Double the Pleasure

Grandma Kunkel couldn’t understand why her granddaughters would want their faces painted.

“I would never want that stuff all over my face,” said the Fillmore resident.

Many children disagreed Saturday at the Fillmore Heritage Valley Festival as they waited, sometimes fidgeting, to have butterflies, skateboards and flowers painted on their tiny cheeks.

Face painting wasn’t the only activity at the third annual event, continuing today in Fillmore and Santa Paula. The two festivals were designed to honor local history and businesses while drawing tourists to cities that have spent millions polishing their small-town images.

Hundreds of people attended the fall festivals to eat, drink, dance and shop. The cities connected the events with trains running through the scenic countryside between the two towns.

“I really like to see the train go by; each car is from a different year,” said Bill Lawler, who came to the festival from Ventura with his wife.

By 11:15 a.m., 15 booths in Fillmore were set up along Central Avenue--next to City Hall, the park and the train tracks. Hay bales were arranged on the grass, an astro-jump was set up for children and a local teaching zoo displayed and explained to children the history of monkeys, panthers, owls and large reptiles.

Although the crowd was sparse, Barbara Palmer, who worked a booth called Chateau Brente, said business was excellent during the first hour. She had already sold 10 porcelain dolls for $20 each.

“Folks buy them as Christmas presents or as gifts for ladies in the office. Fillmore is a great town,” Palmer said.

Tom Ristau, a project coordinator of the city of Fillmore, said at midday the festival was going great. “This is a good turnout, and we’re real pleased with who’s here already,” he said. “We’re showing off our town, and we think there’s a real benefit to the local businesses.”

Ristau stressed the importance of honoring the trains and the old-time farming equipment. The town, he added, was “built off the railroad and agriculture.”

The city suffered last year from not putting any effort into publicizing the event, he said. This year it spent $3,000 on advertising and promotion.

Fillmore’s mayor and three City Council members mingled in the crowd and watched a time capsule being buried.

While the Fillmore event was centered around the railroad tracks and a park, the festival in Santa Paula was spread out--stretching a few blocks down Main Street. A band was set up at one end and the first few blocks were dedicated to food and drink.

One of the most popular features at the Santa Paula Heritage Valley Festival was the display of quilts, which hung throughout the festival.

“I came just to see the quilts,” said Frances Shepherd of Ventura. “They’re awesome, just gorgeous.”

The Topa-Topa Flywheelers, a club of tractor enthusiasts, put on a display of decades-old tractors, and the Ventura County Model A club showed off eight Model A Fords.

Popcorn, Chinese food and tacos and beer were sold at both festival locations, while several bands performed swing, Latin, classic rock and oldies music.

The festivals continue today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.