Ceres Street Faire 2023

Ceres Street Faire

Saturday, May 6

Sunday, May 7

A map of Street Faire 2023 action

Saturday, May 6 & Sunday, May 7 - RAIN OR SHINE

Cupcake

Street Faire food vendors

Ceres Junior Bulldogs

Fresh fruit cups, Agua Fresca, Duro, corn on the cob

Onion Rings

Ceres Lions Club

Tri-tip sandwiches

Grace Community

Christian Church

Funnel cakes

CHS Boosters

Linguica sandwich

Ceres Seahawks

Hamburgers, cheeseburgers, & snow cones

Ceres Police Officers Assn.

French & Chili cheese fries, garlic fries

Corn dogs & nachos

International Gospel Assembly

Kettlecorn, pretzels &

lemon shakers

North Street

WHITMORE PARK

• Entertainment Stage

•Petting Zoo

• Children’s activities

Ceres Pups Wrestling/ Lockeford Meats

Bratwurst

Cupcake Boutique

Specialty coffees, cupcakes and ice cream

Ceres Chamber of Commerce/ Food Dude BBQ ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, chicken wings, baked potatoes, mac & cheese, brussel sprouts, margaritas, Bloody Marys

Masonic Lodge

Strawberry shortcakes

Ceres Youth Soccer/ Vic’s Churros

Churros and ice cream

Modesto Firefighters

Loaded Tater Tots

Car Show Saturday

Community Service booths

Ceres Seahawks

Ceres Jr. Bulldogs

Ceres Diamonds Cheer

Ceres Pups Wrestling

CUSD Project YES and Adult

Education

EA Family Services

Valley Water Collaborative

Ceres Library

Sabbath Keepers

U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary

Ceres Parks & Rec

City of Ceres

Ceres Youth Soccer

Boutique will sell cupcakes, ice cream, coffees

ARTS AND CRAFTS LINING BOTH SIDES OF FOURTH STREET BETWEEN NORTH AND LAWRENCE STREETS

Lawrence Street

Beer Booth Downtown Stage

Part of the fun of attending the Ceres Street Faire is smelling the great foods being cooked – and of course eating them. At the 2022 Ceres Street Faire Vice Mayor Bret Silveira barbecued linguica. Food will be available for purchase at Whitmore Park.

JEFF BENZIGER/ Courier

Ceres Street Faire always a ‘rain or shine’ event

Anyone who’s been to the Ceres Street Faire knows that the biggest unknown factor is weather. Since organizers can’t do a thing about the skies, the Faire is billed as a “rain or shine” event. This year’s event could be a mixture of clouds

Street Faire Committee Members

Brandy Meyer (Chair)

Lisa Mantarro Moore

Kim & Dave Johnson

Angela and Bret Durossette

Ken Lane

Eric Ingwerson

Renee Ledbetter

Austin Mantarro Moore

Austin Mantarro Moore

Irene Ortiz

Doug Wallick

Shane Parson

and sun. As of the printing of this guide, weather.com was forecasting temperatures in the low 70s with mostly cloudy skies on Saturday and partly cloudly on Sunday.

Downtown Ceres hosts the 33rd annual Ceres Street Faire

this weekend, May 6-7. The fun starts at 10 a.m. Saturday, including the Saturday morning car show on Fourth Street between Magnolia and North streets. An RV & OffRoad Vehicle Show will take its place on Sunday.

The Faire includes arts & crafts booths, commercial booths, food booths operated by non-profit Ceres groups, local entertainment and fun things for kids and families to do in the park.

Service clubs and other

groups will be selling food items along Third Street. The Ceres Lions Club and Ceres Chamber of Commerce members founded the Ceres Street Faire in October 1988. For information, contact the Chamber at 537-2601.

Brandy Meyer, 2023 Ceres Street Faire Committee chairperson, welcomes all

It is an honor to serve as the 2023 chair for the 33rd annual Ceres Street Faire. The Ceres Street Faire committee is comprised of members from the Ceres Lions Club, Ceres Chamber of Commerce and community volunteers. These individuals work hard all year to bring the traditions of this two-day event – along with small town fun – to our community.

