Local residents have their fun, and eat it too, at Fountain Valley Summerfest
With school out for the summer, people of all ages descended on Fountain Valley Sports Park over a four-day period last week for a wide selection of delicious dishes and entertainment.
Summerfest, which ran Thursday through Sunday, returned to full strength, with a strong turnout from nearby communities.
After people surveyed their options for dinner and waited in line for their desired fair food, many chose to make their way over to one of two music stages.
The Mainstage showcased several hot tribute bands, including Aeromyth and DSB, two bands that have traveled while bringing fans the music of Aerosmith and Journey, respectively.
“It was really great to see everybody out having a good time,” Kim Ann, a local children’s book author from Huntington Beach, said. “The weather was beautiful. The event was amazing. The energy was positive. [As it was] Father’s Day weekend, it was really cool seeing all the dads and their children were out. They had matching shirts on. Everybody was having a good time.
“The music that they had was amazing. At one point in time, I thought I was listening to Journey in the background.”
Ann, whose stand had been set up near the entrance, was located on the opposite end of the grounds from the Mainstage, and yet, she still indicated she had heard the music of the bands.
The author, who has written books about ninjas and other subjects kids may find interesting, brought a cutout of the ninjas that appear on one of her book covers, and it proved a popular attraction for kids and young adults alike.
Fountain Valley has started a “City of Kindness” campaign, regularly recognizing residents who are seen doing kindness in the community. Ann said her books are geared toward teaching kindness and friendship, and her goal is to help children enjoy reading.
Throughout Saturday night, the “Star Tower” elevated swing set had a long line as families and couples looked to take in the bright lights of the fair and carnival from above.
While they were waiting, they had a fine view of the Community Stage, which gave local bands an opportunity to gig out in front of their friends and family, bringing their acts out of their parents’ garages.
Max Keegan, a rising junior at Fountain Valley High School, played rhythm guitar in a band called “Waste of Oxygen.” Though he played in Summerfest the year prior, Keegan said the band has been in search of an original name and settled on the self-deprecating title for this show.
The local band also featured his brother, Ben, on drums, Jayden Le (lead singer), Ethan Salazar (lead guitar) and Ava Chu (bass). Their set list included songs from the Foo Fighters, Rage Against the Machine, Green Day, Arctic Monkeys, Hot Flash Heat Wave and Ozzy Osbourne.
“Last year, we were kind of not doing much on stage,” Max said of wanting to bring more energy during performances. “We were just playing our songs, trying to get it done with, I guess. It was fun, of course, but we didn’t really show it, so this year, I kind of told the band to try to move around more.”
Max, who said he will soon turn 16, said his 11-year-old brother is the youngest member of the band.
“He’s been playing drums for about three or four years, but he is a natural at it,” Max said of Ben. “The first time he got a drum set, he sat down, and he could play a song that he liked for a long time, so then we just kind of played with each other whenever, and then we played songs that we liked.
“When I was starting to form a band, I basically told him, ‘You don’t really have a choice. You are going to drum for us.’”
One of the more unique games that carnival-goers could play for prizes was to step inside a batting cage and test their bat control. If a hitter could send a line drive right back through the hole from which the pitch came, they would go home happy. At least one managed the feat Saturday night, impressing those who witnessed it.
The Kiwanis Club sold roasted corn and baked potatoes in its fundraising efforts at the festival. Club president Gary Forman thanked Michael Hohertz of Fountain Valley Grocery Outlet, former mayor Steve Nagel and Allie Martinez, in addition to the Kiwanis volunteers, for making it a smooth operation.
Forman said it got busier as the weekend arrived. There were fireworks shows on Friday and Saturday.
“It picked up on Friday, and Saturday and Sunday, we got two really good days,” Forman said.
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