Blue Skies Turn Out, but Not Crowds, at Festival
The day after a deluge, the Festival of Whales came up for air Sunday beneath breezy, blue skies, but just the threat of more rain dampened attendance, according to disappointed organizers.
An estimated 8,000 people turned out Sunday for the festival’s Street Faire ’98 and an antique and collectibles show, but organizers said they believed ominous weather forecasts and well-publicized images of a local mudslide scared off many more people.
Instead of puddles there were pony rides at Sunday’s events, and in place of funnel clouds there were only funnel cakes. Fair-weather fans missed out.
“The weather has been perfect, but the turnout is not what we hoped for, honestly,” said Penny Maynard, executive director of the Dana Point Chamber of Commerce. “People were calling us all day to see if Dana Point was flooded. It’s frustrating.”
One of the callers Sunday morning was Julie Barnum of Coto de Caza. She said she was skeptical when organizers told her to expect sunny skies--which explained the parkas she carried in a backpack all day for her daughters, 4-year-old Dana and 6-year-old Laura.
“I don’t mind a little rain, I just didn’t want them to get soaked,” she said, nodding toward the pair. “I didn’t want to spend the day with wet, cranky kids. But it looks like it might be a nice day.”
Far nicer than Saturday, when pelting rain and gusting winds abruptly shut down the festival on a weekend that organizers had hoped would be a record-breaker. The big kickoff street parade was canceled, the vendor booths teetered and sank in mud, and drenched workers dashed for their cars.
“It was a disaster, I just packed up and left at 8:30 in the morning,” said Ron Conner, who sells western statuettes and other knickknacks. On Sunday, scanning the sparse crowd, he shrugged and added: “This still isn’t so great.”
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The Sunday festivities began with the Whale Chase, a series of races including a 12K and 5K. There was also a walk and Fun Run for kids. A brief drizzle about 8 a.m. was the only weather intrusion, but it “made a slight mist to keep us cool, and the event went great,” according to organizer Herb Massinger.
About 1,200 people joined in the races, which left stacks of surplus T-shirts for organizers, who planned for 1,500 runners and walkers.
“Given the weather [Saturday], we thought we might be faced with a complete disaster,” Massinger said. “So we’re happy with 1,200. It equaled last year, but it would have been much bigger if the weather helped out.”
The Festival of Whales continues today with the final day of Street Faire ‘98, in La Plaza Center, with more than 100 booths featuring food vendors, arts and crafts, a petting zoo, live music and assorted contests and some children’s rides.
The festival resumes the next two weekends with whale-watching excursions, a boat show, and an art exhibit and sale, along with educational programs at the Orange County Marine Institute and other activities.
For more information, call (714) 496-1555, or check the festival’s Internet address: www.dpfestival ofwhales.com