Each year, the faire provides opportunities for non-profit organizations to raise funds to support their programs while selling amazing food such as linguica, tri-tip sandwiches, kettle corn, funnel cakes, nachos, cotton candy, garlic fries and so much more. Included in our nonprofit groups are the beverage providers who keep our community quenched with beer, seltzers, wine, margaritas, bloody marys, sodas and water.

After returning last year, the Ceres Street Faire continues to provide our community with live music and entertainment, art and craft vendors, commercial vendors, community booths and a children’s area filled with fun games, petting zoo and rides. I look forward to listening to some of our local bands such as Greg Scudder

and Shella Joiner with LaVonne & The Trainwreck and watching the amazing performances provided by local dance and karate studios.

Returning this year will be the amazing car show on Saturday. As in the past, the T-shirts will display the car show winner from the previous year. This year our friend Mike Duran, who won the show last year, will be able to view his beloved car on each shirt. They will sell out fast.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our sponsors and local businesses who give to the Street Faire to ensure a successful outcome. I would like to thank our committee who give tirelessly of their time to plan, implement and fulfill the details necessary for a wonderful event each year.

Lastly, I would like to thank my husband for his support, friendship, patience and dedication to our community. We have fond memories of bringing our children to the street faire to sign up for soccer, listen to music, eat great food, shop local vendors, and spend time on the big slide. I look forward to an amazing Street Faire this year and hope to see you all there!

Downtown Ceres Street Faire first started in 1988

• Event has evolved from the early-day Ceres Peach Festival

Ceres Lions Club and Ceres Chamber of Commerce members founded the Ceres Street Faire in October 1988. It was an effort to combine an antiques and collectibles show, that then Ceres vice mayor Richard McBride was attempting to put together as a fund raiser for the Ceres Lions Club, with the effort of the Ceres Chamber of Commerce to move the historic Peach Harvest Festival

from Smyrna Park to the streets of downtown Ceres.

The main goal was to create a fundraiser for not only the Lions Club and Chamber of Commerce, but to also offer fundraising opportunities to other Ceres nonprofit organizations. Envisioned were food booths, an antique and collectibles show, and entertainment.

The special committee of Lions Club and Chamber members

dubbed the celebration the Ceres Street Faire.

Others who assisted McBride were Don Goudeau, Allan Graham, Paul Caruso, and Cheryl Winter, who was the Chamber Executive Vice President in 1988.

Eldon Frost of Denair created a logo for the event. It consists of a plane carrying a banner reading Ceres Street Faire – Rain or Shine. His logo is still used occasionally

on T-shirts and other forms of advertising.

To boost attendance, it was decided no admission fee would be charged. The success of the first Ceres Street Faire exceeded all expectations for everyone involved, and its popularity has continued throughout the years.

The success of the first Street Faire can best be summed up with the story of the Lions Club food booth. The Lions’ offered barbecued chicken and beef rib dinners during both days – Saturday and

Sunday. Things were so successful for the Lions Club during that first year that 1,000 barbecue chicken dinners were sold. They ran out of chicken on Saturday, and after purchasing more, nearly ran out on Sunday.

In 2023, 35 years later, Faire goers will be treated arts & crafts booths; commercial booths; food vendors by Ceres non-profit groups; two stages of entertainment; custom Car Show (Saturday only); an RV show on Sunday and a children’s activity/play area.

Brandy Meyer is the chairman of the 2022 Ceres Street Faire Committee.

Park offers lots of fun stuff for kids

Rides, activities, animals spell fun in the park

Whitmore Park will be filled with fun things for the children during the 33rd annual Ceres Street Faire this weekend.

A petting zoo and B&B Pony Rides for the little ones will be offered at the southern end of the park.

A variety of fun activities and games will be available including:

• Pony rides for tots at the southern end of Whitmore Park.

• A petting zoo.

• Mechanical bull riding machine.

