Annual South Park event’s theme centered on dynamic views of Balboa Park

By Morgan M. Hurley | SDUN Assistant Editor

Over 800 people made their way through the historic streets of South Park on Saturday, June 16, as the 14th annual Old House Fair broke its previous year’s attendance records.  Six classic homes, one “bonus” garden, and Firehouse Station #9 were all part of the 2012 Historic Home Tour.

Sponsored by the South Park Business Group (SPBG), the popular fair ran from 10 a.m. through 4 p.m. and also hosted 70 different vendors, a food court, three bands and all the information owners would need for help with the restoration and preservation of their own historic homes.

This year’s tour theme centered dynamic views of Balboa Park and six of the eight participating properties did so. Spread out from Laurel St to the north, Ash Street to the south, and between 28th and Fern streets to the west and east, attendees could reach the tour locations either via shuttle or by foot.  Shuttles were provided courtesy of Old Town Trolley Tours, and left from Grant’s Marketplace on the corner of Beech and 29th streets every half hour.

In addition to the eight locations on the tour open to foot-traffic, there was also a 45-minute trolley tour available, which shuttled close to 150 people through not only South Park, but the adjacent neighborhoods of Burlingame and Golden Hill, while pointing out various historic landmarks and homes.

Patty Fares, owner-operator of Urban Safaris, also took 80 adventurous individuals on two separate, one-hour walking tours, which were provided free of charge.  For the seventh year in a row, Fares took the walkers on an exclusive two-mile hike within the original boundaries of South Park, touting the neighborhood’s charm, pointing out the variety of different craftsman style homes, and identifying prominent residents of the era.

“I’m always impressed by the sincere interest people have in the history and architecture,” Fares said. “They have a true fascination with the community, and the residents of older neighborhoods are always so proud to live there.“  Fares commented that often during her normal 2 ½ tours throughout the older local neighborhoods, whether it be South Park, Burlingame or Kensington, homeowners often invite her guests inside for impromptu tours.  “They consider themselves caretakers for the community and it is refreshing to see.”
Old House Fair attendees could also listen to one of the three bands that assembled on a platform stage set up at Beech and Date streets. The Marcia Forman Band, Billy Joe and the Roosters and Todo Mundo each played dynamic sets for the crowd as they found a moment to relax, feast on the nearby food vendors and take refuge in the shade.

Marsha Smelkinson, longtime member of the SPBG, was happy with the success of this year’s fair, noting it has increased in size each of the last several years.

“Our little event is all put on by the neighborhood,” Smelkinson said. “The sponsors all throw in seed money and it’s not a big budget event.”

The hundreds of attendees this year kept the vendor area bustling almost non-stop throughout the entire day, causing one vendor to remark, “Whew, that was intense,” during one of the few lulls in traffic in the afternoon.

Foot traffic keeps both the vendors and the docents busy, and that in a nutshell is what the Old House Fair is all about.

“Docents” are volunteers who work at each of the historical properties on the tour and guide attendees through the intricacies of each room offered up for display.  One thing the fair never seems to have enough of, according to Smelkinson, are these volunteers.

Smelkinson explained that docents require “no special training or talents” and will receive all the training they need on the history and points of interest for each property they will be briefing the public about. Each docent is asked to commit to one-half day of volunteer service (approximately three hours), and in turn they will get a free tour ticket (worth $20) and time to enjoy the other properties, themselves.

Houses for the tour are chosen through a variety of ways. Maureen Ceccarelli Old House Tour director of nine years, goes through the various applications and recommendations for each year and the list of homes that might not have fit the theme for the previous year. Then she visits the potential tour homes with Tracy Raz.  Raz is an interior designer by trade, but is also an expert in historical design and architecture.

Together, the two women evaluate the historical nature of the homes and make their choices. Now that Old House Fair 2012 is behind them, this process is about to begin again for 2013.

Those interested in being a docent for the 2013 Old House Fair are encouraged to contact Christine Winter, the volunteer coordinator at [email protected].

For more information about the Old House Fair, visit it’s website at oldhousefair.com or visit the website of the South Park Business Group at southparkscene.com.