Á fun way to get in the holiday spirit. This last Dec we took my granddaughter and she was amazed…read moreat all thé beautiful lights and colorful decorations. Almost every house on the 2 block walkable streets are fully decorated in holiday spirit. Many houses in the adjacent area join in with more festive fun decor. My personal tip is to go on a weeknight, early in Dec for less crowds. Best to park a couple blocks before Orange Ave (near Britton Park) and walk into the area. Bring the family and enjoy!

Literally, my only complaint is how busy it gets (especially for parking) and hard to walk on the…read moresidewalks it is. But just being able to walk down with family or friends and admire all the beautiful lighting and decorated homes is such a vibe!

I attended the Pacific Islanders' Cultural Association (PICA) Aloha Festival for the first time…read morethis summer! It was a fun and entertaining event, despite the heat. I enjoyed watching the musical and dance performances, eating the delish foods, and learning more about Pacific Islander culture through the vendors. The event was free, but parking can be costly. Luckily, there is street parking available if you don't mind walking a few blocks. Overall, I had a nice time. It's family friendly, educational, and laid back!

Polynesian, slightly chilled…read more.. No, I'm not talking about a tropical cocktail with a pink umbrella in it. I'm talking about the half-naked performers who had to suffer the chilly breezes coming off the bay and splat into the Presidio. They kept their smiles up, but I swear I could see their goose pimples at fifty paces. This was my first visit to the SF Aloha Festival, and I rather enjoyed it if only because it's good to see such a pronounced minority group congregate in one place, especially since Pacific Islanders don't really have a neighborhood they can call their own in the city. There were certainly lots of kiosks with lots of Hawaiiana and other Pacific-oriented paraphernalia. But who am I kidding? I just went for the $10 Hawaiian plate at one of the numerous kiosks serving them. The pig-pork was so moistly tender that I didn't mind the slightly congealed flavor of the macaroni salad. Dining al fresco meant sitting on an unoccupied street curb, but that's OK as long as I could get up again without moaning. I barely caught the Polynesian shows on the dual stages since they were surrounded far and wide by masses of occupied patio chairs and blankets. But I'll know better to come a bit earlier than 2pm to get a good view of the festivities. In the meantime, da place stay cold, while da pig stay hot. Aloha, brudda.

The event feels smaller this year with less food vendors and less merchants. The food lines were…read moreso long because not too many to choose from. Food was ok. One of the vendors ran out of meat by 1pm. Cute hula performance. There were nice shirts that I haven't seen with pop culture themes; a mix of newer and traditional Hawaiian wear. A few of them were funny novelties. The Menehune's plate lunches were priced well at $15 per plate and generous portions. The other food vendor had a bigger selection; the chicken skewers look great but lacked flavor. Fish and chips were ok. The calamari was calamari sticks with bland breading. The various merchandise were cute and colorful, from wall hangings to jewelry.

Aloha Festival 2023 - first time back prior to the Pandemic and how this year was such a major…read moredisappointment. For one, the vendors were set up outdoors in which it was so hard to browse as the area was very crowded with shoppers which unlike our previous visits, they were all inside one of the pavilions where for attendees there was more space to move around. Don't get me started on the food stalls and trucks which there were probably about a dozen but not nearly enough to feed the hungry hordes of people wanting to purchase their foods of choice. Signage was also poor by many of the vendors and many vendors did not communicate when they ran out of a particular item. My son waited over an hour to get poke only to find out steps away from ordering that they ran out of the poke that he wanted and instead settled for the spicy poke. Shout out to the Menehunes Motorcycle Club as their Loco Moco was really bussin as Gen Z would say. Upon leaving, I asked one of the senior Exhibition staff as to why the vendors were not inside as in the past as I thought they might have been remodeling but that was not the case. I'll have second thoughts for next years festival as this is probably my 6th one that I have attended.

The Festivus is back this weekend with loads of foods!…read more Sonoma Teriyaki has a food tent set up grilling and frying some serious grub! Their skewers are truly amazing. So juicy and flavorful. They're super addictive. The same folks serve up some fried goodies, too. Fried Artichokes are huge and juicy with a nice crunchy batter. Come on over this weekend and enjoy some music, art, wine and some great food! UPDATE: Sunday of the Festivus - round 2 of food feasting! Potato Twister is very unique and natural on a stick they will put anything on it you like, really cool peeps at this food tent. Lobster Food truck is here! Lobster Roll and Clam Chowder really good! Come on down! The weather is mild today too!

