A Day in the Country has all the fall favorites
A Day in the Country — Oct. 18 in Los Olivos — is
packed to the hilt with good ol’ fashioned family fun and then some.
All events, games, and contests are open to participants up until
the time they begin, so pull out that apple pie pan, get out the running shoes
or hitch up the pony for the parade — it’s not too late to join up and
get in the fun.
Los Olivos Day starts at 7:30 a.m. with a 5k run-walk sponsored by
Platinum Performance. All participants will receive a t-shirt. Late
registrations will be accepted up to 6:30 a.m. the day of the race. For more
information or a registration form, visit http://www.losolivosca.com or call
Erika Herthel at (805) 688-1731. If you work up an appetite, keep running to
the Grange Hall to get in the line for the pancake breakfast, served from 7:30
to 10 a.m., to benefit the Santa Ynez Valley High School Music Boosters.
The apple pie contest will accept entries, even hot from the oven,
until 9 a.m., and slices will be sold to the public after the judges have made
their decision. Bakers of any age can vie for honors in four categories —
best traditional double crust, best non-traditional apple pie, best apple tart,
or best French Apple Pie.
The Day in the Country Parade will begin at Highway 154 and Grand
Avenue at 10 a.m., kicked off by local school children performing the “Star
Spangled Banner” in the park. To register for the parade, fill out an entry
from available at http://www.losolivosca.com.
Parade entry divisions include marching band, equestrians, vintage
cars, floats, marching groups, and anything with a Halloween theme. The parade
will have more than 25 entries.
Scarecrow lovers won’t want to miss the fifth annual scarecrow
contest sponsored by Sotheby’s International Realty to raise money for local
elementary schools, with donors pledging $100 in sponsor fees for the
classrooms building the scarecrows. Silent auction bidding closes Oct. 18 at 3
p.m. at the Sotheby’s office at 2901 Grand Avenue.
The day offers a ton of kids’ activities, says Julie Kennedy, one
of the event organizers and member of Los Olivos Business Organization. “The
PTAs will have games and contests with prizes, and crafts to make, some free or
for a small fee, and Christina Barnes of Ponies and Paint, who does absolutely
beautiful face painting, will paint kids’ faces for free all day,” said
Kennedy.
A Food Court will offer tri-tip sandwiches from the Los Olivos
Rotary Club, and other traditional fair food favorites. The “Day in the Country”
event also will have vendor booths featuring the wares of artists and craftsmen
with everything from jewelry to clothing to toys and decorations. Vendor and
food booth spaces still are available.
Wildling Art Museum will return with its “Zoo To You” with live
North American animals, which will open promptly at 2 p.m. between St. Mark’s
Church and Mattei’s Tavern.
Last year’s
popular bluegrass band, Peter Feldman and the Very Lonesome Boys, will jam from
11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Lavinia Campbell Park, with plenty of hay bale
seating courtesy of Platinum Performance. Wine tasting venues on Grand Avenue
will be serving wine throughout the day.