• A 15-foot-high inflatable bounce house for children. It’s a great way

for parents to let their children get all their wiggles out.

• Four carnival rides/attractions sponsored by Teaco Amusements.

• A giant slide presented by Teaco Amusements of Patterson. Adults and kids are invited to climb up this giant fiberglas slide with a sack and slide down the 100 feet for smiles and laughs. Then do it again!

• A Ferris Wheel brought to Ceres by Teaco Slides.

• A Boomers attraction by Teaco.

City of Ceres

Alfonso’s

Meyer CPR & First Aid

Steve & Arlene Vilas

Wyatt Insurance

Abe’s Plumbing

Sam’s Cafe

Collins Electric Ceres Police Department

JEFF BENZIGER/Courier file photo

The Ferris Wheel remains a favorite among young and old alike.

Entertainment Schedule

Saturday, May 6

Park Stage

10:30 a.m. – Footnotes Dance Studio

11 a.m. – CVHS Dance Team Impulse

11:30 a.m. – Lucas Elementary’s

Grupo Folkloriko Tecolotl dancers

12:30 p.m. – Ceres Karate demonstrations

1:00 p.m. – Steps Dance Studio

1:30 p.m. – Ceres Parks & Recreation

2:30 p.m. – Ceres Cheer groups (Pups4 / Jr Bulldogs15 / Seahawks / Diamond)

3:00 p.m. – Ceres Karate demonstrations

3:30 p.m. – Patti Castillo Davis sings

4:30 p.m. – Ceres Pups Wrestling

Sunday, May 7

Park Stage

12 noon – Patty Castillo Davis

1:00 p.m. – Steps Dance Studio

1:30 p.m. – Ceres Karate

3:00 p.m. – Sonhouse Blues & Gospel Band

Downtown Stage

Local Talent for all!

12:30 p.m. – LaVonne and the Train Wreck

2 p.m. – Ceres Karate demo

2:30 p.m. – California Outlaws

4:00 p.m. – Ceres Karate demo

4:30 p.m. – The Nobody’s

Downtown Stage

12:00 p.m. – Ceres Karate demo

12:30 p.m. – Cover 5

2:00 p.m. – Ceres Karate demos

2:30 p.m. – Greg Scudder

and Sunday.

Patty Castillo Davis performs Saturday

Greg Scudder, a Ceres homegrown product, performs Sunday downtowm.

Lions Club members always faithful to serve

Yes, they will be serving up some awesomely delicious tri-tip sandwiches but the members of the Ceres Lions Club year-round serve in their quest to make Ceres a better place to live.

Founded in 1947, the Ceres Lions Club represents individuals from every sector of the community, including city and county government, public safety, agriculture, healthcare, business, education, and others from the private sector who want to serve their community.

During the lockdowns of 2020 and early 2021, the Ceres Lions Club managed to serve the community in “drive-by feedings” for some folks and hosted a meals-togo tri-tip dinner.

The Ceres Lions Club is governed by a board of directors which manages and facilitates the funding of many worthy groups and activities in Ceres. Lions Club support

goes the Boy Scouts, Sober Grad Night at both Ceres and Central Valley High Schools, several youth recreational sports teams and other community endeavors.

The Ceres Lions Club also provides high school scholarships for graduating seniors, have volunteered to cook at numerous community fundraising events – such as last week’s Love Ceres event – and have collected hundreds of pairs of used eye-glasses for those in need in other countries. Lions also provide local children in need with eye exams, glasses and Medic Alert bracelets through a partnership with the Ceres Unified School District.

Lions continue to partner with the Ceres Chamber of Commerce, Ceres Street Faire Committee and the City of Ceres to bring the Ceres Street Faire to the community.

Ceres Lions Club members Ray Smith, Darrel Long and Gabe Villa assemble tri-tip sandwiches during the 2022 Ceres Street Faire while Stan Sinclear tends to business in the background.

