More info on Zucchini Festival - the beginning

Slow times don't squash Zucchini Festival
Organizer of Hayward event hopes for good year despite sluggish economy
By Eric KurhiThe Daily Review
Article Last Updated: 08/14/2008 07:19:00 AM PDT

HAYWARD — When the Zucchini Festival was first dreamed up back in 1982, southern Alameda County was ripe for just such an event, organizer Richard Essi said. "We figured four or five thousand people might come," said Essi. "But 15,000 showed up." Essi said his shish kebab stand sold out at half-past noon. The old Katrina's restaurant booth did a similarly brisk business.

"And there was this one zucchini guy left with a little deep fryer, and he had a line stretching all the way to Oakland," he said. The festival is now bigger than it was at its inception, but things haven't been the same since its heyday, which Essi said fell between 1986 and 1996.
"Since then we've been getting about half as many people," he said. But it's not just the Zucchini Festival that has seen attendance drop. San Leandro's signature Cherry Festival as well as its Sausage and Suds Festival each had to go on hiatus around 2003, returning only recently.
While Essi weathered the downturn, he said the last couple years have been particularly rough, with the sluggish economy and high gas prices. This year he has fewer vendors, many of whom are reluctant to travel far to sell their wares.

Essi has gone to City Hall for financial help in the past, and remains discouraged at officials' reticence to contribute to what he calls the main event in Hayward.

They'll put money into the Russell City Blues Festival, and all that (money) goes to an Oakland organization," he said. "This is a benefit for local nonprofits. They should help us out from their promotions fund."
The festival was developed to help out local organizations such as the Boy Scouts and the Kiwanis and Lions clubs. Those groups send volunteers to the festival to collect tickets, tend bar and clean up afterward. Then, the money that would have been paid out to those workers is given to the organization.

Essi said the groups always come out ahead, but as general manager, he's the one who takes a hit. "I got to get paid for this," he said. "There were six or seven years when I didn't get paid, and that's kind of rough." But through some cost-cutting, a lot of haggling with contractors who set up the fences and portable toilets, and kind-hearted performers playing on the cheap, the festival will go on.

It's a family-oriented affair, with a large area for rides and games geared toward the younger set. Along with the blues bands, there will be more than 160 vendor booths selling the usual festival fare and food, albeit the latter with a zucchini twist. There will be roasted zucchini and stuffed zucchini, as well as subtler ways to get a squash fix — such as in the filling of an egg roll or as part of the relish used on a hamburger.

Only four food booths are exempt from the squash requirement, Essi said. "I left the junk food vendors — popcorn, cotton candy, that sort of stuff — alone," he said. "We tried zucchini ice cream once and that did not work."

Zucchini Festival draws 22,000 (The Daily Review)

Zucchini Festival draws bigger crowd this year
By Gideon Rubin The Daily Review
Article Last Updated: 08/17/2008 10:07:35 PM PDT


HAYWARD — The high price of gas — though it has been dropping recently — may be responsible for bringing a larger crowd to the annual Zucchini Festival this year.
An estimated 22,000 to 23,000 people filled Kennedy Park this weekend for the festival — or about 3,000 more than last year, according to organizer Richard Essi.
Essi attributed the increase to increasing numbers of people taking "staycations" as a factor in the surprising attendance surge. "That might have brought up the attendance because they're not going out of town," Essi said.

The impact of skyrocketing fuel costs wasn't all good, though, Essi said, noting the festival lost about 30 vendors who couldn't afford to attend the event because of higher costs.
Other factors contributing to the squash carnival's better-than-expected showing included a new "Kids Town" amusement park that featured a Ferris wheel and other rides, as well as lower ticket prices, he said.

General admission ticket prices were lowered from $5 to $4.
Tickets for seniors, children and the handicapped were lowered from $2 to $1.
The festival featured legendary Bay Area blues vocalist Curtis Lawson, who performed Sunday night. The festival, which started in 1982, benefits local charities, Essi said. "It has a long tradition in Hayward, and in talking to people, there seems to be a lot of support for it," Hayward Mayor Michael Sweeney

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Best 'Fast Food' in Hayward

Here's a small listing of the best fast food restaurants in the city of Hayward, CA.

Val's Burgers, 2115 Kelly St, Hayward, CA (510) 889-8257 Great burgers!!! Rather expensive. This place has been voted as having the Best Hamburgers in Hayward, CA and they are telling the truth. The Papa Burger is gigantic and a meal in itself.

Porky's Pizza Palace, 1221 Manor Blvd, San Leandro, CA Really good pizza - privately owned. This is located in San Leandro, but we have nothing better in Hayward!

Sam's Quarter Pound Burgers 18401 Hesperian Blvd San Lorenzo (best burgers on west side of Highway 880, etc.)

London Fish and Chips 18890 Hesperian Blvd. (Best Fish & Chips in town!!)

Caesar's Chicken Inc. 19450 Hesperian Blvd (great chicken! However, old (retired) owners ran the place better and the food was better. However, it's still pretty good and you can also get spaghetti, ravioli, french fries, potatoe salad, etc.

So, there you go people. Some of the best take-out food Hayward has to offer. Hayward does have a number of other fine dining restaurants. I have been going to these places for many years.

Togo's on Hesperian is pretty good, as are just about all the other ones...except for the one on Jackson Street. Ordered a roast beef and cheese, etc. sandwich and for some ridiculous reason, they did not include the roast beef... never went there the next 5 years!!!

I lived in Alameda many years ago and in 1974, I began getting delicious sandwiches at Dimitra's on Park Street. 1251 Park St (between Encinal Ave & San Antonio Ave) Alameda, CA 94501 (510) 521-3737. Click here to see some 'Yelp' reviews on this place. At one time, there were three locations, one on Central (near Webster St) and another location. However, the third location closed down many years ago and the one on Central just closed down about a year ago because the owners have sold the business, moved to Florida, etc. This place puts Subway to shame. I live in Hayward and I still go here for sandwiches and eat them alongside the water at the old Alameda Naval Air Station, reminiscing about my days stationed there.

Back in the 70's there was a pizza take out named Chef Romano's and was located out on Bay Farm Island. This place is in my all-time Take out food HALL OF FAME. Been gone for ages, but the pizza was the best I had ever eaten.