Expect to find Yellow Springs at its liveliest this Saturday. It marks one of two annual street fairs held in the village. The Yellow Springs Street Fair will host over 200 vendors who sell goods including handmade arts and crafts, accessories and oddities, as well as live music and street performers. The festival will take place downtown from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“It’s kind of like seeing Yellow Springs on a more amped-up level,” said Alexandra Scott, special events coordinator with the Yellow Springs Chamber of Commerce. “All of the things that are already cool about Yellow Springs are right there in your face.”
Attendees can expect plenty of food to choose from. Most of the food vendors will be located on Walnut Street, just outside Mills Lawn Elementary School. There will be fair food, porkchop sandwiches, barbecue food Flyby BBQ, Ritter’s Frozen Custard and Zombie Dogs – “pretty much something for everyone,” Scott said.
All local shops and restaurants will be open during the fair, many of which will have specials for the event. “It’s going to be a great day to shop,” Scott said.
The Yellow Spring Street Fair has been an annual tradition for more than 30 years. The Yellow Springs Chamber of Commerce usually expects up to 25 thousand people to attend, according to Scott. The festival started as a small sidewalk sale and over time grew into what it is today, she said.
In addition to the street fair, the Music and Beer Festival will be held at the John Bryan Community Center at 100 Dayton St., Yellow Springs. Attendees can enjoy local craft beer and music acts from 12-7 p.m.
Performers will include local funk band Mojo Power, Cincinnati indie trio Marjorie Lee and The Lovers, rock band Spanish Tony Sanchez and local rock, funk and blues act Gary Arnold & Stone Soul Soup.
Attendees can also catch smaller folk and country acts and the local belly-dancing troupe, Egyptian Breeze, at The Soin Stage from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is located in the lawn of Jackson Lytle & Lewis Life Celebration Center at 1834, 322 Xenia Ave. Egyptian Breeze will perform at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. The local up-and-coming band Ever So Mellow will perform between their sets, according to Scott.
Two free shuttle services will provide transportation from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. They run from Young’s Dairy at 6880 Springfield Xenia Rd. and Yellow Springs High School at 420 E. Enon Rd. to downtown Yellow Springs. There will also be free and paid parking in and around town.
The festival is pet-free with an exception for service animals; this is for animals’ safety, according to Scott. Scott encourages people to bring cash to the fair. ATMs will be available.
“One of the best things about Yellow Springs Street Fair is that it’s fun,” Scott said. “Nothing makes me happier than to look around and see people having fun, especially if I’ve done something to make that happen.”
