales are the group’s biggest annual fundraiser, and supports its scholarship fund.
Once again, there also were horses, thanks to the Lake County Horse Council’s Horse Faire, and vintage tractors and steam machines.
The Lake County Rural Arts Initiative also had plenty of fun activities for children to enjoy, including the Children’s Mural Project.
The day started off with the festival’s parade, led by grand marshals Jerry and Karen Hook, natives of Lake County, both of them attending Kelseyville schools. Jerry’s grandfather, Rolla Hook, was one of the first Kelseyville pear farmers.
Also featured in the parade were this year’s pear prince and princess, chosen based on an essay contest.
This year’s pear prince is Andon Beall, a fifth grader at Riviera Elementary School who also was the 2017 pear prince. Andon’s winning essay is titled, “The Dragon Breath Bakery,” about a family of dragons who run a bakery, specializing in world-famous roasted pears, and the challenges faced by Wing, a young dragon taking over the family business.
Laela Stewart, a fourth grader from Kelseyville Elementary School, is this year’s pear princess. Her essay is titled “It’s Not the Pear, It’s the Prince,” about a pear princess named Prissy looking for her prince.
Donna Thomas chauffeured Andon and Laela in the parade in a classic car.
Parade float winners were, first place, Cole Creek Equestrian; second place, Hillbilly Hooch; third place, Ely Stage Shop; best of parade, Jim Block Farm; honorable mention, KHS Marching Band.
The Pear Festival’s annual dessert contest also drew a number of tasty entries, including tarts, cakes, bars, cheesecakes and pies.
Rebecca Molloy took first place with her “pear clouds.” She also was the 2016 contest winner.
Pam Schnare took second place with a pear and fig jam tart; Joann Herring, third, for a crustless almond and pear tart; Julie Richardson, fourth, for a gingersnap pear cheesecake; and Joanne Santandrea, fifth, for her layered pear crisp bars.
The recipes will be available at the Pear Festival Web site, www.pearfestival.com.
The day also featured a spirited pie-eating contest, sponsored by Realtor Trista Fossa. The Hansons donated the pears for the pies, which were baked up by McKee Beall.
Squaring off in the contest were Dustin Pabst of Pabst Blue Ribbon Construction; real estate broker Yvette Sloan, Ken Dirte of Archimedes Remediation & Mitigation, Dr. Kirk Andrus of Sutter Lakeside Hospital, Amber Sheridan of Muse Photos, Rick Malm of Kelseyville Fire, Mr. Lake County Gary Deas, Sarah Dutra of Dusty Dees, Eric Malley of Park Place, Eric Valenzuela of Performance Tire & Wheel and Kenny Gibbons of American Pacific Mortgage.
Pabst would be ruled the winner, and his charity, Meals on Wheels, will receive a $250 donation.
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