Organized by the local CDC and Sezio, a nonprofit, the July 22 event looks to build local community through arts, music and food

By Anthony King | SDUN Editor

The Golden Hill Street Fair returns Sunday, July 22 after an eight-year hiatus, with the Greater Golden Hill Community Development Corporation (GHCDC) and Golden Hill-based nonprofit, Sezio, organizing the event. The fair will take over 25th Street between B and C streets from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. with a focus on building local community.

“Our goal in organizing this community-focused event is to highlight neighborhood artists and musicians while bringing together community members and local businesses,” said Zack Nielsen, Sezio co-founder and current business director, in a press release. Jon Staqmatopoulos, of Golden Hill’s Turf Supper Club, also helped organize the event.

“When I heard the event was rumored to return, I wanted to get Sezio involved immediately,” Nielsen said. “Our offices are in Golden Hill, we live in Golden Hill and so many of the artists and musicians we’ve worked with closely over the years also live in the neighborhood.”

Overseeing the art and music portion of the event, Sezio provides “resources, exposure and community support” to up-and-coming artists, including musicians, through partnerships with local businesses, media and community groups. Current partners include The Casbah, Starlite lounge, the Station Tavern and Soda Bar, among others. The nonprofit was active in North Park’s Coffee & Tea Collective grand opening on Tuesday, July 17.

In addition to six local bands performing at the fair’s main stage, the event will also feature screen-printing with the artist collective, Yeller Studio. The collective, established in 2008, is dedicated to creating accessible art by and the promotion of San Diego artists. They regularly curate exhibitions and participate in community events, like the street fair.

There will also be an interactive art wall, hosted by Artist & Craftsman Supply as well as a Pop-up Park by NewGrass.

“I really saw an opportunity to do something different with the Golden Hill Street Fair,” Nielsen said. “We’re definitely trying to break the mold a bit.”

Local food vendors Alchemy, Giorgino’s and MIHO Gastrotruck will be serving food, and Stone Brewing Co. will be hosting the 21-and-older beer garden. Created by Juan Miron and Kevin Ho, MIHO Gastrotruck is a mobile restaurant, serving fresh, local and “thoughtfully sourced” food.

With a weekly schedule and daily menu that changes periodically, MIHO sources ingredients from Bread & Cie, Suzie’s Organic Farm and Lakeside Organic Gardens, among others. They, too, participated in the Coffee & Tea Collective opening.

Live music will be presented by local bands, including the headliners, The Donkeys, at 5 p.m. The Donkeys, made up of best friends Timothy DeNardo, Jessie Gulati, Anthony Lukens and Sam Sprague, released their second Dead Oceans album, “Born with Stripes” in 2011. Their latest release, with the singles “Won’t Let You Down” and “Try to Pretend,” came out in April 2012.

Family Wagon leads the entertainment lineup at noon, with Jeans Wilder at 1 p.m. Little Deadman performs at 2 p.m., The Tree Ring at 3 p.m. and Cuckoo Chaos takes the stage at 4 p.m.

The all-ages fair was made possible in part by an Economic Development Tourism Support Grant from the city of San Diego. The San Diego County Bicycle Coalition will be providing a free bicycle valet, and attendees are encouraged to cycle to the event.

GHCDC board members include Ruchell Alvarez, Janice Darlington, Ann Nelson, Thomas L. Sims and Christine Winter. Paul Broadway serves as president and Kathryn Willetts is the organization’s treasurer. Board meetings are currently held every third Thursday of each month, 6:30 p.m., at 1504 30th St. and the organization hosts monthly business and community mixers.

For more information about the Golden Hill CDC, visit goldenhillcdc.org or call 619-696-9992. More information about the nonprofit Sezio, as well as complete information about the July 22 street fair, can be found at sezio.org.