There isn't a food festival on the planet we probably wouldn't swing by, at least to sample the specialty and jump in the bounce house and rock to the local band and get a balloon. That said, we must admit there are some large-scale street parties that appeal more than others (Liver and Onions Festival, if you're out there, and we believe you might be, know that we're really, really working up to visiting you one day).
Certainly the Lemon Festival in Upland is one of our primo choices in the food festival category. Consider that the lemon is one of those rare wonders that can go both sweet (lemonade, candy, sorbets) and savory (we love to see its bright hues among artichokes in a spicy pasta dish). It is total, edible perfection in a juicy, oval-like form. Oh, our ears just squelched again.
If you feel as fond of this particular citrus as we do, there's only one thing for it: Pile yourself and any lemon lovers you know into the car and make for Upland the weekend of April 24-26. There will be lovely, lemony things to purchase and consume. There will be people dressed in yellow, blobular costumes. There will be things for small citrus eaters to do, and a pie-eating contest, which is sure to be messy (the messier the better, in our books).
Can our ears keep up a constant squelch for an entire day? We really hope so. We're dreaming big.
Upland Lemon Festival
April 24-26
Downtown Upland (historic district), E. Ninth Street and N. First Avenue, Upland
