Fallbrook Avocado Festival 2013

I was thoroughly disappointed that it was called an «Avocado» festival. This was my first Avocado festival and I was expecting to see vendors selling various foods with avocado /​guacamole. There was only one vendor selling food, guacamole and chips. And the closest to the theme were some vendors selling avocados and one vendor selling a product using avocado seed.
At least 75% of the vendors were random dry goods/​merchandise products. And the arrangement of the music band was badly laid out; the blues band was across the street from the mexican band and I couldn’t enjoy the blues music because the mexican band was so loud. People in the middle were trying to order funnel cakes but they were getting the orders wrong because they couldn’t hear! Also it turns out the funnel cake was such a disappointment and I’m a big fan of funnel cakes.
In a good note, I thoroughly enjoyed the classic car show and seeing the small town shops of Fallbrook that I would never have seen if not for the festival. I would definitely come back to check out the town but not the annual festival.

This is not an «Avocado» Festival. It is a street fair with swap meet type vendors that uses the avocado’s name in vain.
The company that won the guacamole contest was actually a sponsor of the event. I do not think it was a coincidence, especially after sampling their bland guacamole.
I live in orange county near the OC fairgrounds. Everything they had at the Fallbrook Avocado Festival could have been found at the weekly OC Market Place or any local swap meet for that matter. I have gotten better avocados from the produce vendors at the OC Market Place than I did in Fallbrook.
AVOCADOS DESERVE BETTER!

Don’t go to this avocado festival if you expect to actually see avocados. Go to your supermarket. You’ll see more. What a waste of a day. If i needed sattelite tv, street fair crap or reverse osmosis systems for my home there may have been some value. Just a lot of cranky vendors and one avocado stand.

The only reason why I’m giving 2 and not 1 is because I had read previous reviews about there being a lack of avocado. I kinda thought that maybe this year, they would actually vamp it up a bit.
Nope! The only avocado around was the 3 – 4 Holly-​Guaca-​Molly stands, the few sellers of avocados, and some oddball things: avocado cigars and beauty products.
I was expecting so much more. So much more food could be created and made better with such a delicious fruit! Tacos, burgers, hot dogs, the list can be endless…
Will I go back? Only if Fallbrook says that there will actually be avocado in the next one. Otherwise, it’s a waste of fuel to drive there.

Where do we begin???
Avocado Festival??? Where were all of the «avocado organizations, booths, supporters, etc.?» Free Shuttle Buses…? We followed the Chamber’s «promised plan and online maps» showing multiple park and shuttle locations, with buses every ½ hour… not hardly!
We arrived around 2pm, and parked at the Northgate Market, and while a bus came by within ten minutes… instead of driving directly to the event, the driver drove to four different locations, «further South than our location», and actually backtracked twice! What a logistical «cluster ****!» The Fallbrook Chamber didn’t even have clearly marked sign poles designating «official pickup/​drop-​off points.» And to top it off… we road on the «inbound bus» without any open windows and no air conditioning! My wife was ill… I am not exaggerating one bit. And everyone on the bus was upset with the driver.
Fast forward to the end of the day, 400pm, and we go back to where we were dropped off at 230p. Two buses drove past waiting visitors, all wanting to go back to distant parking areas… and both buses had visible empty seats. They drove past the South end of the event, didn’t take anyone, and drove off. We «frickin» walked back to our vehicle… and it was hot… and my feet hurt… and the bus drove off to Lord knows where?
I blame the Fallbrook Chamber for not doing the most obvious… have dedicated buses for each park and shuttle location. How tough is that? OH… what about the festival itself? It was a «General Festival» that had the most ordinary vendors, and of course… hardly any «avocado organization sponsored booths.»
While I enjoy walking through any street fair, just for the enjoyment of seeing vendors, this was not worth our anticipatory excitement; «avocados having their own festival.» It was high-​jacked by vendors selling Dish Network and insurance companies giving out stuff with «Geeko Images» imprinted on them.
Sorry Fallbrook… your chamber needs to «pro-​up», better manage the shuttles, and bring more «avocado» into this festival. So, in the sun, halfway to Northgate Market, I told everyone to just sit at a gas station, and I finished walking back to our vehicle, and then drove back to pick everyone up. And I still wonder if the many people waiting for shuttles ever got their ride?
OK… I’ve vented… I think I feel a little better!!!