Santa Claus, 30,000 Others Come to Town

The snow was a no-show at the 25th annual Holiday Street Festival in Ventura on Sunday, but Santa came in style, cruising California Street in a shiny red sleigh led by a pair of real reindeer.

The plan for the event’s silver anniversary had been to dump 45 tons of snow downtown so visitors could play in it.

But organizers scratched the snow--the windows of a couple of businesses were broken by errant snowballs last year. Instead, they focused on food, live entertainment and cutting-edge art.

“I think it’s great. We’re going to hang out all day and see how much money we can spend,” said Jerri Amans of Fullerton, as she waited in line for a paper cone of caramelized almonds.

Amans, who brought her daughter and two grandchildren, was among more than 30,000 people who attended the fair, organizers said.

Cloudy skies shrouded downtown for most of the day, prompting visitors to bundle up in sweatshirts and holiday sweaters.

More Offbeat Art Included This Year

Light rain fell in the late afternoon, and temperatures remained in the low 60s.

“This is a nice opportunity for people to come downtown and see a great mixture of things in a real cultural district,” said Leticia Wilson, a special events coordinator for the city.

Organizers this year expanded the artistic offerings to include more eclectic pieces along with the watercolor seascapes, black-and-white photos and handblown pottery.

The inclusion of more offbeat art brought Agoura Hills sculptor Perry Castellano to the festival, he said.

His booth included several red-and-black, helix-like objects, some of which moved with the push of a finger.

“I came up because I was told they were turning the Ventura festival into a fine arts show, and I wanted to be a part of that and, hopefully, sell something,” said Castellano, who welds steel into a variety of shapes and sizes.

Hundreds of Items Offered by Vendors

Craft vendors peddled dozens of funky curios, including pastel candles decorated with seashells and contained in small glass bowls.

Some of the other 435 sellers offered seasonal home decorations, cotton dresses, wall decorations adorned with cherubs, soaps, tie-dye baby jumpers, hand-woven dream catchers and jewelry.

The air smelled of kettle corn and funnel cakes, and live music boomed from six stages dotting the mile-long fair. Vintage carriages, Model A Fords and a Marine Corps Hummer were on display.

“We just wanted to get out and be with all the people,” said Robert Haanpaa of Oxnard, who came with his wife, Cathy, and their children, Stephen, 6, and Valerie, 2.