From the Fire District’s Pancake Breakfast and Ripon Unified’s Color Run early in the morning, to 3 p.m. snacking and shopping, the 39th annual Main Street Day had it all! The whole town came together to listen to music, browse through books and antiques, eat, decorate pumpkins, support local businesses, and lots more.
At the 2024 Color Run, funds were raised to support our five elementary schools, Ripon High, and Harvest High School. Sports Med II participated by tossing the color at runners. Sophomore Armin Grewal was one of the special students who got to throw color. He states, “It was really fun seeing little kids walk around and how excited they got when they got color thrown on them.”
This annual event is largely known for the car show, where old fashioned cars are lined up down Main Street to be viewed. This year, some of the favorites were the In N Out themed car and the Back to the Future modeled car with a Marty McFly skeleton in the passenger seat. Each car’s owner sat beside their vehicle to answer any questions and just to socialize with fellow Riponites.
Another fan favorite, the petting zoo, was hosted by Ripon High’s FFA program and went off without a hitch. Senior Megan Parker, holding the Chair position, put everything together, setting up this beloved event of Main Street Day. Her Co-Chairs were seniors Gabriela Torres and Katelyn Bogetti. Parker states, “My favorite part was showing the kids different animals we use for FFA and seeing them get excited to pet them.”
Many children threw around comments about the animals being small and cute, but Parker’s favorite was when one little girl told her, “These animals are so cute and fluffy! I just want to take them all home!”
The petting zoo wasn’t the only place with animals, though. The Pet Parade was a huge success this year. The dogs of Ripon were spirited for Halloween and some owners even dressed up with their dogs. It was a wonderful way to get in the spirit of the holiday and to show the originality of our town’s pets. This event was sponsored by the Ripon Veterinary Hospital, which is our town’s small animal care facility located on Main Street.
Calvary’s Kids Zone returned with its annual pumpkin decorating stations. Stickers and pens were provided for children to use on their free pumpkins. Along with that, many children played various games to win delicious candy prizes. The kids enjoyed pumpkin bowling, fishing for treats, and were surprised by two volunteers making custom balloon animals.
Many vendors were lined down Main Street, but some of the most popular places were the food stands. There were tacos, cotton candy, hotdogs, drinks, and many other options. With tables lined up down S Walnut Ave, Riponites were able to take a break from shopping and enjoy a meal right in the action.
Armin Grewal enjoyed a particular vendor selling sausage. “It was really cool to try a specific kind of sausage they made there and I really liked it,” he states. Besides his love for that stand, Grewal also enjoyed the many amenities given from playing a game at each booth. He says, “I won a soccer ball from one place which was really cool because I play soccer.”
Senior Sofia Grewal had an amazing time at this year’s event. She states, “My favorite part of Main Street Day was looking at all the vendors and walking through the streets, recognizing people. I also discovered this antique store there, that I didn’t know was there before, and I went inside. It had some pretty cool stuff so now I want to go back. It was really cool to find places I didn’t know were there before.”
Many vendors hand-made all of their products. The Kidz Art Boxes were a quick selling product. The half-whiteboard-half-chalkboard design allows for children to express their creativity with the supplies provided inside the box. They were all hand-crafted and customized at the moment of purchase. Sofia Grewal also explained that she bought threaded bracelets from a vendor who made all of the jewelry by hand, including the metal ones. He put hours of work into making all the pieces before the event. There were many others who prepared way in advance for all of the buyers at Main Street Day.
The RHS Band and Choir also prepared to perform in front of an audience at Main Street Day. Even without a stage, they shone and entertained the crowd. A couple other local artists also played while the rest of the community strolled down the street.
Main Street Day is always packed and its popularity is uncontested. It’s an event designed for the entire community and has something everyone can enjoy.
