FaxFest Real Fairfax Fun

Though this weekend will be the 34th annual official Fairfax Festival, there’s been more than 34 years of annual Fairfax festivities. In fact, said Richard Pedemonte, who heads up the Fairfax Festival Committee, there’s been some kind of yearly festival in town since 1905.

Fax Fest has been an annual tradition ever since the yearly festival got so out of hand in the 1960s that the town had to close it down for a few years.

But, it never quite lost that raucous feel. In fact, in recent years, the festival became synonymous with drunken out-of-towners. While it still has that element to it, about eight years ago, a number of Fairfax residents wanted to make it “a little more representative of the people who actually live here,” said Holly Bragman, who works on the Eco-Fest, which runs in conjunction with the Fairfax Festival this weekend.

Now, Eco-Fest, Fax Fest and the kids area take over nearly all of the downtown park Saturday and Sunday – and people of all ages enjoy the music, food, crafts and games. 

“It’s still way more popular than your average art and wine festival,” said Pedemonte.

The weekend kicks off with the always popular parade at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Retired police chief Ken Hughes will grand marshall the parade, which has 42 entries. The parade includes the fun Nave Patrola Italian Marching Band – a group that “march in disorder,” said Pedemonte. Organizations, dance groups, belly dancers and neighborhood floats will fill out the parade, including the Bothin Road neighborhood float, which has in the past been a spaceship. “It’s usually the most spectacular,” said Pedemonte.

The parade starts at Java Hut in the old Albertson’s parking lot and runs to Bolinas Park.

After the parade fun winds down, the real festival gets started.

There will be three music stages – an acoustic stage in the Redwood Grove by Peri Park, a main stage in Bolinas Park and the music stage at the Eco-Fest on the lawn behind the Pavilion. Chrome Johnson will headline and wrap up Saturday’s fun, while the Tom Finch Group will rock out on the Eco-stage Sunday evening.

The arts and crafts flea market will unfold under the Redwoods, nonprofit groups and local vendors will offer food, and kids games – from bounce houses to sack races – will take place on the ballfield. 

And with the 8th annual Eco-Fest side-by-side with the Fairfax Festival, you get two festivals for one. 

Twenty-six wineries and four breweries will offer tastings at the Eco-Fest. And new this year: olive oil, cheese and chocolate can also be tried. One of the chocolate batches was ruined though, so only a limited amount will be offered.

Some of the wines offered are 100 percent organic, said Bragman, some add natural sulfites and are made with organic grapes, some are from dynamic, sustainable farms.

“Anything that meets the standard, meets our standard,” she said. Over 90 percent of the wines are also sold at Good Earth, by coincidence.

Residents can get a two-day pass to the Eco-Fest, too, if they want to just keep coming back for more tastes.

And, don’t forget to get your Fairfax money while you’re at the Fairfax Festival. The , worth $3, will finally be unveiled at the festival and can be purchased for $3 or seven of the tokens for $20.

Over 10,000 people are expected to attend the festival this weekend. Will you be going?

The festival kicks off with the showing of 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' tonight at 8:30 p.m. on the ballfield. Check out the Fairfax Festival website for a full music schedule and the Eco-Fest website for lists of vendors and performers. The festival runs from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.