At Goleta’s 33rd annual Lemon Festival, families could spend a weekend among carnival games, local booths and a pie-eating contest. The two-day gathering took place Sept. 26 and 27 at Girsh Park, where one busy stop invited visitors to take home something useful long after the festival: a library card. The City of Goleta reported that more than 2,000 people visited the Goleta Valley Library booth, and more than 180 people took home a new library card during National Library Card Sign-Up Month.
The organizer lists the weekend festival at Girsh Park from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on both days and says admission is free. KEYT also described two days of free, family-friendly citrus-themed activities. The City recap focused on what visitors found at its booth and the library booth nearby.
A library stop in the middle of the festival
The City said the library booth stood beside its own booth and welcomed more than 2,000 visitors, who could learn about GVL Express. It also reported that more than 180 people took home a new library card during National Library Card Sign-Up Month. The recap does not break down how many visitors signed up, so those figures describe two separate outcomes.
The library card sign-ups happened during National Library Card Sign-Up Month, giving festivalgoers a simple opportunity to take that step while already out with family and neighbors. The City’s recap said the Goleta Valley Library booth stayed busy throughout the weekend, alongside the citrus-themed contests and activities.
The City also brought activities to its own booth. Visitors could spin a wheel for a giveaway or try challenges for a Goleta kick sack or a FIFA soccer ball. The City thanked two Public Engagement Commissioners among those who helped make the booth fun. Goleta CERT and police officers were represented in the festival’s Safety Street, where the City said the teams interacted with visitors throughout the weekend.
The City’s recap also named two young winners from its “How Many Lemon Drops Are in the Jar?” contest: four-year-old Desmond “Desi” Schultheis had the closest guess Saturday, and nine-year-old Crew Shirinian had the closest guess Sunday. The City shared photographs of both winners with family members. That guessing game was separate from the pie-eating rounds KEYT described, adding another children’s contest to a weekend that also featured carnival games and rides.
The City’s figures describe visits to its booth area and the library booth, not total attendance at the festival. That distinction keeps the milestone in proportion: a large community event gave many people a convenient way to discover the library’s services.
Games, local booths and a minute with a pie
Independent reporting by KEYT from the festival described a family-friendly weekend at Girsh Park. Children visited a zone with bounce houses, climbing walls, tractor rides, mini golf and carnival games. Local vendors sold lemon-themed goods, while community organizations used their booths to reach visitors. The Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce organizes the annual event, which KEYT described as a longstanding Goleta gathering.
The lemon pie-eating contest supplied another reason for families to gather around the action. KEYT reported that contestants competed in two age groups, trying to eat as much pie as possible in one minute. Local officials and community members judged the contest. Participant Elder Blake told the station that the pie tasted good and had plenty of meringue, a brief reaction that captured the event’s playful, local scale.
For Goleta, the festival offered several kinds of participation at once: children could play, families could explore community booths, residents could meet public-safety teams, and visitors could learn how to use the library. The City thanked the Chamber for producing the event and said it looked forward to returning next year. The recap did not claim that the festival alone would change library use; it recorded the more immediate outcome of people signing up while they were there.
A library card was not the festival’s only takeaway, but it was a practical one tucked into a day of family fun. A booth beside the games made a new-card sign-up a convenient part of a weekend outing. Around the park, children and adults shared contests, food and activities at an event marking its 33rd year.
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