All Around the World at the Orange International Street Fair
The Circle was transformed into a promenade of cultural exploration this Labor Day weekend. Photo by Braylan Enscoe
Chapman students dined and danced around the world at the Orange International Street Fair this past weekend.
Every Labor Day weekend, local businesses and organizations gather from all over the county to contribute to the annual street fair. The roads are paved off and are transformed into walking areas, lined with vendors selling food, playing music and promoting their businesses. Fairgoers can eat coxinha on Brazil Street, grab a beer from German Street and stop by France Street for a pastry on their way out, all while hearing live cultural music.
Photo by Braylan Enscoe
It’s a perfect activity for students to celebrate closing out the first week of classes.
The festival began Friday at 5 p.m. and came to a close on Sunday at 10 p.m., giving Orange County residents all weekend to visit. I went on Friday to browse the shops, eat dinner and ask Chapman students about their experiences at the fair.
I ran into junior business administration major Sophia Bliss and her friends while they were having some Mexican food and watching a Latin band play. She was eating carne asada tacos as she told me why she loves the event.
“Coming here with friends, seeing other friends and socializing, and getting to try different cultures’ food is super fun,” said Bliss, who has been going to the festival since her freshman year.
Like many other Chapman students, Bliss was enthusiastic about the Joe’s Italian Ice pop-up stall at the fair. Joe’s, which famously always has a long line at its Anaheim location, is a schoolwide Chapman favorite.
The tacos looked and smelled heavenly, so I couldn’t resist ordering a couple for myself. After eating the tacos — which were just as incredible as Bliss had promised — I stayed in the area to listen to the musicians. The live music was one of my favorite parts of the evening.
Afterwards I kept exploring the different streets and their vendors. I wandered around for a while looking for a sweet treat when I found senior Ian McFarland, who is studying music performance and music education, near the German booths.
“Right now, I’m having a bratwurst,” said McFarland, naming the dish with its German pronunciation.
McFarland mentioned that it was his first time at the fair, and so far, he was enjoying it. His favorite part — the cultural music.
“I’m a music major, so I’m kind of guilty of it — but there’s all sorts of fun stuff, like this German band that was playing behind me not too long ago. I love the energy they bring, and they play very, very well,” he added.
I asked McFarland what made him choose German Street, and he answered that he had visited Germany over the summer (which explains the proper pronunciation of bratwurst) and is a fan of the country’s cuisine.
He also said that the Greek Street food line was too long — a sentiment that I unfortunately related to.
Still not sold on one specific dessert option, I took another lap around the circle. I watched a performance of “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood, passed by fairgoers dressed in cultural attire and debated buying a ceramic bowl that I couldn’t afford and didn’t really need — but it was stunning.
Photo by Braylan Enscoe
As the sun started to set on the festival, I saw the cannoli stand on Italian Street and knew I had to try one. The cannoli was everything I had hoped for, and good thing it was, because it cost twice the price of my dinner.
Next door at the meatball sub booth, senior applied human physiology major Paige Ho was eating a sandwich and listening to music with her friends.
““My friends and I took a little stroll around, then wanted to grab some dinner,” she said. “This only happens once a year.””
Ho said that she went to the fair once during her freshman year, but knew she had to stop by one last time before graduating.
“People show their love through their food, so it’s really fun to try all these different things,” she shared.
Photo by Braylan Enscoe
