Catalina Connection

2022 Two Harbors Micro Brew Festival is Back

By: KATHERINE M. CLEMENTS

TWO HARBORS—On Sept. 10, the Sun County Marine Group is sponsoring the 2022 Two Harbors Micro Brew Festival on the beach of Two Harbors after taking a two-year hiatus. The Sun County Marine Group is partnering with the Catalina Island Company and the Avalon Lion’s Club to host the event from 1-4 p.m.; admission is $88. Beer samples will be poured from more than 30 microbreweries pouring beer styles from around the world. This is the 20th Annual Micro Brew Fest, and there will be live music as well as a healthy selection of microbrews. An Admission ticket includes a souvenir beer glass, complimentary appetizers, live music provided by Band Overboard, unlimited tastings from all participating breweries, a silent auction put on by the Avalon Lions Club, games, and photo booths. The event is for guests 21 and older.

A portion of proceeds from this event will benefit students at Avalon High School through the Sophie Tarbuck Scholarship Fund.

“We [Sun County Marine Group] are a 30-plus-year-old small family business originally founded by my grandparents in the 90s, now run by my dad, Mike Basso Jr.,” said Taylor Basso, marketing manager for Sun Country Marine group. “The past several years, we have used the Micro Brew as a fun destination to host our annual Customer Rendezvous, as Two Harbors is our boating destination of choice on the West Coast.”

The event has been canceled for the past two years, first due to covid restrictions and then due to funding issues.

“When we realized we could help bring back our favorite event of the year and go ahead and put our name on it, we jumped at the opportunity,” said Basso. “It’s been two years too long, and we are twice as excited to get back to the island for the 2022 Sun Country Micro Brew Festival at Two Harbors Catalina.”

The event will be held at Two Harbors Beach #1 Banning House Rd. Avalon, CA 90704.

To purchase tickets and read about the event, visit https://www.eventbrite. com/e/sun-country-micro-brew-festivalin-two-harbors-tickets-394477541947.

This annual event is expected to draw in more than 500 guests to try unlimited samples of beer from over 30 different microbreweries pouring selections from around the world.

Crossword

ACROSS

him 12. “Eureka!” 13. “Airplane!” actor Robert 14. Arabic commander 15. Gas station abbr. 16. Big cheese 17. Proof goof 18. Hoarse 20. Puts the lid on 22. Get better 23. Engine sound 24. Split pulses 27. Summarize 29. Balances ecstasy 31. Roughly 33. Powerful actor? 34. 1996 Madonna musical 35. Kind of beam 36. Call to Bo-Peep 37. Lofty kind of appeal 39. Small amphibians 42. Grand 43. Found in New York and L A 44. Scouting outing 47. Unthinkingly 49. Mature 50. “Jeopardy!” host Trebek 51. Bond man 52. My French 53. Alpine sight 54. Sea eagle 55. Top medical specialty 3. Land here in N Y C? 4. Boss who can stand the heat? 5. Loose 6. Ocular washer 7. Half of the Odd Couple 8. Understands 9. One of Alcott’s “Little Women” 10. Dead letters? 11. Backing 19. Warships 21. Consults a higher power 23. Cough up 24. Mad roofer out to get one underneath him 25. Raggedy girl 26. Strong cleaner 28. Disagree strongly 30. High fi ve, for example 31. Confederate 32. School founded by Thos. Jefferson 33. Drug dose 35. “Turn it up!” 38. Interference 40. Cross cat 41. All tuckered out 42. Modern telegram? 43. “Auld Lang ---” 44. Radio operator 45. 1969 Peace Prize group 46. Barbie’s beau 48. P C linkup Crossword solution on page 27

CALENDAR FEATURE

2022 Banana Festival is Arriving at Port Hueneme

By: KATHERINE M. CLEMENTS

PORT HUENEME— The Port of Hueneme will host its annual Banana Festival on Sept. 4 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. The free event welcomes guests of all ages to tour the port to enjoy live music, tasty treats, and a marketplace to shop for handcrafted and boutique items. In addition, there will be a kid’s zone for the little ones to go bananas.

“The port does big business with Chiquita,” said Rose Carbajal from RC & Associates, Strategic Management in the Arts. “This event takes place annually, and I believe this is the 12th year, the last event taking place in 2019, due to the pandemic.”

