Going loco at Fiesta Hermosa

Every Memorial Day and Labor Day (the two long weekends that bookend the summer here), Hermosa hosts a fair. Fiesta Hermosa started out as an arts and crafts fair in the 1970s. 40 years on and it involves dozens of stands selling art & tat, a petting zoo, food trucks, and cheesy cover bands.

Having told by my hairdresser that it's 'crazy busy', I was full of trepidation. She says she avoids Hermosa during the Fiesta, due to the nature of the crowds. 'A lot of people come in, and you know it's not like it used to be, they're not all locals.' Yikes!, I thought. Will we be safe?

I was picturing a sort of Notting Hill Carnival, complete with ear-drum-piercing sounds systems and an elevated risk of knife crime. Oh, I know, I know, the Carnival's changed, they have that family friendly day, etc etc. Still you'd probably avoid the crush with a baby in a buggy, and perhaps wouldn't carry too much cash, just in case.

In fact, true to Hermosan culture, the Fiesta is really quite mellow. Witness this orderly cue for shuttle buses, as proof.

And if this is how Pier Plaza looks when it's 'crazy busy', I think we can handle it.

Here are some people who may be from as far afield as Manhattan Beach, or Redondo, dancing to a Dooby Brothers cover band at 11am.

Slightly crazy, but not in a scary way. The security guard didn't look too concerned.

The only craziness I witnessed was the spam masubi. Seaweed wrapped sushi rice, with a spam filling. Apparently it's a Hawaiian specialty. I tried it, and can only say it wasn't quite as nasty as I expected. Damning with faint praise, I know.

Lady P's reaction to the food truck area was apt:

She averted her eyes, and insisted on going home for something more appetising. Quite right too. Still, we'll be back next time the Fiesta's in town. It's just the sort of craziness we like.