Large selection of vendors and everyone is nice and friendly…read more Its safe for children and adults and it's a great walk if you just want to walk and look around. They have a variety of good trucks and a bunch of mom and pop stores that sell art work, popcorn, soap, dishes, etc. Found Polar Fizz drink company which is handing out free soda. Which helped since its so hot today. For those of you who like free stuff towards the end near Starbucks and CVS they're giving out free bags and Frisbee, etc.

Of the street fairs in the bay area, this is one of my favorites. Lots of vendors lining the…read morestreets and restaurants and cafes are also available. The vibe is good, weather typically cooler than some of the South Bay festivals. The only issue is parking which was difficult to find. We got lucky at the train station, but only after driving around for 10-15 min. We'll definitely be back next year.

Fantastic lively annual summer festival! I was with a food truck vending there and the team…read moreorganizing it was super professional. Loved the live music and everyone dancing.

Today was a beautiful sunny day to attend the 22nd annual Festa Italiana di San Mateo (aka. Festa…read moreItaliana Community Street Fair). It deserves 5 stars because of how well this community event is organized. Plenty of space to stroll around, several dining areas, tons of crafts vendors (more than 100), 3 live music stages, martial arts demos, multiple food stands in every section (never have to wait long for food), beer & wine drink stations everywhere (with REAL glassware, cool!), trash bins every 20 feet, 2 playgrounds for kids, and LOTS of free parking (because it's on a Sunday, although u need to come early to find a spot). The festival includes a parade and Bocce tournament. There's also a car show: 3 sections filled with old cars, renovations/replicas, and pimped up cars on display. Don't expect to find any culinary must-have foods, but if u dislike festival foods (lemonade, kettle popcorn, fried foods, pizza, hot dogs, pastas, beer/wine, and ice cream) u can go into any of the dozens of nearby restaurants instead. New visitors might not know about "Spaguetti Alley", a popular spot for spaguetti with meatballs ($6). They have umbrella covered tables and live performances of Dean Martin songs (I think, not sure.). My favorite festival foods are the fried asparagus ($5), pork kebabs ($7), and grilled sausages ($5). Although I often prefer to have a cheap lunch at a Japanese restaurant instead, like Himawari or Oidon. Good fun for the family! I'll upload my pics later.

Arts and crafts are too expensive, food is overpriced, food samples are almost non-existent…read more Festival has lost most of its charm over the years. Parking was $15.00 two years ago, so it probably will go up in 2025.

I've been to the Harvest Fair in San Mateo and San Jose (when it was open) for a number of years as…read moreI enjoy the quality of the vendors. The vendors here seem to be more established and there is a good variety of products on offer. Even during COVID, some of the vendors I'd seen before showed up at the fair. The lines to get in used to be so long that it could take 45 minutes just to get into the parking lot. However something changed in 2023 as many of the usual vendors I had seen many times prior did not show up. Even one of the vendors and some of the other patrons mentioned that the fair seemed to be much smaller and less well attended than before. In addition some vendors have raised their prices quite a bit, which they have every right to to do, but for the higher price the quality should match. This is the only fair I've been to that charges an entrance fee. The venue also charges a parking fee. The fair entrance fee can be discounted if you have a $2 coupon, which helps. However, this holiday season thus far I've been to 3 other fairs that don't charge any fees and have 2 to 4 times the number of vendors (and patrons). Some of the vendors that I used to see at the Harvest Fair were at the other fairs. Will I return? I'm not sure.

