Fiesta Del Sol

Went to Fiesta Del Sol on a spontaneous moment to get some yummy snacks! It was so much fun and the weather was so perfect; there was a number of food trucks and stands but we stuck mainly to small snacks. We got a chocolate dipped cheesecake (delicious & very generous), cheddar potato slices on a stick (very yummy), strawberry shortcake in a cup (yummy and sweet)!

This year I didn’t get to really enjoy all that is has to offer but I still think they need more vendors. My Mom and I had an after dinner walk around the Fiesta. A band was on stage playing, I wish I knew who they were to tell you but I didn’t catch the name and frankly, wasn’t my type of music but everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. The beer garden was packed as usual, and so were the nearby bars. The kid area seems to have gotten smaller, and is quite tight. There isn’t a whole lot of space for this Fiesta which kind of keeps it cozy. What’s a Fiesta without Kettlecorn The smell fills the air. I’m not sure what they can do to make it more exciting. Maybe missing a year or two would bring back the nostalgia.

Over the weekend, it was my first time ever going to this festival.
I can honestly say that it was extremely lively, mostly thanks to Belly Up’s live music and performances. I thought that it was really cool that they had singers and music artists from all ages. There were many young boy bands and older women on stage. They had pretty good music.
The location is awesome because you are literally right next to the beach!
But of course parking sucks. They don’t have a designated parking lot so you have to find parking in the nearby neighborhoods and businesses.
There were some pretty cool vendors and food trucks.
But I agree, there needs to be more vendors!!! Especially food trucks. There was only like four food trucks to choose from. it was very limited and most of them didn’t even sound appealing.
But nonetheless, its a nice free event to check out and hang out once a year!

We came on Sunday late morning and parked at a lot on Stevens and took the free shuttle to Fiesta Del Sol. We waited about 15 minutes for the shuttle and it dropped us off right at the event. The shuttle driver was funny and helpful.
The event itself was good. There were lots of vendors and they were set up in a very compact space so not a lot of space in the walkways. There seemed to be several food trucks and snack vendors. My kids got a cookie and cupcake from the Cookie Lady booth. There were kid rides (small kids) and a stage with live music. From what we heard, the music was good. They had a full and decent line up both Saturday and Sunday. There was also a beer garden that looked right at the stage.
After we made our way around, we caught the shuttle back to the parking lot. The set up for the return seemed odd to me. I’m not complaining, but maybe they could organize it better? As they took us back to Stevens, we stopped at the second lot on Via De La Valle where we picked up people who were going to the Fiesta (they had to stand since there were no seats left on the bus). So when we got to Stevens, they all had to get off the shuttle so we could exit. At which point the other people at Stevens who were going to the Fiesta also needed to board the bus. The driver was great and tried to organize it the best he could. Maybe they needed to have designated drop off and pick up shuttles or something. All that said, I appreciated having a place to park with a free shuttle.
Oh, and since it was May and there was May gray (overcast) make sure you have a hoodie with you.

Always fun to come to an event at Fletcher Cove!
I was happy to see they had some nice food truck options this year — Crab Cakes, Burgers, among others — as well as food stands with corn and Thai.
There are some nice booths with cool jewelry and art as well as some annoying ones trying to sell you timeshares and the like.

I was expecting more. The day i went it was misty and cloudy, and the pathways were SO narrow and it was just so overcrowded with people, I just felt uncomfortable.
However– the vendors were all really nice, food smelt delicious. i just think for solana Beach, it could be a bit more organized. Still enjoyed myself though.

Good event, nice spread, good food, decent entertainment, and a great place for the family. Be back next year. Tip … on Sunday there’s a farmers market on Cedros street just South of the event. Go for both.

We love this event and look forward to it every year. Sure, not every event is perfect, but this comes close to it and you cannot beat the price or the musical variety.
However I am perfectly OK to keep this intimate event our best kept secret.

Every year we go to fiesta Del Sol and every year we get something different out of it.
This year, however, was not so great. The live music line up looked good but the sound engineer must have be tone deaf. The Beatles tribute band was ok but the Tom Petty tribute band, (Petty Breakers) were so badly mixed, all you could hear was the keyboard until the last song. What a dissapointment. I could tell they were good but the mix was so bad people were covering thier ears. What a shame!
The craft fair /​street junk was your typical crap… Solar panel salesmen, local radio station giveaways, (ooh great I totally needed another beer insulation holder), and your usual bad beach artwork. And let’s not forget the marshmallow pop gun vendor, «every kid needs one» they always say to which I respond, «yeah but not every parent needs gooey ant infested marshmallows stuck in the carpet. At least he price for admission being free fits into my budget.
So yeah, this year 3 stars. Next year my fingers will be crossed in hopes they hire an actual musician to mix the sound for the bands so it’s at very least tolerable. At least nearby bar, «The Saddle» was going off with reasonable drink prices.

A typical street fair with a little extra entertainment.
Has all the typical stalls, cheap crafty goods, massage services, annoying time share hawkers, and a few entertaining personalities.
The real reason you would come is for the fair style food and entertainment. They have some half decent acts like Donovan Frankenreiter, but the crowd is to big for me to warrant me to stick around for that. Id rather pay to see him at BUT the next night.

Unfortunately the «Sol» was missing this year. But I still had a great time. You really can’t beat the price (free) or the selection of bands. This year we came both days. Saturday to see Abbey Road a Beatles tribute band and Sunday The Pettybreakers. Abbey Road had all the Beatles schtick down to the correct brand and type of musical instruments that each Beatle played. They were amazing and really got the crowd worked up. You know the music is always going to be great because this event is mainly sponsored by Belly Up.

super sweet comfy village-​y type feel.
love coming here yearly for the fiesta.
we get sucked in to buying a whole bunch of delish foods, like mango ice, kettle corn, etc.
we always end up taking beach pics, and the kids play on the lawn and/​or the playground right on Fletcher Cove.
beautiful place!

Lots of food, tons of fun & interesting booths. The parking is tricky, so go early. This the the kind of stuff that makes summertime so much fun!

We decided to make the trip up here after I saw the advertisement on Unilocal.The festival website noted that there were 50,000 goers annually and many musical performers and vendors. Parking was a bit of a hassle, but in fairness, they did warn us of this. Thirty minutes later, we were finally here.
The vendors were divided nicely by the products and services they sold. However, I was a bit overwhelmed by the amount of vendors selling services like insurance. I did enjoy the arts and crafts selection for the children. For a small fee, children were able to paint and color or have their faces painted. The food selection was small and disappointing, especially considering the size of the festival.
The stage was near the beer garden and food area. It would have been nice to also enjoy the music while walking around the festival.

Great vibe and it’s next to all the restaurants on Highway 101.
KETTLE CORN!

This is a great festival and I can’t wait for it start this June!

I came here twice this time around. I had heard it was a fun street fair, so I came down here enticed with the free music lineup that they had advertised.
The vendor portion was not too large (don’t expect Carlsbad levels), which was enough to get through in about 20 – 30 minutes. They also didn’t have a huge amount of food vendors, but it wasn’t overwhelming and you were able to make a choice without walking around aimlessly tying to decide what to eat. The only real drawback was on the beer selection. Bud or Stella. I hate Bud, and I like Stella, but they could have had another beer or two out there. I know, Markstein probably paid for the exclusivity, but give us another choice, huh?
Met up with some friends, had a few beers bought and had a good time at a free festival. I look forward to next year.