JEFF BENZIGER/ Courier file

photo

Faire to offer unique shopping experience

Unique endors will be lining downtown streets both days

By JEFF BENZIGER Editor of the C eres (C alif .) C ourier

THE CERES STREET

FAIRE is known for the opportunity to shop for unusual products for people of all ages and this year there will be a healthy number of vendors lining both Magnolia, Fourth and Lawrence streets.

Commercial booths

The following commercial booths have signed up to be at the Street Faire this weekend:

Ceres Karate

Flawless Hair Salon

Black Gun Company

Exit Realty

Cynthia’s Art

All Valley Pool & Spa

Lucious Lockz Salon

California Landscape and Supply

Fastenal

Pandy’s Artesanias

Tina’s Jewelry Box

Cutco Cutlery

Raymond Zhen

Mary Kay

Alignment Health

Lichen Sun Trading

Cookie’s Tax Service

Deb’s Healing Crystals

Arts & crafts

Arts and craft products which will be offered include:

Antique and Vintage collectibles

Children’s clothing

Wine glasses and wine accessories

Candles

Epoxy and resin tumblers

Customized Mirrors

NFL custom signs

Succulents

Home decor and crafting kits

Handmade hair bows

Skull caps

Woodworking

Solar posts and lawn signs

Crock charms

Local honey

Handmade jewelry in glass, sterling, jade, resin, bead and metal work

Handmade shawls and paintings

Embroidered hats, pants and blouses

Toe rings and body jewelry

Handmade quilts

Waterblasters and kids toys

Custom made pins, pens and keychains

Face painting

Community service booths

There will also be a number of community service booths handing out information. The Ceres Seahawks, Ceres Jr. Bulldogs, Ceres Youth Soccer and Ceres Pups Wrestling will be signing up youth for their programs and handing out information.

Community service groups that will be present are:

Ceres Seahawks

Ceres Jr. Bulldogs

Ceres Diamonds Cheer

Ceres Pups Wrestling

CUSD Project YES and Adult Education

EA Family Services

Valley Water Collaborative

Sabbath Keepers

U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary

Ceres Parks & Rec City of Ceres

Ceres Youth Soccer

JEFF BENZIGER/Courier file photo

Ceres girl Adeline Rich was 16 months old when she tried out a woman’s hat at one of the vendor booths on Fourth Street at last year’s Ceres Street Faire.

Classic cars on Saturday, RVs on Sunday

• Sunday show offers RVs

By JEFF BENZIGER Editor of the C eres (C alif .) C ourier

FOURTH STREET north of North Street will be lined with twoand four-wheeled eye candy this Saturday for the annual Ceres Street Faire Car Show.

In 2022 the show attracted 120 entries and as many are expected this year. The show runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday only. At the end of the car show at 3 p.m. the Street Faire Committee will be handing out awards in 10 categories.

Anyone may show off their car by turning out from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the sign-up booth at Fourth and Magnolia. Space is limited so early registration is urged. To preregister a vehicle costs $25, or $35 on the morning of the show. All entries will receive a Street Faire

specialty T-shirt to commemorate the 2023 Car Show, and a dash plaque.

Entry forms are also available at the Ceres Chamber of Commerce office at the northeast corner of Fourth and North streets.

Any car that is special enough to show off – whether a lifted truck, restored classic Model A, or a cherried out muscle car – is welcome at the show. Classic and modified automobiles – with their colors and designs – have always pulled an audience at the Street Faire.

On Sunday will be the RV & Bike Show which will be displayed on Fourth Street from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The show will feature bass fishing boats and off-road vehicles, motorcycles and travel trailers.

For more information on the car show, call (209) 409-2676 or email ceresstreetfaire@gmail.com

JEFF BENZIGER/Courier file photo

A 2022 Ceres Street Faire goer checks out a 1967 Pontiac GTO owned by Evan Coutrakis.