What a nice Street Festival event during the summer season!…read more This is my second year coming to this event. This year was their 3rd San Mateo Downtown Summerfest! Located in the heart of San Mateo on B Street were tons of different things for children and adults to experience. The festival was on June 20th and June 21st from 10AM-6PM. The Festival is presented by the Downtown San Mateo Association, www.dsma.org . The DSMA produces and/or sponsors promotion and special events, business mixers, open houses, and fundraisers. FOOD AND DRINKS: -Bliss Pops-Popsicles (strawberry, pineapple, toasted coconut, mango habanero, fudgesicle) -Tea & Picklets-sliders, skewers, curry dishes, iced milk teas with toppings -Dragon Papa-Dragon Beard candy, mochi, ginger candy -Endless Summer Sweets-Funnel Cakes, Kettle Corn, Corn Dogs, Cotton Candy -Sweet Delights-burger and fries, pupusas, corn dog, hot dog, philly cheese steak, gyros -Sonoma Teriyaki-Gyros sandwich; Street tacos with chicken, steak or fried fish; Rolled chicken tacos; Quesadilla with chicken, steak or fried fish; Artichoke hearts with shrimp and crab; Fried zucchini/garlic fries.Teriyaki chicken with fried rice, chow mein or steamed vegetable; Teriyaki chicken on a skewer; Teriyaki chicken rice bowl; Sausage/hot dog on bun; Lemonade There was also a vender that was serving wine. VENDERS: Tons of venders that were selling their products: Organic clothing, Kitchen cooking tools and Fresh made Honey. ENTERTAINMENT: Saturday, June 20, 2015 Main Stage at B Street and Baldwin Avenue 12:00 Noon - 1:30 PM Citizen Rhythm 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM Tom Finch Group 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM The Bad Jones 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM JazzMaTazz (Teen Performing Troupe) 12:00 Noon Core Taekwondo Community Presentation 1:00 PM The Peace and Prosperity Ukulele Orchestra of San Mateo 2:45 PM Curious Blend (Adult Acapella Group) 3:45 PM Accel Gymnastics 4:15 PM - 5:00 PM American Line Dancers Sunday, June 21, 2015 North B Street 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM Walking Mariachi Band Main Stage at B Street and Baldwin Avenue 12:00 Noon - 1:30 PM Twice as Good 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM Jay Buckaroo Bonet 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM DreamCycle Community Stage at B Street at 6th Avenue 11:00 AM 1:00 PM Scribble Me Happy Art Project 1:30 PM - 2:00 PM Core Taekwondo Demo Team 2:00 PM School of Rock Overall, Good set up and tons for the children to do as well! I can't wait to see what next year has in store!

I've been to all sorts of fairs, markets, wine walks, and festivals and this Summerfest was as…read moreclose to a collection of junk vendors as I've ever seen. It was deceptively large, and yet only contained - at most - couple handfuls of true 'art' tents. The rest of the blocks were made up of extremely aggressive sales people for vegetables, cruises, newspapers, and other misc junk. Warm, badly mixed Jamba was being upsold at the large size price for medium sizes drinks, and while they had incredibly helpful people at the information booth, the music on the fifth ave stage was really really bad. The teenager on the base was quite a good player, until she opened her mouth and you caught on she was tone deaf. I sat a block away and finally had to put on headphones. The second stage near first ave was much better, with a vocalist who worked the crowd - it really was a pleasure to listen and she was the saving grace of this event for me. All in all, there really isn't much reason to come to this unless you live nearby - the vendor selection was the worst I've ever seen, so if you stay home, you probably won't be missing much.

So much nostalgia with a good county fair! The San Mateo County Fair had a good amount of food and…read moreattractions that felt like a bang for your buck without feeling too over-the-top (not sure if it's just because it's been years since I last went to a county fair, but there have been some that made me feel like I was in a labyrinth and it was impossible to peruse everything it had to offer). I love that it had all of the classic games and rides, albeit that the cost of game tickets was far more expensive than I recall them typically being. The wristband system was nice, though. On the contrary, re: food, I got lobster fries that were cheaper than what I would have expected for the usually up-charged fair prices. The serving size was quite hefty, and they didn't skimp on the lobster. The coolest thing about the SMCF for me was that their concert series was free to fair attendees. I'm so used to OC Fair's extra concert ticket charge, so this made admission cost feel worth it. The line-up felt pretty stacked this year for the caliber of this event, and I was able to catch Jay Sean. It was cool to see a legend from my teenage years play live; it was less cool to hear the teenagers whom we shared a bench with ask who Jay Sean is. Overall a fun event that I would do again for the vibes more than what it has to offer at face value.

This was not the fair I was expecting. Minimal attractions and food, sigh. We were ready to leave…read moreafter one hour. I will say it addressed my fair fix. Parking was easy too, but for a total of $60 for 2 tickets and parking (not including food) this is not a good value. Bathroom lines were long and didn't have good air flow. I'm glad I tried it, now I know.

