RIPON'S ANNUAL EVENT

The Almond Blossom Festival
February 24-26, 2006

Blooming big parade for Ripon’s festival
(from the MANTECA BULLETIN)

RIPON - If you don’t already have your booth for the Almond Blossom Festival - you’re out of luck. Earlier this week, the Ripon Chamber of Commerce booked their last vendor spot - bringing the grand total for what has become the kick-off event for outdoor festivals throughout the state to 148. With many of those coming from out of town, the festival is expected to provide a major boost to the local economy and has many vendors and merchants preparing to capitalize on the 40,000 people that are expected to flood into town for the two-day festival.

“We’re going to have a bigger parade this year and we’re hoping that’s going to bring a lot more people,” said Ripon Chamber Executive Director Dorothy Booth.

“Everybody is looking forward to it - we always get a lot of people downtown and spread all throughout the parade route.”

For the better part of the last month, Booth has been working diligently with other Chamber employees to make sure everything is in line before the final push before the festival - an event that even brings former residents back to town.
The majority of vendors already booked reserve spots almost immediately after the festival ends every year. The phones are still ringing by those looking to get in on the action.

“We’ve never had a problem generating interest for the event, and even after we booked everything up we’re still getting vendors who want to reserve a spot,” Booth said. “We simply don’t have enough space.”

On Friday, Feb. 24, the Almond Blossom Carnival will kick-off at the Ripon Community Center while vendors prepare to occupy the spaces scattered throughout the complex. The main draw is still expected to be the parade on Saturday morning - which will start on Stockton Avenue and make its way down Fourth Street and onto Vera Avenue before hitting the home stretch along Main Street. Many downtown merchants will open their doors early to take advantage of the hoards of people that organizers are hoping will flood the sidewalks throughout the quaint shopping district. But even with all of the prior planning, the one thing that nobody can determine - the weather - will ultimately determine the overall turnout.

“We’re praying for two beautiful days of weather,” said Booth - who noted that a storm broke last year on Friday night and allowed two glorious sun-filled days before it picked up again Sunday as vendors were breaking down their spaces. “That’s the one thing that we can’t schedule - all we can do is cross our fingers.”

For a complete schedule of 2006 Almond Blossom Events, visit the Chamber of Commerce web-site at www.riponchamber.org, or call 599-7519 during regular business hours for more information.

To contact Jason Campbell, e-mail jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com
By JASON CAMPBELL
Staff reporter of the
Manteca (Calif.) Bulletin

Almond Blossom Festival
Last weekend in February_ Parade_ Crafts_ Rides_ Food

For more information, call the Ripon Chamber of Commerce at
(209) 599-7519.Chamber e-mail: boothd@charterinternet.com
Chamber web site www.riponchamber.org

Official Holiday:
City Hall will be closed on:
Feb. 20 .........Presidents' Day