Best food picks for the Orange street fair
I know summer is almost over when the international street fair banners start flying high above Glassell Street and Chapman Avenue in Orange's historic downtown.
The giant signs in my neighborhood are symbols that the Orange International Street Fair is coming soon, a three-day food and beer festival held during Labor Day weekend to benefit local charities.
The annual end of the summer event, which kicks off Friday at 5 p.m., features foods from 15 cultures.
Banners mark "international streets" or zones where 500,000 fair-goers can treat themselves to German sausages, Greek gyros, Mexican street tacos and Norwegian beer and rosettes (likely served by a Sons of Norway volunteer in a Viking hat).
"All your favorite foods will be there," said Adam Feliz, who oversees the ethnic street booths.
Speaking of volunteers, this event started in 1973 as a way for local charities and non-profit organizations to earn money. So your cash goes to a good cause such as a local high school band, a church organization, Girls Scouts and school athletic programs.
While most everything will look the same, Feliz said street fair regulars might notice a few changes this year.
- Villa Park High School Football Booster Club is a new organization on All American Street. The group will be selling pulled pork sliders.
- Also on All American Street, El Modena High School softball team will sell strawberry shortcake instead of chicken wings.
- The not-so-politically correct "Oriental" street banner is gone this year. It has been replaced with the "Asian" banner, Feliz said.
Here's a list of my top fair food picks:
Top Eats
Greek Street -The lines are long here, but it's worth the wait. Members of a Greek Orthodox church from Anaheim are grilling chicken, lamb and beef for gyros and souvlaki sandwiches. The sweet fried, honey-dipped loukoumathes (pronounced loo-koo-MAH-thes) are a favorite dessert. The food is prepared by families who have been making these Greek dishes for years, so you're getting the real thing here at a cheap price.
Mexican Street –The quesadillas on this street are heavenly. Make sure to order from the booth making the homemade tortillas from scratch. Other booths use pre-packaged tortillas. Also, try the pork tamales sold at the Apostolic Church of Orange booth. These tamales are almost as good as my mom’s.
German Street – Bratwurst. Killer, tasty brats grilled and sold by volunteers from Orange Lutheran High School.
Beef teriyaki on Ginza Street: Part of the charm here is the assembly-line of volunteers shoving meat onto skewers before they hit the grill. It’s a sight worth seeing and worth tasting. The teriyaki booth benefits Orange Coast Gakuen.
Irish Street: Best Beer & Entertainment — Hands down, this is the place to hang out for a cold brewski and great Irish music. The beer is the best you'll find at the fair and is strategically located near the best bar in Old Towne: Haven Gastropub. (Disclaimer: My husband and I volunteer on Irish Street, where proceeds benefit Old Towne Preservation Association and La Purisima Catholic School.)
Kettle Corn — I’m addicted to this fresh-popped sweet snack. I usually buy about 3-4 bags during the three-day event. There’s typically two booths that sell kettle corn in various spots throughout the fair.
Event Days/Hours:
September 3-5
Friday, Sept. 3: 5 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 4: 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 5: 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Fees: There is no entrance fee. Food and beer booths typically take cash only. If you're 21 or older, you must show I.D. and pay $2 for a "beer" bracelet. Some commercial booths, which typically sell arts and crafts around the perimeter of Plaza Park, take credit cards.
Where: The street fair is held in a four-square block area at the intersection of Chapman Avenue and Glassell Street. Often dubbed the "traffic circle," this area is closed for the fair.
For more information on street fair parking, food booths and entertainment, go to www.orangestreetfair.org
What kind of money is made at the Street Fair? In 2008, our Watchdog blog took a look at the organization’s finances. Read that story.
Tell us: Are you going to the street fair this year? If so, what is your favorite international street to eat at?
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