The two-day fall-themed celebration of the beautiful community of Yucaipa included engaging live performances, a dedicated kids’ zone, various food and merchandise vendors, a beer garden, Touch-a-Truck, and a classic car show.
A Friday highlight was the Show ‘N’ Go Car Show, where the owner of classic cars drove the roundabouts, allowing spectators to enjoy the vehicles in motion.
Festival goers could also purchase tickets to a haunted house at the Yucaipa Performing Arts Center. The attraction showcased a haunted maze, open to all ages and recommended for ages ten and up. The clown-themed experience featured misty paths, spooky lights, eerie melodies, and approachable actors who provided some frightening entertainment without being overly intense.
The festival was held Friday Sept. 27 and Saturday Sept. 28.
Friday’s musical line-up featured Walk Like A Man – Tribute to Frankie Valli & Music of an Era, Soul Pointe, and the YHS Thunderbird Marching Regiment. Saturday’s entertainment included Yucaipa Dance, Viridian Lights, Blink 1 More Time – Blink 182 Tribute, and No Duh – No Doubt Tribute.
Krista Dunlop, the Executive Director of YAPS (Yucaipa Animal Placement Society), Ambassador Dog Ferdinand and volunteer Robert Rentschler were greeting visitors at a booth on the traffic circle at California Street and Yucaipa Boulevard.
“We thought it was a good opportunity to be part of a community event and show what YAPS does,” Dunlop said.
She said they are promoting their “Empty the Shelters” reduced-fee adoption event from Oct. 1-15, which is also sponsored by the Bissell Pet Foundation.
“We’re hopeful that we’ll get the right families coming in to get these guys to permanent homes,” Dunlop said.
Rentschler said the YAPS website has a donation lists for supplies the organization still needs, such as bleach and soap.
Dunlop said they will also have a casino night themed fundraiser called “Bets for Pets” on Oct. 19 at their 11937 13th Street location, and one hundred percent of the proceeds from the fundraiser will go to YAPS.
Many businesses were open later in the evening to accommodate the shopping needs of the festival goers. The local used bookstore Timeless Pages held extended hours and featured a local author signing books.
Mark Johnson of Canyon Lakes, a retired judge for Riverside County, is also a retired Army colonel who received a Bronze Star for his service in Iraq. He also earned a Masters degree in creative writing from UC Riverside and his novel, Scars and Strife by M.E. Johnson, is about an Army Ranger suffering from PTSD who begins to heal after an unexpected encounter with a mountain lion in Mexico.
In his fifteen years on the bench, he said he spent eight years as a judge for the Riverside County Veteran’s Court.
“I guess I just wanted to say something to the vets,” he said about his book. “I like creating something. And I wanted to tell the story of just how damaged some of these guys are.”
Now that he is retired, he still volunteers as a mentor to veterans. He was invited to sign his book on for the festival by Christine Beamer-Carrillo, who is the daughter of Timeless Pages Owner Carol Carrillo.
“We’re very honored to have a veteran out here signing because we’re big supporters of our veterans,” Beamer-Carrillo said.
Beamer-Carrillo said the bookstore always stays open later for the festivals. “We love being part of the community. We enjoy having families come in here and watching the kids grow up over the years.”
Beamer-Carrillo’s daughter Amanda Beamer was also working in the bookstore along with owner Carrillo.
“You’ve got a three-generation operation right here,” Carrillo said. Beamer was behind the counter creating grab bags of books that were selling at the price of $5.
Festival goer Kim White made sure to make a stop at the House of Confections.
“I am so glad this place was here tonight because I love S’mores caramel apples and I wasn’t able to get one when I was up in Oak Glen two weeks ago.”
The House of Confections was started in 2019 by self-proclaimed sugar connoisseur Stefani. She is a licensed cottage baker who runs her business out of her kitchen, selling cookies and caramel apples and hosting cookie decorating classes.
The House of Confections sells its sweets at Roundabout Sweets and Treats or can be custom ordered on its website.
Festival attendee Nicholas Freeman, 16, who was from out of town said that he had never been to the festival.
He said, “There is a lot to do here and a lot of people here, I never something like this was in Yucaipa.” He said that he wanted to check out the Music and Arts Festival next year.
link