Next year's Pear Blossom Festival will last longer

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November 24, 2009

By Paris Achen

Mail Tribune

The Pear Blossom Festival's street fair next year will move from its longtime location at Alba Park in downtown Medford to the larger Hawthorne Park on East Jackson Street, organizers announced Monday.

The festival's parade route will not change. The route begins at the intersection of Court Street, North Central Avenue and Edwards Street and ends at Alba Park.

The street fair's venue change to about 10 blocks east of its original location will provide space for more than 200 vendors and more than 20,000 visitors, said Betsy Manuel, executive director of the Heart of Medford Association.

"We are just delighted to be able to offer a better venue that is not quite so packed and crowded," Manuel said.

"When the weather was nice, Alba Park was just so packed people couldn't get around."

Previously, the festival began Friday afternoon and lasted through Saturday. Next year, the festival will be open for two full days, Saturday and Sunday, April 10 and April 11, Manuel said.

The festival also includes pageants, a parade and the renowned Pear Blossom Run. The parade and run also are set for April 10.

The parade will still end at Alba Park, not Hawthorne Park. A trolley will be available to transport parade revelers who don't want to walk the 10 blocks to Hawthorne Park as well as to stops in between. But festival organizers are encouraging people to walk to highlight the city's effort to become more pedestrian friendly and to browse the sidewalk sales en route to Hawthorne Park.

The festival's 10-mile run starts near Alba Park, with participants running to the intersection of Hanley Road and Ross Lane and then back to the park. It drew about 1,200 runners and 160 walkers this year.

The change of venue ends a 27-year tradition of holding the street fair at Alba Park as an addition to the festival's parade and run, said Darcey Mann-Self, the festival's president. But the move will give the street fair room to grow and be available to more people, Manuel said.

The street fair began with 40 vendors in 1982 and had grown to 192 vendors this year, Manuel said.

Reach reporter Paris Achen at 776-4459 or e-mail pachen@mailtribune.com.

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