Such a cool, mellow feeling to siege a whole block and kick back to watch a movie from a historical…read morebuilding where any angle is the perfect view. There is security, food, movie and fun! Parking can be tricky but it can be found.

After finding parking, my brother and I found the intersection and walked down a narrow sidewalk…read moretowards the grassy areas. As I got near, I saw about 5 food trucks along the street and long lines in front of each truck! First thing to do was check in at the Info Booth! I waited for a short while since first the lady said I should wait for the lady beside her to help me. After waiting for 2 people, the same lady I first approached ended up changing her mind and felt like helping me...sheesh. Highlighting my name & my +1 brother, I was then given my 2 red bracelets. It signified my VIP access to the Yelp VIP area. I was told that there are blankets strewn in front of the movie screen area and that's where I would be able to sit. On a side note, there was no Yelp schwag at this Yelp Community Event. It was more of a casual night to just watch movies with other family and friends. Next, my brother and I walked around the Night Design Market area. The first tent on the left was where we picked up our free water. They ran out of other beverages. I just quickly browsed to see what vendors were selling: items or food. I did see cotton candy! After that we walked around the check out the menus of all the food trucks. I ended up deciding the LittleGreenCyclo food truck which sold a small selection of Vietnamese food. While my brother & I were waiting at the very end of the line, I told him I'll go find the blanket area. I asked the friendly staff if this was the VIP area. Successfully locating it, I choose an available blanket about the 8th in front of the movie screen. I dropped off my bag and coat there. Oh my, there were so many fruit flies or small flying bugs on the blanket! I met a nice couple with cute long-haired chihuahuas behind my blanket spot. *Side Note* Before the day of this movie night, I received contact from some Yelpers saying they would be excited to meet me. It was definitely exciting to meet more Yelper friends. Surprised they even noticed me! Glad I found a blanket before it got more filled up, I walked back to join my brother in the long wait in line! I was glad I had internet data still working in that park. I noticed a Yelper Stan checked in. I was scanning around and thought I spotted him just standing in the left side food truck line. I kept staring, LOL, and knew he didn't see me. So, after I received his comment notifying me he was located at which food truck line and wearing what, I approached Stan, introduced myself, and as I was showing him his profile picture asked him if that was him. It was a fun, brief, first encounter. Yay! I found 1 Yelper for the night. I commented on my thread for Linda to find me! Still waiting in line, I became restless and wanted to check up on my belongings. I walked and went back to the food truck line. Later, nearing the middle of the line, it started to rain lightly! So, I wanted to go get my jacket. At that time Linda commented she was waiting at the blanket. We were commenting live time in my check in, so I immediately went back to my blanket to get my jacket and see if I could spot Linda! I was looking around to see if anybody was wearing a moto jacket and even asked the lady behind my blanket to see if she saw any girl matching the outfit description Linda told me. LOL. Next thing you know, I saw a girl walking in front of me, tapping on her phone. Realized later she commented walking over to the food truck. haha. Anyways, I quickly said Linda, Are you Linda?? :-D LOL. And YAY! I was right! She finally looked up from her phone and said Yes. and I told her I'm Andrea. Think we hugged and I was excited to tell her about meeting another Yelper Stan too. So, we walked to go greet Stan. Linda later told me she had another Yelper friend telling her she would be there at movies too! Back to the line, I was sooo hungry! Finally reaching LittleGreenCyclo, tried to order fresh pineapple lychee lemonade and lemongrass grilled pork, but they ran out! I ended up choosing Lemongrass Chicken with Noodles (Mary's Free Range Air Chilled Nine Spice Grilled Chicken with Fresh Rice Vermicelli). Delicious. My brother got the Sweet Potato Tater Tots. All were yummy! After that, we walked to our blanket. I saw Stan still waiting in line for food sadly! It was getting dark by then...My brother and I shared our food. I told Stan since he wasn't VIP, we can share our blanket with him later during movie time. My brother and I finished our food and went to throw away our garbage. He went to go buy bacon caramel popcorn and Sugar Spun cotton candy too. Shortly after, Ferris Bueller's Day Off movie started. By that time, it was completely dark, after receiving a late message, I spotted Stan sitting on the grass and invited him to join our blanket. He was nice to share his Rib Whip ribs with my brother and I, also his antibacterial. Wow, delicious rib! I was still hungry during the funny, classic movie. Luckily, I brought my chocolate chip cookies! Happy that movie night!