OXNARD : Turnout Low for Mexican ‘Fiesta’ Event

For the families that showed up, the first day of a weekend carnival in Oxnard celebrating Mexican independence was a day of fun, food, music and rides, all without lines.

But for organizations that purchased booths in hopes of raising money or drawing attention to their business, the first day of “Fiesta Patrias 1993” was a disappointment.

“We were hoping for a better turnout,” said Aurora Moreno, who was selling tacos to raise money for the Ventura County Commission on Human Concerns. “We’ll meet our expenses and maybe make a few hundred dollars, but we thought it would be a much bigger event.”

Leaders at the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, which is sponsoring the weekend celebration, anticipated 25,000 to 50,000 visitors, but conservative estimates placed Saturday’s crowd at little more than 1,000.

Rodney Saavedra, a vendor who has come to the independence event for the last several years, said the carnival’s new location, in College Park, hurt the turnout.

“Last year it was in Plaza Park, where a lot of people could see it and hear about it. A lot of people don’t know where College Park is, so they aren’t coming.”

Saavedra said he thought the new admission fee of $2 also might be acting as a deterrent. The carnival’s organizers, however, were optimistic that interest in the event would grow.

In addition to traditional dancers, music and food, the festival has dozens of rides, games and booths for shopping.

“We missed the county fair, so this was a chance for us to take our kids to something festive,” said Agustin Gallegos, 24, of Oxnard.

“This is a great family event,” said Lilia Araujo, 25, an Oxnard resident who brought her two children to the fair. “We’ve listened to the Mexican music, gone on all the rides and had great food. It’s been a really good day.”

Unlike Araujo, Bruce Bewley would prefer that there were some lines. The operator of the Ferris wheel found time to take a nap during the slow afternoon.

“I’d rather be running full loads than this,” Bewley said. “I hope we have more of a celebration tomorrow.”