In San Luis Obispo, Thursdays Are Always Fair

Smoke was billowing up from the street and city employees were busy erecting barricades.

“What’s going on?” inquired a stranger in town, worried that a fire or some other disaster had struck downtown San Luis Obispo.

“It’s just our Thursday night street fair,” came the reply from a merchant, who was setting up a display booth.

When the visitor sniffed at the drifting smoke, he recognized the enticing smell of barbecue.

Baby back ribs, field-grown flowers, jugglers, just-picked asparagus, face painting, sandwiches, bright balloons, fresh snap peas--all are part of the scene that is a combination farmers’ market, community barbecue and street party.

It happens every week along the city’s main thoroughfare, Higuera Street, which is barricaded to vehicles from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. each Thursday.

“The official name--Thursday Night Activities--is rather unexciting, but we always get a good crowd,” said Dodie Williams, administrator of the Downtown Business Improvement Assn., which is in charge of the event.

At least 2,000 residents and visitors, and as many as 10,000 in midsummer, roam the four city blocks for the food and activities that make the event one to remember.

“I come downtown on Thursday night with my kids,” said local resident Anna Sprayre, who selected lettuce from a table in front of a farmer’s pickup truck. “We see all our neighbors, and buy fresh produce that changes with the season.”

For another resident, Bill Greening, it’s the barbecue. “I’ve been coming here every Thursday evening for two or three years,” said Greening, who always orders beef ribs, shish kebab and baked beans, then takes them home to share with his wife. “We get quite a meal for $7.25.”

The San Luis Obispo street party began in 1983. It evolved as an attempt to curb teen-age street cruising on the one night downtown merchants kept their stores open. When the city closed the one-way street to traffic, shoppers and diners stayed away, too.

“Because there wasn’t much business inside our restaurant, my boss decided to put a portable grill out in the empty street and barbecue some beef ribs to attract customers. It worked,” said Bob Holley, manager of F. McLintocks Saloon on Higuera Street.

That was the beginning.

One Thursday evening in the not-too-distant past, seven restaurants served barbecue from huge grills in the street. McLintocks is one of the biggest, with 16 employees in long aprons preparing at least 500 pounds of beef ribs, 200 pounds of beef kebabs and 180 beef sandwiches. Barbeque lovers of all ages sit on the curb devouring their dinners along the tree-lined avenue.

In addition to barbecue and booths that feature ice cream, cookies or coffee, the farmers offer all sorts of food to eat on the street or take home. Juicy strawberries are a current favorite. Seasonal vegetables include artichokes and asparagus.

Farmers park their trucks and vans perpendicular to the curb in the 800 and 900 blocks of Higuera Street, then set up tables or sell directly from their tailgates. All belong to the San Luis Obispo County Farmers’ Market Assn., and most have grown the fruits and vegetables themselves.

“What you buy here might be called gourmet produce,” said Peter Jankay, manager of the farmers’ market. “And much of it is grown without the use of pesticides.”

About 35 farmers are selling vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers this time of year, but in midsummer that increases to as many as 60.

Among the items the farmers offered recently were sugar peas, butter lettuce, baby carrots, French beans, walnuts, radishes, figs, cabbage, leeks, raisins, squash and avocados. One farmer displayed microwaveable popcorn still on the cob.

Different entertainment is featured each Thursday night, such as Professor Polski and his Traveling Puppet Show. Or it might be a musician such as Bubba Ramey, who sings and plays the saxophone and flute. At least once a month a county band is the main musical attraction. Cloggers and modern and jazz dance groups also perform.

Popular with children are a juggler, a street artist who paints faces and the Thursday Night mascot known as Downtown Brown, a bear-costumed human who likes to shake paws.

These days only a few storefronts along Higuera Street are vacant; the merchants at most others remain open to 9 p.m. every Thursday.

“While many other downtowns are failing,” says Williams, “San Luis Obispo’s has retained its vibrancy and character. Thursday Night Activities has become a weekly social event that has turned our downtown into a focal point.”

When asked about the disturbances three weeks ago by Cal Poly rowdy college students, Rebecca Berner of the chamber of commerce explained that the fracas took place nearer the campus and San Luis Obispo’s downtown area was not affected. “Our Thursday Farmers’ Markets, as locals refer to it, remain as popular as ever.”

Visitors arrive from far as well as near. A registration book kept at the BIA information booth at Higuera and Chorro streets contains names of tourists from such places as Plymouth, N.H.; Odessa, Tex., and Cincinnati, Ohio, and as far away as Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Geneva, Switzerland.

To fully enjoy the party, arrive by 6 p.m. when the evening entertainment and barbecues officially get underway. Farmers sell their produce from 6:30 to 9 p.m.; restaurants and night spots in the area remain open later.

Get to San Luis Obispo from Los Angeles by driving north on U.S. 101. Exit on Marsh Street, which is one way and leads directly into the downtown area.

Thursday Night Activities are on Higuera Street, the next parallel block to the northwest, between Nipomo and Osos streets. Park on side streets, in municipal garages or city lots. Cars parked at meters with Thursday night “no parking” signs or in private parking lots may be towed away.

For more details on the event, which runs weekly except on Thanksgiving, call the Downtown Business Improvement Assn. at (805) 541-0286. Get information about lodging, restaurants and other visitor attractions from the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce--(805) 543-1323. The office is at 1039 Chorro St.

Round trip from Los Angeles to San Luis Obispo is 410 miles.