SAN MARCOS – Approximately 200 vendors and thousands of shoppers took over several blocks of Via Vera Cruz on Sunday for the 30th annual San Marcos Spring Fling and Street Festival, with vendors offering food and wares against the backdrop of bounce houses, live music and more.
The annual Spring Fling festival is organized by the San Marcos Chamber of Commerce, with support from the city itself. After COVID-19 canceled the event in 2020 and limited its operations in 2021, Sunday’s market marked a happy return to pre-pandemic times for many residents and vendors alike.
According to Melanie Jamil, the chamber’s director of events, this year’s festival was modeled after the weekly farmer’s market, with the addition of dozens of crafters and booths for nonprofits, local businesses and city services.
“Last year we did it on a much more modified basis at a smaller location. Now, we feel comfortable inviting the public back,” Jamil said. “People are just so excited to be feeling more confident to be going back to normal, or as normal as possible.”
Upon entering the festival from the south end of Via Vera Cruz, attendees were greeted by a beer garden and live music stage, featuring performances from San Diego County bands, such as The Band Hangman.
Between the live music and the bounce houses at the far end of the market, a sea of vendors offering handmade jewelry, clothing, candles, soaps and other goods awaited the crowds who turned out despite the cloudy weather.
La Mesa-based vendor Nichoël Adams Dean could be seen chatting with customers as they browsed her hand-stamped metal jewelry, dog tags and other handmade treasures in her tent. Along with the return of more consistent business, connecting with people face-to-face is a joy that Dean said she missed during the pandemic.
“It’s been great, a good turnout of people,” Dean said, adding that this was her first time at the annual Spring Fling event. “My business took a huge direct hit [during COVID-19], but thankfully I had a good social media presence. I love doing events too because I get to ‘people.’”
Other vendors, like soapmaker Mayra Corts Bugarin of Temecula, started their business during the pandemic. While Bugarin did not experience the harsh transition from the pre-COVID era for her business, she said the loosened restrictions in recent months have been beneficial for her sales of fragrant soaps and balms.
“At the beginning, we had a lot more restrictions. Now, people have a lot more freedom to walk around and smell things and touch things, which is good,” she said.
Local representatives including San Marcos City Councilman Ed Musgrove and Mayor Rebecca Jones were also present Sunday, taking time to connect with residents as they did their shopping.
“We set up the event in 2021, and it was a good turnout, but not like this. It has just been nonstop,” Musgrove said. “The consistent theme is, ‘It’s great you guys are doing this because it’s great to get out to be with people and do a little shopping.’”