Ceres Street Faire sponsors

Presenting Sponsor

Donaghy Brands

Diamond Level Sponsors

Chicken Ranch Casino

Grocery Outlet

Divine Dental Studio

The Rusty Nail Cocktail Lounge

Diamond Bar Arena

Platinum Level Sponsors

Magnolia Family Dental

Bertolotti Disposal

Gold Level Sponsors

La Perla Tapatia

Silver Level Sponsors

Select Harvest

Assemblyman Juan Alanis

Supervisor Channce Condit

Turlock Irrigation District

Bronze Level Sponsors

Meyer CPR & First Aid

Wyatt Insurance

Steve and Arleen Vilas

Abe’s Plumbing

Sam’s Cafe

Special Mentions

City of Ceres

Alfonso’s

The Ceres Courier

Ceres Police Dept. Collins Electric

Mayor welcomes all!

Dear residents of Ceres, I am honored to serve as your Mayor and would like to take this opportunity to invite you to the upcoming Ceres Street Faire. This event has been a beloved tradition in our community for over 30 years, offering fun activities and entertainment for all ages, including a custom car show and children’s area. Not only does the Faire showcase a variety of vendors, but it also raises funds for the Lions Club and Chamber of Commerce, as well as other local nonprofit organizations.

I encourage you to join us and show your support for this important event, which helps our community thrive. Together, let’s make this year’s Ceres Street Faire the best one yet!

~ Javier

Lopez, Mayor of Ceres

Javier Lopez, mayor of Ceres since December 2020.

CERES TALENT SHINES BRIGHT AT THE STREET FAIRE

The Ceres Street Faire has always been about community and celebrating Ceres. A tradition has been to allow local youth to showcase their talents, such as this 2022 Steps Dance Arts Studio performance to “Alice in Wonderland.” Dancers from Steps performed excerpts from Adventures in Wonderland at the Ceres Street Faire in front of gazebo. Playing the Queen of Hearts was Nataliah Tellez while the White Rabbit was played by Emily Howey. Emily Abreu (at right) was Alice in the production.

JEFF BENZIGER/ Courier file photo

Ceres all started with wheat growing

By JEFF BENZIGER Editor of the C eres (C alif .) C ourier

Good soil, good neighbors and a quiet place to live have been attractive qualities that have made Ceres what it is today. Those same qualities were part of Daniel Whitmore’s Ceres when the town was laid out in 1874 for the first time.

Like many following the California Gold Rush of 1849, the Whitmore decided to head east after hearing about California’s opportunities and mile climate. Their journey, which would eventually bring them to Ceres, started in the spring of 1854 when the Whitmores left Pittsford, Mich. in a wagon train. In those days, wagon trains started in spring, hoping to reach the rugged Sierra Nevada range before the first snowfall of fall and winter.

About five months later, on Sept. 1, 1854, the Whitmore party arrived in Stockton and settled on what is now the Cherokee Lane area near Stockton. They remained there until 1857.

Whitmore brought his family south to what would later become Stanislaus County

in 1866. Accounts say he settled on land just north of the Tuolumne River which he farmed. In those days the absence of irrigation in a very dry climate meant growing wheat. He later farmed on 10,000 acres south of the river on what is now presentday Ceres.

Following his brother Daniel to California was Richard Keith Whitmore. He arrived in 1856 and found the area near Collegeville east of Stockton as a fertile place to farm. Richard settled in the Ceres area in 1869 after buying land from Levi Carter.

Eldest son Richard K. Whitmore, affectionately called “the Colonel,” took over his dad’s farming operation. The 1881 historical account gives the following entry for Richard K. Whitmore: “His ranch consists of one thousand, two hundred and eighty acres, favorably located five miles from Modesto and 10 miles from the river. It is only two miles from the village of Ceres, where school, church and railroad advantages are obtained. The average soil is of a sandy character, yielding about ten bushels per acre, average years. He has also farmed on rented land of about the same nature, in

tracts of 2,000 acres on D. Whitmore’s ranch for the past ten years. As raising wheat is the chief business, only a few cows are kept for milk, and thirty-five horses for farming purposes.”

The Whitmores were intolerant of alcohol

Banking With A Purpose

and determined that Ceres should be a dry town. When Daniel Whitmore drew up the first town plot in 1875, lots were sold under the condition that occupants would not be involved in the consumption or the manufacture of distilled spirits.