Port tours will be available for festival attendees wishing to view any operations happening that day. This is a rare opportunity to see the port from the sea as the Sunfish will take guests on a tour in and around the port and the naval base. In addition, you can tour the port by land on a comfortable Roadrunner motorcoach. Photo ID will be required for all adults participating. An adult must accompany minors. Waterside port tours and land tours are every half hour. All tours are first come, first serve. Visit the Port Pavilion onsite at the festival for sign-ups. Passengers will be escorted from the festival and board the Sunfish at the port dock.

Guests will be tempted by the creativity of several Arts & Craft Marketplace vendors selling Banana Soap, handmade crafts, wooden art, jewelry, kids’ stuff, specialty clothing, and more.

The live music lineup will begin with Justo Almario and his Afro Colombian Jazz Ensemble and Colombia playing sax and flute; Teresa James and the Rhythm Tramps playing Texas blues rock; Teka Penteriche, who will be performing Brazilian Bossa jams; and Victor Vega and The Bomb, one of Ventura’s favorite bands will close out the festival with a dance party.

The Banana Festival Food Court will feature a wide range of plates, including delicious empanadas, authentic tamales, frozen chocolate-covered bananas, banana sundaes, and funnel cakes from local restaurants. In addition, guests can enjoy offerings of special banana treats from vendors as they get creative to win “top banana” recognition with their custom delicacies. Ice cold local brews, soft drinks, and banana margaritas will be available.

The Banana Festival will be family-focused, with a Kids Zone for the little attendees and many free activities centered on the banana theme. Activities include banana-themed art projects, performances by characters, readings and activities with the Port Hueneme Library, and a climb aboard a pirate ship. In addition, kids can meet a variety of reptiles from the Reptile Family. The toddler bounce house is free, but there are ticketed mazes, slides, and bungee bounce opportunities exist.

The festival will also have a pie-eating contest where guests can prove they are the fastest bananacream pie eater—Check in with the info booth at the festival for sign-up information. The pie-eating competition will feature Marie Calendar’s Camarillo Banana Cream Pie.

The event is sponsored by Del Monte, Chiquita, and the City of Port Hueneme.

The festival is also looking for volunteers. For those interested in volunteering, an application is available at https://bananaportfest.com/ getting-involved/volunteer/ and can be submitted to Banana Festival c/o Port of Hueneme 333 Ponoma Road, Port Hueneme, CA 93041 or scan and email the application to volunteers@ BananaPortFest.com or fax it to 805-850-0541.

For more information, visit https:// bananaportfest.com/.

The festival will have a live music lineup of five bands to play throughout the day. Kids play in a fire engine while dressed up like bananas.

Banana vendors will be lined up to give away fun banana merchandise.

Historical PHOTO

Seal Beach California Joy Zone

By: JORDAN B. DARLING

Seal Beach was incorporated in 1915, and by 1916, the city’s seaside amusement park, the Joy Zone, opened its doors, featuring one of the longest wooden piers on the Pacific Coast and the Derby Roller Coaster.

The amusement park boasted carnival games, fair food, a bathhouse, a dance hall, and the Jewel City Café. City founder Philip A. Stanton hoped to make the Joy Zone the “Coney Island of the Pacific.” At its peak, there were as many as 20,000 visitors each week, according to the OC History Roundup.

Seal Beach also caught the attention of early Hollywood, with silent film stars like Fatty Arbuckle and Buster Keaton visiting the amusement park and studios looking to film “beach comedies” in and around the pier.

Notably, Cecil B. DeMille’s 1923 version of “The Ten Commandments” used the beach as a set for the parting of the Red Sea, according to The Orange County Tribune.

On the flip side, gambling, prostitution, and rum-running also made their way into the town. The prohibition in the 1920s encouraged a market for smuggled alcohol, and Anaheim Landing made a good drop-off spot.

The Great Depression changed the landscape when the amusement park was closed after the roller coaster burnt down. The park itself fell into disrepair, and the prohibition ended, removing the need for smuggled alcohol. Gambling was shut down in the 30s, and by the 1950s, families began moving into the city, changing the vicefriendly politics.