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Food, fun, family at Yuba City Summer Stroll
Jillian Bosanek did her best to lure in customers.
With her wares painted on her face, she hollered from the sidewalk about cheap deals and beautiful artwork the River Valley Junior Falcons had to offer. With thousands of people walking past at the Good Old Summertime Summer Stroll, the 7-year-old hoped to snag someone who wanted a butterfly on the cheek or scorpion across the nose.
"It's only a dollar!" she cried. "You'll still have others. You're rich. Face painting — you know you want it!"
Thick crowds of people strolled the strip, their noses catching whiffs of barbecue and roasted corn and fingers already sticky from cotton candy and kettle corn.
Some exchanged hugs and handshakes as they perused crafts and booths on Plumas Street, while others flocked to the car show to see what was sizzling under the hoods or danced themselves into a thirst to the live bands and disc jockeys.
At the children's lemonade contest in front of the historic Mosburg House, Yuba City sisters Megan and Maddie Moreno hoped their signature twist would give them an edge over paper umbrellas or lemon slices — rimming each glass in sugar and plopping in a lemon drop candy.
"Because our name is Lemondrops, and it tastes good," explained Maddie, 9.
She and her sister, 7-year-old Megan, love putting up lemonade stands at home and thought it would be fun to increase their clientele by hosting a booth at the stroll. All those thirsty walkers were hard business, though, Maddie said.
"It's being a rush to get all the cups ready," she said.
Yuba City resident Samantha Watson said she enjoys family, friends and atmosphere of lively Plumas Street during this must-attend, once-a-year event.
"It brings a lot of us together, and we get to see how everyone from different walks of life get along," she said. "You are gonna miss something if you don't come to each one."
People watching is one of her favorite stroll activities, and her husband loves the food.
"You'd think he was a food critic, going from booth to booth to booth," she said with a laugh.
As people walked, they played the raffles at community booths, gathered coupons and samples and admired the crafts of local artisans, from scene-cut saw blades to vintage button jewelry. With many new attractions, one thing several people agreed on was they did not miss the sweltering heat of strolls past.
"You can say good weather," said Yuba City resident Tami Henry. "It's weird, bizarre, but good weather."
As a piano teacher, she likes the live music, but she also enjoys window-shopping.
She and her children, Savannah, 9, and Phoenix, 6, peered into new businesses like Birds Eye View Garden Shoppe and Bali Winery and Tasting Room before settling on a bench with chocolate treats.
Meanwhile, back at Jillian's booth, the tiny cheerleader kept up her sales pitch in hopes of raising money for new uniforms. Watching all the strollers pass by, she said it looked like they were enjoying the evening.
"They are getting face paintings and have balloons and they are smiling and dancing," she said. "We are all having a good time, but I'm having a better time."
CONTACT Ashley Gebb at agebb@appealdemocrat.com or 749-4783. Find her on Facebook at /ADagebb or on Twitter at @ADagebb.
